SY24-25 Rise Academy Middle School Special Education Teacher

Grade Level : 6-8

Start Date : August 2024 (exact date tbd)

Salary Range : $57,396 - $90,424

About Rise Academy

Rise Academy is a boundary middle school in the Springfield Empowerment Zone serving grades 6-8 on the Van Sickle campus.

Rise Academy uses an inclusive model to meet the needs of all students including English language learners and students with disabilities.

By partnering with parents, supporting our teachers, and holding our students to high academic and behavioral expectations, we support accelerated growth for all of our students to prepare them for high school, college, and opportunities in life.

Teaching in SEZP

SEZP is seeking educators who are excited and ready to make an impact in a collaborative, engaging, diverse, and high energy environment.

We are seeking educators who believe teachers are activists - promising instructional access, rigor, advocacy, and a tenacious commitment to anti-racism for all students.

SEZP teachers are expected to :

• Create a safe, purposeful classroom environment that prioritizes learning for all students
• Collaborate with other teachers, instructional leaders, and partners to ensure instruction is meeting the needs of all students
• Assess students regularly, analyze data, and determine appropriate next steps for instruction
• Ensure that instruction meets the needs of all students, including students with special needs, English Language Learners, and students performing below grade level
• Build relationships and communicate regularly with students and their families to solicit input and share academic progress
• Engage in learning about issues of racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion in education to examine your own biases; reflect on how those biases affect you, your students, and their families;

and plan and deliver instruction in a culturally responsive way

Participate in and learn from regular professional development opportunities before and during the school year

Qualifications

• Experience teaching Special Education at the middle and / or high school level preferred
• Appropriate content / program area (Moderate Disabilities) and grade level license from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education required (Educators who are not licesed by MA DESE in the appropriate area or grade level may be eligible for a licensure waiver and are still encouraged to apply.)
• Experience as an active anti-racist or advocate for equity preferred
• Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred
• Bachelor’s degree required

If you meet some of the qualifications above, we encourage you to apply or to reach out for more information. We know that historically marginalized groups including people of color, women, people from working class backgrounds, and people who identify as LGBTQ are less likely to apply unless and until they meet every requirement for a job.

Therefore, we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other marginalized communities.

We encourage you to reach out to [email protected] if you have questions about the role or your qualifications. We are happy to help you feel ready to apply!

Benefits

SEZP offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience; salaries for new teachers start at $57,396. Teachers in SEZP qualify for benefits (sick days, retirement, health insurance, etc.

offered to other teachers in the Springfield Public Schools.

In addition, there may be several opportunities unique to SEZP schools to increase earnings above base salary. While not guaranteed, those opportunities include, but are not limited to :

• Signing or relocation bonuses
• Expanded Learning Time stipends at some schools, based on the yearly schedule
• Empowerment Academies : Intervention and instruction opportunities we implement during February, April, and summer breaks, following an application and selection process
30+ days ago