Position: Science Teacher, Grade 8

Putnam Avenue Upper School

Putnam Avenue Upper School Community:

Putnam Avenue Upper School is an innovative public middle school in the Cambridge Public Schools. We are looking for a dynamic, committed educator with solid content and pedagogical knowledge, solid classroom management skills, a deep commitment to social justice, and experience working in urban schools. We are actively working towards becoming an antiracist school and are taking steps towards identifying and dismantling racist structures, hearing and elevating underrepresented voices, and striving to achieve an equitable and just educational experience for all students.

The Role:

The Putnam Avenue Upper School seeks a passionate and creative educator to join our team as an 8th Grade Science Teacher. As the Grade 8 Science Teacher, you will commit to providing a diverse group of student learners with superior science instruction, using the district curriculum and common assessments. The Science teacher should incorporate best practices in science instruction, including the use of formative assessment, differentiation of instruction, and embedded literacy strategies (including science talks, writing for process and product, and reading in the content area) in an inquiry focused science classroom.

Key Responsibilities:

• Plan and lead science instruction for groupings of 8^th grade students.
• Support students in using technological tools, including ENO Boards, Chromebooks, Google Docs, and where appropriate, Probeware.
• Incorporate a variety of assessment strategies in order to inform and modify instruction as well as target intervention and enrichment needs.
• Collaboratively plan with grade level team and other science teachers.
• Actively engage in grade level professional learning communities and attend district wide professional development opportunities and meetings.

Your Skill Set:

As the incoming Science Teacher you will possess many, though perhaps not all, of the following characteristics and qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Massachusetts teacher certification/licensure in Science grades 5-8 required.
• Recent successful experience teaching middle school science in a student-centered classroom with inquiry-based methodologies in an urban, multicultural setting.
• A love for children and desire to work with upper school students.

Cambridge Public Schools is committed to slowing and/or stopping the spread of COVID-19. Therefore, as a condition of employment with Cambridge Public Schools, all new hires will be required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 no later than their first day of work. Written requests for either a religious exemption from this requirement based on sincerely held religious beliefs, or for a medical exemption based upon clear documentation from a medical provider should be submitted to the attention of the Chief Talent Officer.

How to Join Our Team:

Please upload a resume and thoughtful cover letter, outlining how your skills, experience, and commitment to equity in education meet the qualifications of the position as well as stating how you heard about this opportunity. 

At the Cambridge Public Schools, we are committed to cultivating an environment where diverse perspectives and backgrounds are embraced, acknowledging that a team reflecting diversity of race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, and veteran status allows us to serve our communities better. To that end, we welcome and encourage applicants to bring their authentic selves when considering employment opportunities within our school district.