SY23-24 Springfield Realization Academy Middle School Special Education Teacher (Immediate Opening)

Grade Level : 6-8

Start Date : Immediate Opening

Salary Range : $55,467 - $88,006 and commensurate with experience

Additional Compensation to be Determined :

• $2,500-$10,000 relocation award for candidates from regions beyond western Massachusetts
• $5,000 signing bonus
• $1,000+ extended day stipend
• $2,000-$12,000 extended year stipends

JOB DESCRIPTION : SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER

Springfield Realization Academy (SRA) is a 6 th -8 th grade school in its third year within the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership (SEZP) in Massachusetts.

We are a dual-language school that offers a technology enhanced college preparation curriculum embedding 21 st century learning skills.

We are seeking a dedicated and competent educator and instructional leader for the position of Special Education Teacher.

SRA staff will begin work early August 2023, and students arrive on campus in August 2023. We currently have students in the 6th & 7th grade and will add a grade of 90, 8th grade students for the Fall of 2023.

We are building a team of passionate, adaptive, and detail-oriented educators who are committed to equity in educational opportunities for children of underserved communities, and whose educational philosophy aligns with our mission :

Springfield Realization Academy (SRA) provides a technology enhanced, college preparatory curriculum that is tailored to meet the needs of students in grades 6-8.

Through effective instruction, including an emphasis on bilingual education, purposeful use of data, and in partnership with our families, we ensure our students develop the 21 st Century learning skills to be successful in high school, college and beyond.

Job Summary

As a learning community, one of our foundational core beliefs is that student engagement with rigorous instruction and grade level content ensures academic success.

In advancing that belief, we underscore the importance of our teachers and the need for them to be as effective as possible in meeting the needs of their charges.

We believe that our teachers hold the most important job in our school, and our program is designed to provide the tools, resources, and professional support to ensure their success as leaders of learning every day.

A Special Education teacher at SRA teaches four periods (two double periods) each day, and leads intervention, remediation, and enrichment classes for students.

The Special Education Teacher will report to the Head of School and participate in weekly collaboration, coaching, and professional development to maximize their positive impact on our scholars at Springfield Realization Academy.

Key Responsibilities

• Help develop SRA Special Education curricula and use this to develop and execute lesson plans at a high level every day
• Implement SRA’s classroom routines and operational procedures to provide a consistent experience and expectations for scholars that contributes to our positive, mutually affirming school culture
• Provide scholars with frequent and accurate academic and behavioral feedback
• Participate actively in frequent professional development, coaching, and collaboration, and promptly embeds coaching feedback into teaching practice
• Communicate weekly with families
• Collect and analyze multiple forms of scholar achievement data for purposes of targeting intervention, guiding instructional next steps, and improving practice
• Collaborate with special education teachers, and Deans of Exceptional Students Education and Bilingual Education to provide accommodations for the success of scholars with special needs and who are learners of English
• Step in as a teacher leader on ad hoc tasks and projects when necessary to support and build a strong school environment

Key Competencies & Qualifications

• Unwavering high expectations for all scholars and a belief that all children deserve access to a college education and can all thrive academically given the appropriate support.
• Appropriate content / program area (Moderate Disabilities) and grade level educator 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.)
• Positivity and enthusiasm for the potential of every scholar.
• Ability to lead a classroom where excellence is expected and cultivated for all scholars
• Ability to plan and implement lessons that are aligned with an inquiry-based and problem-solving approach
• Ability to lead a class or assembly where excellence is expected and cultivated in 100% of scholars.
• Strong communication, organization, and on-the-fly problem solving skills
• Capacity and passion to grow every day based on data and feedback from coaches and peers.
• Committed to meeting the needs of a diverse student population.
• Track record of being a team player and community minded.
• Committed to personal learning and growth.
• Excellent time-management skills, attention to detail, and ability to work independently.
• Passion for urban public schools.
• Adherence to a high level of professional and ethical standards.
• Minimum two years of urban teaching preferred
• Bilingual in Spanish (spoken and written) strongly preferred
• Proficiency in technological tools, including Google Sheets, Google Slides, Google Drive (or equivalents) and other online teaching tools

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 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 $55,467. Teachers in SEZP qualify for benefits (sick days, retirement, health insurance, etc.

offered to other teachers in the Springfield Public Schools.

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

• 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

Selection as an educator at Realization recognizes an individual for their outstanding vision, capacity, and commitment to anti-racist school communities.