Band Instrumental Music Teacher, Vassal Lane Upper School

Position:           Band Instrumental Music Teacher

                        Visual & Performing Arts Department/Vassal Lane Upper School

Overview of Cambridge Public Schools:

Cambridge Public Schools, in partnership with our families and community, will provide all students with rigorous, joyful, and culturally responsive learning as well as the social, emotional, and academic supports each student needs to achieve their goals and postsecondary success as engaged community members. CPS students and staff, as members of a learning organization engaged in continuous improvement, will demonstrate a growth mindset and embrace risk taking and innovation.

About 7,000 students choose Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) each year, and our diverse student enrollment continues to rise. Over 30% of CPS students speak a language other than English at home, and over 65 languages are spoken by our families. Among the most common are Spanish, Haitian Creole, Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, and Portuguese. Our schools proudly embrace this diversity.

The structure of our school system supports the developmental growth of students over time. Twelve cozy elementary schools feed into five “Upper School” programs, bringing together enough students to allow for greater choice and differentiation without sacrificing the safe feeling of a relatively small environment. The Upper Schools then feed into one high school, the eclectic and innovative Cambridge Rindge and Latin School.

About Vassal Lane Upper School:

The Vassal Lane Upper School is a place where everyone belongs. We envision our students as scholars and believe in the power of perseverance. We become better together.

All students, teachers, families, and administrators are active members of the VLUS community, engaging in their own learning and development. We are committed to collaboration and creating environments in which all students learn at high levels. We are mindful of societal inequities and work to challenge injustice. We strive to promote inquiry, reflection, critical thinking, creative expression, resilience, civic engagement, and lifelong learning.

The Opportunity:

Vassal Lane Upper School, in partnership with the Visual and Performing Arts Department, seeks a confident, creative, social-justice oriented, and compassionate music teacher to lead and enhance the vision for a vibrant, culturally responsive music program. The Band Instrumental Music Teacher (winds, brass, percussion) will teach grades 5-8 classes and report both to the Principal and the Director of the Visual and Performing Arts Department (VPA).  The Band Instrumental Music teacher works also with another Band teacher, the Strings/Orchestra teacher, and the other General Music and Chorus teachers.

The goal of our music classroom is to provide students the opportunity to explore the power of music to express the human condition. Students will gain perspective on diverse cultures and history as they study, listen, and perform music from diverse genres around the world. As students engage in the musical process of critical listening, analysis, and performance, they will answer the essential question, how is music a powerful way to communicate one’s culture, beliefs, and life experience? The teacher will provide both opportunity and support to develop a course of choral study that allows students to experience the excitement of creating and performing music, as well as developing a strong curriculum for music proficiency through an instrumental music lens. 

The Band Instrumental Music Teacher will be responsible for teaching various wind and percussion instrument techniques, developing the concert band, presenting concerts, distributing and collecting school-owned instruments, and providing a culturally responsive and academically rigorous and joyous instrumental music class. In addition to music proficiency, the candidate must possess classroom management skills, use appropriate authentic assessment strategies to monitor student progress, have the ability to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of diverse learners, and employ pedagogical methods that motivate students to pursue music study. The selected candidate must be computer literate, organized, must be able to play woodwinds, brass, and percussion instruments, be able to responsibly meet professional obligations, be willing to participate in school, district, and state level music performances, contribute to department and school-wide curricular projects and other initiatives, and be able to steward the careful use of supplies, equipment, and teaching resources.

Your Skill Set:

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

• Experience designing and teaching engaging music curricula, leveraging culturally responsive pedagogy that recognizes the importance of including students’ cultural references in all aspects of learning.
• Ability to teach both band and individual instruments- wind, brass, and percussion in large and small ensembles and individual instruction via pull outs. 
• A strong commitment to social justice and equity
• A high degree of comfort working with colleagues to build and refine engaging, standards based learning experiences that are responsive to the needs and interests of the communities you serve.  
• Belief in the power of reflection and are open to feedback and support
• A collaborative disposition, eager to partner with classroom teachers, VPA staff, and other team members in the district on behalf of our students and families.  
• Excellent classroom management skills and use appropriate authentic assessment strategies to monitor student progress. 
• Ability to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of diverse learners and adjust practice to meet the needs of all students. 
• Strong organizational skills, setting up structures that allow you to manage your own work effectively and position colleagues for success. 
• Proficiency on brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments.
• Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s degree preferred.
• Massachusetts Licensure for Music required.

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.

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.