Elementary PE Teacher

Uncommon Schools, Inc.; Newark (NJ); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking nonprofit network dedicated to transforming K-12 education in underserved communities. As a Physical Education Teacher, you will inspire students to embrace healthy lifestyles through engaging and culturally responsive instruction. This role offers a unique opportunity to impact students' lives positively, fostering their physical fitness and personal growth. With a commitment to professional development and a supportive community, you will thrive in an environment that values respect and collaboration. If you are passionate about education and making a difference, this position is for you!

Benefits

Generous paid time off

Comprehensive health insurance

Extensive training and development

Mental health support

Paid leave of absence options

Qualifications

• Commitment to the mission of Uncommon Schools.
• Experience in urban K-12 education preferred.

Responsibilities

• Create a safe and interactive environment for physical activity.
• Develop students' physical fitness through engaging activities.
• Build positive relationships with students and families.

Skills

K-12 Education

Physical Education

Team Building

Social Emotional Learning

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Job description

Uncommon Schools is a nonprofit network of high-performing public charter schools dedicated to providing an exceptional K-12 education in economically disadvantaged communities. Operating in Boston, Camden, New York City, Newark, and Rochester, we are committed to closing the college completion gap and preparing every student for college and beyond. Our students consistently exceed national benchmarks, reflecting our dedication to their success. We invest deeply in our educators, offering weekly coaching, feedback, and professional development to ensure excellence in teaching and leadership. Join us to work hard, do good, and make a lasting difference!

Job Description

Uncommon Elementary School Physical Education (PE) Teachers cultivate a passion for an active lifestyle in every student. Our PE instruction--which promotes physical fitness to improve health and wellness, team building, and physical exercise--is culturally-responsive, fast-paced, and fun. We have built a community that encourages respect, hard work, and celebrates our students’ academic and nonacademic achievements. Our goal is for students to love learning and living a healthy lifestyle from the very start.

Responsibilities

1. Instruction

• You'll create a safe and interactive environment where students feel empowered to engage in physical activity.
• You’ll develop students' physical fitness through team building activities, independent exercises such as stretching, cardio, and calisthenics, and structured sports and games.
• You will help students build healthy habits in mindset and physical activity.
• You'll teach an engaging and culturally responsive PE curriculum that meets the needs of various types of learners in your class.

2. School Culture

• You’ll build positive relationships with students to ensure they feel seen, loved, and heard.
• You’ll partner with students’ families to ensure appropriate resources are available to support their children’s learning needs.
• You'll engage in practice-based professional development, mentorship, and coaching sessions.
• You’ll support morning arrival, lunch duty, student assemblies, class transitions, and after-school dismissal.
• You'll participate in weekly, school-wide meetings to foster community, model our core values, and encourage student achievement.

Qualifications

• A commitment to the mission of Uncommon Schools
• A demonstrated commitment to supporting students’ social emotional and academic development
• An enthusiasm for collaborating with internal and external partners in the best interest of students
• A self-directed learner who solicits and implements feedback to improve outcomes and achieve objectives
• Required Experience:
  • A demonstrated interest in impacting K-12 students in urban schools and communities (1-2 years experience preferred).
  • An expertise in middle school education, physical education, sports science and management, kinesiology, physical fitness, or participation in collegiate athletics.
  • Prior to the start of employment, you must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Teacher certification is not a prerequisite for consideration at Uncommon Schools in the state of NJ, but you do need to meet NJ state certification eligibility requirements (a final undergraduate or graduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 for graduates on or after 9/1/16, or 2.75 if you graduated prior to 9/1/16). All instructional staff are required to become certified in the state of New Jersey within a reasonable period after beginning employment.

Additional Information

Our people are what make us Uncommon. We offer competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits that support the personal health, wellness, and finances of our staff and their families. Our compensation philosophy values equity & fairness and attracting & retaining top talent.

Compensation

Compensation for this role is between $60,000 to $85,000.

Starting pay is determined using various factors including but not limited to relevant full-time teaching experience, education certifications, and tenure with Uncommon Schools. Candidates without full-time Teaching experience will likely have a starting salary of $60,000.

* The range above represents our compensation scales for the 2025-2026 school year. If starting prior to June 30th, 2025, compensation will be based on a slightly lower range, reflective of current compensation scales. New hires who fall into this category will see an increase in their compensation starting on July 1st, 2025 for next school year which aligns to the scale above.

• Generous paid time off inclusive of sick time, paid holidays, and 10 weeks of paid breaks (Spring, Winter, and Summer).
• Extensive, best-in-class training and development
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans + pre-tax flexible spending (FSA), dependent care (DCFSA), and health saving accounts (HSA)
• Paid leave of absence options (parental, medical, disability, etc.)
• Mental health and counseling support + wellness benefits

*A detailed list of all benefits is located HERE .

At Uncommon, we believe that a supportive and welcoming environment helps our students, staff, and community thrive. We are dedicated to building a team that brings a wide range of perspectives and experiences, reflective of the communities we serve---with over 70% of our staff identifying as people of color. Our organization values respect and open dialogue on important topics that shape our school culture.

As an equal opportunity employer, Uncommon provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. We also ensure that individuals with disabilities receive all privileges and benefits associated with employment and are provided reasonable accommodations for the interview process and to perform core job functions. If you would like to request an accommodation, please email [emailprotected] .