ELL Instructor at Rikers Island (Full-Time)

ELL Instructor at Rikers Island (Full-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 English Language Learning (ELL) instructor(s) at Rikers Island will be responsible for delivering high-quality ELL programming for incarcerated students at Rikers Island, as part of the launch of PGP educational programming at Rikers Island.

ELL Instructor(s) will work closely with the PGP’s Program Manager - ELL Programs at Rikers Island to design and implement small-group ELL instruction across the complex. Instructor(s) will collaborate with other PGP colleagues, PGP tutors, and NYCDOC administrators to deliver the instruction on facility housing units, ensuring that it meets both the needs of interested students and complies with requirements related to operating programming across the Rikers Island complex.

The aim of PGP’s ELL program, and the responsibility of ELL Instructors, will be to provide a high-quality educational service that:

• Centers students’ goals and interests
• Supports student engagement
• Adapts to students working across a variety of levels
• Implements culturally responsive and trauma-informed teaching practices
• Provides wrap-around educational support by engaging with PGP volunteer tutors
• Incorporates student academic progress data to inform and adjust instruction

Instructor(s) will report to the PGP’s Program Manager - ELL Programs at Rikers Island.

Candidates will reside in the greater New York City area. The role is primarily on-site at Rikers Island, with the expectation that the ELL Instructor (Full-Time) will be in-person at Rikers Island four days per week, along with one work-from-home day. If you’re interested in this opportunity but would prefer a part-time instructor 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 ELL student goals and levels
  • Design engaging ELL lessons, covering English speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills, 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.
  • Plan and implement formative and summative assessments, as appropriate
  • 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
  • Collect and review student academic progress data on a weekly basis and adjust curricula, as needed
  • In collaboration with the PGP’s Program Manager - ELL 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 - ELL 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 education or a related field
• Certification or degree in TEFL, TESOL, or CELTA
• At least 1 year of experience providing direct ELL instruction for adults
• Familiarity with adult learning theory, culturally responsive pedagogy, and trauma-informed teaching practices
• Familiarity with best practices for supporting emerging literacy skills among ELL students
• 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 in Adult Education, TESOL, or a related field
• Previous or current state teaching certification or comparable credential
• 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
• Bilingual in English and another language
• 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: Full-time

Salary: $67,000-$70,000

Salaries 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:

• Medical, dental, and vision benefits with PGP contribution towards premiums
• 100% employer-paid life insurance and short- and long-term disability benefits
• 401k retirement plan
• Voluntary benefits offered including Pet Insurance and FSA Commuter and Transit Benefits
• 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
• 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 “ELL Instructor (Full-Time) at Rikers Island” and the following documents:

• Resume
• Cover letter (applications without a cover letter will not be considered)

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in education or a related field
• Certification or degree in TEFL, TESOL, or CELTA

Bachelor’s degree, preferably in education or a related field

Certification or degree in TEFL, TESOL, or CELTA