Teacher - English and Moderate Disabilities/Inclusion, Gr. 9-12 (SEI Endorsement Required) (SY25-26)

Boston Public Schools; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 50,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Boston Public Schools is seeking an innovative Language and Literary Arts teacher for Boston Arts Academy. The ideal candidate will teach high school ELA focusing on literature as an art form, employing integrated and interdisciplinary methodologies to promote student creativity and engagement. This role emphasizes collaboration, critical thinking, and a commitment to educational equity.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in literature or related field is required.
• SEI Endorsement and valid Massachusetts Teaching License are necessary.
• Passion for teaching and flexibility in classroom settings are essential.

Responsibilities

• Teach 12th grade ELA with a focus on literature as art.
• Develop and deliver engaging lessons integrating literature and artistic thinking.
• Collaborate with other educators to support differentiated instruction.

Skills

Creativity

Differentiation

Classroom Management

Communication

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in literature or related field

Master’s degree in Education, History, Literature, or related field

Job description

The Boston Arts Academy, a public high school for the visual and performing arts, with students in Grades 9-12. It is a joint project of the Professional Arts Consortium, Inc.,comprising the Berklee College of Music, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Boston Architectural Center, Emerson College Massachusetts College of Arts, and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts) and the Boston Public Schools. Boston Arts Academy serves as a laboratory and a beacon for artistic and academic innovation, preparing a diverse community of aspiring artist scholars to be successful in their college or professional careers and to be engaged members of a democratic society.

This innovative school features a college preparatory curriculum supporting integrated and interdisciplinary teaching and learning among arts and academic disciplines. Students explore the arts in both traditional and new media forms. The Academy’s program is enriched by the involvement of the six members of the Professional Arts Consortium. Both the program and the student body at Boston Arts Academy, reflect the culture, ethnic and linguistic diversity of Boston.

BAA is an autonomous school within the BPS that holds Pilot School status. This allows us autonomy over our schedule, staffing, budget, governance, and curriculum. As a result, we have an Election to Work Agreement (EWA) , which outlines the ways in which we leverage our autonomy, with specific attention to additional working days, hours, and other working conditions that fall outside of the BTU agreement. Teachers who choose to work at BAA do so with the understanding that our Election to Work Agreement establishes expectations beyond the standard BTU contract, including additional professional development days, extended learning time, and a commitment to our full inclusion model. BTU members are required to work an additional 146 hours above the contracted time. That time includes attending 2 days of professional development before the BTU start day in August, attending 2.5 additional days of professional development in June beyond the contracted days, and attending a weekly hour department meeting outside of the contracted hours.

The Job Overview

The Boston Arts Academy seeks an exceptional Language and Literary Arts teacher who is also a skilled interdisciplinary and artistic thinker to join our community of teachers, learners, and leaders. At BAA, the teachers and leaders are committed to the vision of high expectations for achievement, equal access to high levels of instruction, the achievement of academic and artistic proficiency for all students, and the closing of the achievement gap among subgroups within the schools. BAA is a great place for those who seek to work in an environment that supports their creativity and innovation, and respects their skills and abilities as a teacher.

Responsibilities:

Teach: 12th grade ELA with a focus on literature as an art form

Develop thematic units for Language and Literary Arts classes using the backwards design model that integrates artistic thinking, literature, composition, and other literary artistic elements.

Deliver daily lessons that are engaging, relevant, rigorous and integrate literature as art.

Understand and apply effective strategies for intervention and differentiation in the classroom, including serving English language learners and students with individualized education plans (IEPs).

Embed opportunities for student critical-thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity, as well as use of technology and digital media, into lesson and unit plans.

Maintain strong classroom management and hold students accountable for upholding school rules, student-developed norms, and classroom expectations.

Collaborate with specialist education teachers and other support specialists to deliver differentiated curriculum and instruction in a full inclusion classroom.

Communicate regularly with parents on progress of students

Collaborate with a team of Language and Literary Arts educators to support all department events, productions and curricular initiatives

Interact with parents and students regularly by being visible and accessible via Google Classroom, E-mail, and student information system.

Serve as an advisor to a group of 12 to 15 students in grades 9-12 who you meet with twice a week. Develop a sense of community within the advisory group, and provide coaching for students around goal-setting and development of our shared values: community with social responsibility, vision with integrity, passion with balance, and diversity with respect.

Meet all state and federal guidelines in order to be fully licensed and "Highly Qualified".

Attend evening meetings, one per semester, with families of students.

Perform general administrative tasks to teaching including but not limited to grading students and communicating.

Core Competencies : Using the Rubric of Effective Teaching, the Office of Human Capital has identified priority skills and abilities that all BPS teachers should possess:

Accountability for Student Achievement

(II-A-1. Quality of Effort and Work, II-D-2. High Expectations, I-B-2. Adjustments to Practice)

• Sets ambitious learning goals for all students, creates cognitively demanding tasks, and models the belief that that all students can master challenging material through effective effort
• Assesses students’ understanding regularly with ambitious learning goals in mind and takes ownership of making necessary adjustments to instruction to reach goals despite setbacks
• Passionate and optimistic about their students, their content, and the teaching profession

Communicating Content Knowledge

(I-A-1. Subject Matter Knowledge, I-A-4. Well-Structured Lessons)

• Demonstrates mastery of and enthusiasm for content area and the pedagogy it requires
• Demonstrates understanding for how the subject matter applies in real-world settings and connects to other content areas and relevant standards
• Can convey content in creative and engaging ways that align to standards

Equitable & Effective Instruction

(II-A-3. Meeting Diverse Needs, II-A-2. Student Engagement, II-B-1. Safe Learning Environment)

• Scaffolds and differentiates instruction in order for all students to do complex thinking and rigorous academic work
• Uses instructional practices that are likely to challenge, motivate, and engage all students and facilitate equitable, active student participation
• Builds a productive learning environment where every student participates and is valued as part of the class community

Cultural Proficiency

(II-C-1. Respects Differences, II-C-2. Maintains Respectful Environment)

• Actively creates and maintains an environment in which students’ diverse backgrounds, identities, strengths, and challenges are respected

Parent/Family Engagement

(III-A-1. Parent/Family Engagement)

• Engages with families and builds collaborative, respectful relationships with them in service of student learning

Professional Reflection & Collaboration

(IV-A-1. Reflective Practice, IV-C-1. Professional Collaboration)

• Regularly reflects on practice, seeks and responds to feedback, and demonstrates self-awareness and commitment to continuous learning and development
• Seeks to participate in and contribute to a collaborative adult learning community.

Qualifications - Required:

Bachelor’s degree in literature or related field

SEI Endorsement

Hold a valid Massachusetts Teaching License Humanities or ELA (All Levels).

Holds a valid Massachusetts license in Moderate Disabilities

Current authorization to work in the United States - Candidates must have such authorization by their first day of employment.

Ability to meet the Standards of Effective Teaching established by the Boston Public Schools as outlined above.

Enthusiastic, flexible, patient, and positive demeanor

Passion for teaching

Qualifications - Preferred:

Master’s degree in Education, History, Literature, or related field

Experience teaching in urban schools.

Experience as an interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary artist

BPS values linguistic diversity and believes that candidates who speak another language bring added value to the classroom, school, and district culture and diversity. BPS is particularly interested in candidates who are fluent in one of BPS' official languages: Spanish, Cabo Verdean Creole, Haitian Creole , Chinese, Vietnamese, Portuguese, & Somali.

Terms: BTU, Group I

Please refer to www.bostonpublicschools.org/ohr (under "Employee Benefits and Policies") for more information on salary and compensation. Salaries are listed by Unions and Grade/Step.

The start and end times of BPS schools vary, as do the lengths of the school day. Some BPS schools have a longer school day through the "Schedule A" Expanded Learning Time (ELT) agreement.

The Boston Public Schools, in accordance with its nondiscrimination policies, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, criminal record, physical or mental disability, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, homelessness, sex/gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, genetics, natural or protective hairstyle, military status, immigration status, English language proficiency, or any other factor prohibited by law in its programs and activities. BPS does not tolerate any form of retaliation, or bias-based intimidation, threat or harassment that demeans individuals’ dignity or interferes with their ability to work or learn. If you require an accommodation pursuant to the ADA for the application process, please contact the Accommodations Unit at [e-mail] .