College Bridge Math Instructor at Rikers Island (Part-Time)

College Bridge Math Instructor at Rikers Island (Part-Time)

The Petey Greene Program, New York

About Us

The Petey Greene Program supports the academic goals of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people through high-quality volunteer tutoring programs, while educating volunteers on the injustice manifest in our carceral system.

We envision a world in which all incarcerated people have access to high-quality academic programs and we strive to inspire our alumni - both students and tutors - to become advocates, and to take on leadership roles that reimagine the criminal legal system.

The PGP operates the largest multi-state volunteer tutoring program for currently and formerly incarcerated people. Since our founding in 2008, we’ve served over 21,000 students across more than 140 programming sites—including correctional and reentry programs—placed over 9,000 volunteers, and partnered with 40+ universities in seven states and Washington, D.C.

The PGP is headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, but the majority of our 40 employees are based across the Northeast in regions where the PGP holds programming.

The Role

The Petey Greene Program’s College Bridge instructor(s) at Rikers Island will be responsible for delivering high-quality college readiness programming for incarcerated students at Rikers Island, as part of the launch of PGP educational programming at Rikers Island.

College Bridge Math Instructor(s) will teach foundational math courses utilizing the PGP’s College Bridge program curriculum and adapting it to ensure that courses meet the needs of interested students while complying with requirements related to operating programming across the Rikers Island complex. Instructors will report to the PGP’s Program Manager - College Bridge Programs at Rikers Island, and they will work closely with the Executive Director of the Center for Educational Justice as well as other PGP colleagues, PGP tutors, and NYCDOC administrators.

The PGP’s College Bridge program is a series of courses that support incarcerated students in developing the writing, reading, and numeracy skills that are necessary to pursue employment and post-secondary education, while fostering a sense of educational self-efficacy and self-confidence that will support them in these pursuits. College Bridge Math Instructors are expected to ensure that their courses:

• Center students’ goals and interests
• Support student engagement
• Adapt to students working across a variety of levels
• Implement culturally responsive and trauma-informed teaching practices
• Provide wrap-around educational support by engaging with PGP volunteer tutors
• Incorporate student academic progress data to inform and adjust instruction

Candidates will reside in the greater New York City area. The role is on-site at Rikers Island, with the expectation that the College Bridge Math Instructor (Part-Time) will be leading between four and nine in-person class sessions at Rikers Island each week. Scheduling specifics will be discussed during the interview process but could include two to four days per week of mornings, afternoons, or full days. If you’re interested in this opportunity but would prefer a full-time role, please see this posting.

This position is grant-funded through December 2028, with the possibility of renewal dependent on renewal of funding. Employment with the Petey Greene Program is entirely "at-will." This means that either the employee or the PGP may terminate the employment relationship at any time. The inclusion of an anticipated end date does not alter this at-will relationship.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Regional Programming Responsibilities
  • Assess and identify prospective College Bridge student goals and levels
  • In collaboration with the Program Manager - College Bridge Programs and the Executive Director of the Center for Educational Justice, update the PGP’s College Bridge curriculum, adapting it to the needs of students at Rikers Island.
  • Design engaging math lessons that are appropriately leveled and relevant for approximately 2-10 students per class
  • Facilitate 2-3 classes per day, 4 days per week, 1.5-2 hours per class.
  • Implement formative and summative assessments specific to for the PGP’s College Bridge programming
  • Incorporate PGP volunteer tutors into lesson plans to offer supplementary and 1-on-1 support to incarcerated students outside of class time
  • Review and provide feedback on student work between classes, as needed
  • In collaboration with the PGP’s Program Manager - College Bridge Programs at Rikers Island, maintain records of student academic progress data.
  • Review and implement feedback on curricula and instruction from students, PGP colleagues, and NYCDOC staff
  • Adjust and adapt teaching as needed to ensure ongoing alignment with student needs
  • Provide a positive educational presence at the facility by building rapport with learners and discussing students’ academic, personal, and professional goals.
  • Collaborate with other instructors and the PGP’s Program Manager - College Bridge Programs at Rikers Island to provide a continuum of educational support for learners and a supportive educational community.
  • On in-person days, participate in daily on-site meetings with PGP’s Rikers team members to align services, ensure coordinated student support, and collectively navigate daily work inside a carceral space
• National Organizational Responsibilities
  • Participates in and prepares for weekly meetings with the regional team and all PGP staff

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in STEM or a related field
• At least 1 year of experience teaching foundational math or courses at the college or AP level
• Familiarity with adult learning theory, culturally responsive pedagogy, and trauma-informed teaching practices
• Ability to interpret academic progress data and implement data-driven approaches to instruction
• Ability to adjust communication style for various stakeholders (incarcerated students, correctional facility administrators, university or other educational partners, volunteer tutors, etc.)
• Ability to develop, implement and adapt curricula to meet program needs while remaining aligned with the organization’s mission and vision
• Ability to develop and adapt processes and lesson materials for low-tech/no-tech environments
• Extremely organized and detail-oriented
• Ability to problem solve
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Proficiency in Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs, and Google Calendar
• Awareness of issues related to mass incarceration and broader social justice concerns.
• Must be able to be cleared to enter NYCDOC facilities (if you have concerns about this requirement, we encourage you to still submit an application or reach out to us so we can discuss further)

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree or PhD in STEM or a related field
• Experience with blended learning programs or otherwise integrating online learning platforms with in-person instruction
• Experience working with or knowledge of the New York City Department of Corrections as an employee, partner, or a formerly incarcerated person.
• Experience leading educational programming in carceral environments
• Experience working with New York City community-based organizations focused on supporting formerly incarcerated people
• Experience with and knowledge of tutor-centric educational programs and/or volunteer programs
• An understanding of the US criminal legal system and local policies.

The Petey Greene Program is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its personnel decisions based on race, ancestry, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital/domestic partner status, religion, age, disability status, veteran status, or former incarceration status.

We are committed to ongoing learning and reflection and we are continuously working to ensure that the Petey Greene Program is welcoming and supportive of staff members of all identities, including system-impacted people, people of color, and LGBTQIA+ people. We also believe that this work should be led by system-impacted people, whose perspectives and direct knowledge of the problems are necessary to achieving freedom and educational justice.

Compensation

Job Type: Part-time, 16-28 hours per week

Rate: $32-34 per hour

Rates are non-negotiable. The top of this range is the maximum for the role.

Benefits

The Petey Greene Program’s staff make our work possible and we are committed to providing a comprehensive benefits package to support employee’s well-being and professional growth. These benefits include:

• 401k retirement plan
• 16 weeks of paid parental leave
• Paid winter break between Christmas and New Year’s day, in addition to 10 paid holidays throughout the year
• Full-time employees accrue 20 days of vacation time, 1 floating holiday, and 12 days of sick time per year. Part-time employees’ accrual is prorated.
• PGP closes at 1 PM on Fridays from June through August

Application Deadlines:

• Preferred: July 6, 2026 (We encourage applicants to apply by this date for priority review)
• Final: July 15, 2026

Anticipated Start: July 2026

How to apply

Please email nyjobs@peteygreene.org with the subject “College Bridge Math Instructor (Part-Time) at Rikers Island” and the following documents:

• Resume
• Cover letter