Middle School English Language Arts (ELA) Teacher

ABOUT US: Arts in Action Community Middle School opened in the Fall of 2016 and serves students in grades 6-8.  We believe that all students deserve access to the arts.  We believe that instruction should be culturally relevant, and inclusive, and meet the diverse needs of all learners.  We believe that social justice is integral to education, and we aim to teach students how to advocate for themselves, our community, and the world.  For more information on our program, please visit our website, www.artsinactioncharter.org 

OUR MISSION: To empower, prepare, and inspire urban students to achieve their highest potential and become active citizens who work toward building a more just, humane, and sustainable world by providing a democratic, arts-enriched, and nurturing school environment.

JOB DESCRIPTION: Under the direction of the Director of the Middle School, serve as a general education classroom teacher through planning, delivering and assessing instructional lessons aligned with the California Common Core Standards.

Teachers drive the mission and vision of the school forward by integrating the arts into their classroom and leading students to think about the social inequities in the world and inspiring students to enact change. 

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Promote the academic success and holistic growth of all students, collaborate with colleagues on curriculum design and instruction
• Use ongoing assessments to adapt instruction to students’ needs and monitor progress
• Facilitate parent conferences and meet with parents to communicate student’s strengths and areas for improvement
• Participate in SSPT and IEP meetings and plan implementation as needed
• Lead small group instruction and differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all students
• Structure a physical classroom environment conducive to learning, to include efficient classroom management procedures based on restorative justice practices and establish and maintain expected standards of student behavior 
• Understand and organize subject matter for student learning by developing and implementing an appropriate Scope and Sequence
• Engage and support all students in learning by planning standards-based lessons  
• Provide varied instruction as appropriate in order to attempt to adapt the curriculum to the needs of students  
• Continually evaluate and record various aspects of students’ progress and report to parents as needed and required
• Maintain Student Records
• Participate and collaborate in grade-level, staff, and planning meetings
• Build relationships with students, staff and parents
• Develop as a professional educator and seek to improve competency by regularly participating in professional growth activities
• Share the responsibility of communicating the educational program to the community through such activities as back to school nights, parent conferences, and family nights
• Provide emergency lesson plans for substitutes
• Plan and coordinate the work of Assistant Teachers (when applicable)

Teaching at Arts in Action Community Middle School is unique in the following ways: 

• Multiple structures for creating strong school culture, including Character Strong, Advisory, social-emotional support, and Restorative Justice practices 
• Social Justice project based learning where students study current social problems and engage in actions to improve those issues
• Full-time School Counselor and Behavior support team to support students and families with behavior and students’ social-emotional well-being
• Scheduled teacher collaboration and common planning time during the school day
• Assistant Teachers who are assigned to support classroom instruction and help lead intervention

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Single subject teaching credential
• Teaching experience strongly preferred 
• Ability to establish/foster a positive and safe school culture
• Demonstrated ability in conflict resolution
• Possesses a growth mindset and a love of learning
• Strong oral and written communication skills

WAGE AND BENEFITS: The salary for this position is competitive and commensurate with experience; a competitive benefits package is included. The salary range is $69,860-$121,000. Teachers are compensated based on their placement on a salary scale divided into the categories of developing, lead, and distinguished teacher.  Compensation is determined based on years of teaching, expertise, and education units.