DP Empowered: Student Success Teacher

Democracy Prep Public Schools; New York (NY); On-site; USD 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Vision, and Dental Insurance

403B matching

Smartphone

Laptop

Job summary

Democracy Prep Public Schools is seeking a dedicated educator to lead the DP Empowered program, guiding identity exploration, academic growth, and post‑secondary readiness through hands-on projects and reflective discussions. You will engage diverse scholars and collaborate with families in a high‑expectation classroom.

The ideal candidate blends teaching with school counseling experience, remains highly organized, and designs inclusive lessons that connect learning to real world opportunities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; MSW or MSEd preferred.
• Experience in teaching and school counseling or social work.
• Ability to lead group work, project based learning and discussions.

Responsibilities

• Lead the DP Empowered class with curriculum execution and prep.
• Foster student exploration of identity, career and academics through in-class experiences and check-ins.
• Facilitate discussions on current events and community engagement; support scholar culture.

Skills

Classroom management

Project management

Teaching

Student engagement

Strong writer

Communication with families

Education

Bachelor's degree

MSW or MSEd in School Counseling

Job description

About The Opportunity

Democracy Prep Public Schools is a college prep institution and our mission is to ensure all scholars to be successful in the college of their choice and a life of active citizenship. We also acknowledge and celebrate multiple post‑secondary pathways. We prioritize civic engagement, global citizenship/student travel, arts, and athletics in addition to excellent academics.

A core element of our approach is the DP Empowered program, a comprehensive 4‑year advising program for students in grades 9–12 that prepares them for high school success and the development of a personalized post‑secondary plan through a dual approach of whole group instruction and 1:1 advising.

This position will lead whole group instruction designed to help students explore their identity, develop academic and life skills, and navigate potential career paths. The group instruction you oversee will empower students to understand themselves better, set goals, build effective study habits, and begin exploring future career options. The course combines hands‑on projects, reflections, and class discussions to foster personal growth and prepare students for future academic and professional success.

This opportunity is best suited for someone with experience in both teaching and school counseling or social work, who is comfortable working with students in a classroom setting and implementing a curriculum emphasizing group work, project based learning, and discussion. Compelling candidates will demonstrate skill in cultivating a classroom culture characterized by high expectations and strong student performance, a strong interest in project based learning and leading discussion based activities, and is incredibly organized.

This position is five days a week on site at one of Democracy Prep's school locations.

Who You Are

• An educator with an unwavering commitment to the Democracy Prep mission of college success and authentic civic engagement for our scholars.
• A skilled writer with the ability to provide strong feedback on student work and craft exceptional student recommendations and other written communications.
• A clear communicator and enthusiastic networker with the ability to collaborate with diverse stakeholders and families, and connect students to unique programs that support post‑secondary readiness.
• A strong interest and skill in teaching, project based learning, and discussion‑based activities that may include some of the following characteristics:
• Student choice in designing projects
• Student research in order to access, manage, and analyze information
• Reflection used to modify or change project direction and outcome to enhance student growth
• Exploration of real world problems and challenges
• Providing learning opportunities for students through multiple modalities
• Highly skilled at classroom management
• A skilled project manager
• Committed to a holistic approach to education that addresses academic, social‑emotional, and behavioral factors that impact school culture and student success.
• A graduate of a Bachelor’s degree program (required), and a MSW or MSEd in School Counseling (preferred)

What You’ll Do

Classroom and Discussion Facilitation

• Lead the DP Empowered class, including intellectual preparation and the execution of curriculum lesson plans.
• Help students explore and cultivate personal, career and academic interests both through in‑class experiences and individual student check ins
• Facilitate age‑appropriate conversations and activities centered on current events, participation in community service and outreach opportunities, and active celebration of scholars' culture, heritage, and identity.
• Build a positive classroom culture through the effective use of classroom management best practices
• Cultivate strong partnerships with scholars, families, and the school's scholar support team.

Advising and Advocacy

• Conduct ongoing group advising sessions to assess the academic, emotional, social and behavioral needs of students.
• Collaborate with the Scholar Support (and social work) Team(s) to determine appropriate steps to support student academic success
• Help students identify and apply to compelling summer opportunities

Work Schedule

This is a fully on‑site, school‑based role that requires in‑person attendance five days per week. The position does not include a remote or work‑from‑home option.

Compensation

Salary is $70,000 - $80,000 and commensurate with your experience. Democracy Prep employees are provided with a benefits package that includes medical, vision, and dental insurance, 403B matching, parental leave, a smartphone, and a laptop.

Democracy Prep is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, or ancestry, sex, age, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, veteran or military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, familial status, domestic violence victim status, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances. Our mission is to educate responsible citizen‑scholars who will change the world. We strongly believe that by building a DREAM team that represents numerous perspectives, backgrounds, and areas of expertise, we can achieve this goal together. This is a value we highly support and strongly encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply.