Overview

Springfield Prep Charter School is a public charter school in Springfield, Massachusetts that opened in the 2015-16 school year and will serve students in grades K-4 in the 2018-19 school year.  We will grow to ultimately serve nearly 500 students in grades K-8.  We are driven by the belief that all children deserve a world-class education and that they can and will achieve when provided with high expectations, rigorous curriculum, and a joyful school culture.  We are hiring teachers for grades K-4.  

Our team is made up of a group of energetic, high capacity educators and professionals who are committed to closing existing achievement gaps.  We work hard and constantly seek to improve our practice so that our scholars get a top-notch education that puts them on the path to college.

At Springfield Prep, teachers’ hours are 7:15 am to 4:15 pm daily, with the student academic day running from 7:55 am to 4:00 pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and 7:55 am to 12:30 pm on Fridays.  In the summer of 2019, new teacher professional development will begin in early August and the school year will begin in late August. 

Job Description

This position offers a unique opportunity to play an integral role in helping to build a high performing urban charter school.   Springfield Prep teachers work in teams of two per classroom to make significant academic gains and to support scholars in meeting our high behavioral and character expectations.  

Key Responsibilities

Curriculum & Instruction

• Develop and implement rigorous and engaging lesson plans aligned to the Common Core standards and designed to drive all scholars to achieve at or above grade level
• Use schoolwide instructional strategies to provide high impact and high engagement lessons every day
• Provide engaging, motivating, and rigorous instruction in whole class, small group, and individual settings
• Use student achievement data on a daily and weekly basis to ensure that students make tangible progress from day-to-day and week-to-week
• Analyze student achievement data; create and implement instructional action plans
• Provide academic support and tutoring to small groups or individual scholars as needed

School Culture

• Develop a classroom culture that embraces the school values of academic achievement, intellectual curiosity, and strong character
• Teach and enforce school-wide systems, rules and consequences, and the disciplinary and incentive systems
• Build strong relationships with scholars and communicate regularly and proactively with families (this includes participation in occasional (4-6) evening/weekend events throughout the year)

Professional Development

• Participate in weekly leadership-led professional development sessions, including grade-team planning meetings and school wide training on curriculum design, instructional strategy, and data analysis and action planning
• Collaborate with fellow teachers to share curriculum and instructional best practices through modeling, video sharing, and practice sessions

Qualities

• You are unwavering in your belief that all children can achieve at the highest levels, regardless of their socioeconomic background, and you believe schools should be held accountable for this
• You are humble, reflective, and eager to constantly improve
• You believe in measuring student academic achievement in tangible ways
• You approach problems with a sense of optimistic determination
• You have the stamina and entrepreneurial spirit required to handle the intensity and challenge inherent in joining the leadership of start-up high-performing charter school
• You’ve got a good sense of humor!  We work hard but believe it’s important to have fun while doing it.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (required) and record of top performance as an undergraduate
• Classroom teaching experience and/or certification (strongly preferred)
• Record of driving student achievement, preferably as an urban educator (strongly preferred)

Compensation

Staff members are provided with a competitive salary, full benefits, and a working environment that includes all the necessary technology and resources to succeed.  Most of all, you will join a team of like-minded professionals working to achieve the same mission.