Upper Elementary STEAM Teacher - Northeast Campus

Highline Academy

www.highlineacademy.org

Highline Academy STEAM Teacher: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math

Job Description

MISSION We exist to foster a diverse community of youths and adults striving together for academic, personal, and civic excellence.

VISION Creating inclusive excellence in public education.

Assignment: STEAM Teacher

Reporting directly to Highline’s campus principal, our teachers are the heart of our organization - the ones who make the mission come alive for our students. We expect our teachers to be caring about the whole child, great lesson planners, strong and nurturing at classroom management and excellent collaborators with teammates and families. We look for people with good communication skills, dedication to do everything it takes to make a difference for each child, and a growth mindset.

Position Schedule: Teachers are paid year round on a salary. Their student contact days (177) and their professional development days and parent conference days adds up to a 191 day work year, with an additional 5 days of training for new teachers. However, the work teachers do outside those days planning, reflecting and pursuing professional growth is also an important part of being an excellent teacher. Teachers are expected to be on campus ready for students by 7:30 am and to stay until 4:00 each day school is in session, and to 4:30 on Fridays when we have early release days for students followed by teacher PD or planning meetings. There are two weeks of professional development every summer before school begins which is part of the accounted professional development days.

REPORTS TO: Campus Principal

DEPARTMENT: Elementary School Faculty

SUPERVISES: Assistant Teachers assigned to work in his/her/their classroom

HIGHLINE OVERVIEW: Highline Academy is a community of diverse youth and adults striving together for academic, civic, and personal excellence. Founded in 2004, Highline is committed to inclusive excellence. In 2013, we launched our second school in Green Valley Ranch. Our students come from fifty countries, speak 26 different languages, represent a full range of socio-economic backgrounds, and previous educational experiences. Our diverse and integrated community has already begun to achieve excellence. Highline students have consistently out-performed district and state averages. Strong faculty and student retention rates are emblematic of the school’s positive culture and strong community.

Highline has a commitment to a liberal arts education which includes Art, Music, Spanish and P.E. instruction for our students. We have high expectations for all of our learners, with an understanding that some learners need more or different instruction. We have Performance Group teachers at each grade level which enable us to give smaller group instruction for the core content areas of math and language arts. Additionally, we have a robust intervention program with additional supports available as students show they need them. We are a fully inclusive organization for students with special needs, who are integrated into the general education classrooms.  We have a character education program designed by Highline called Reach. This teaches, practices, and celebrates the Reach values of responsibility, empowerment, aspiration, citizenship and honesty. All our students are taught to Reach Out to support and care about their classmates and community, Reach In to learn about themselves and reflect about their learning and Reach Up to their very best academic achievement. We are a students’ first, growth mindset organization and we expect all of our employees to model these values. All Highline employees are expected to read and follow all policies as written in the employee handbook and to review it annually for updates.

Major Responsibilities: All Highline teachers must show clear competency and reliable practice of the following indicators:

• Create a Positive Classroom Culture and Climate
• Practice Effective Classroom Management
• Plan and implement Masterful Content Delivery
• Practice High-Impact Instructional Moves
• Demonstrate Essential Knowledge of Students and Use of Data
• Demonstrate Effective Collaboration and Engagement with students and colleagues
• Demonstrate thoughtful reflection, learning and development

All Highline teachers are also expected to demonstrate the Highline Internal Commitments for Professional Practice.

• We will take responsibility for student learning by valuing diversity, needs, learning styles and through shared ownership.
• We will commit to being clear and purposeful in our objectives and instruction while continuing to reflect and revise learning strategies by frequently monitoring student assessment data and ensuring that it is used as a tool for learning.
• We accept and embrace diversity within our community of faculty, students, and parent/guardians by valuing each other for who and where we all are in life as learners and as people, and we commit to providing a safe place for all to succeed.
• We will be direct, intentional, timely, and graceful in giving and receiving communication without judgment and for positive and proactive purposes.
• We will create an environment that empowers faculty, students and parent/guardians to be active participants in student success.
• We will create a focused and sustainable adult community by focusing on what is most essential to student success and staying focused on Highline’s goal.
• We will consistently model and enforce Highline’s academic and behavioral expectations.

STEAM Teacher Responsibilities: 

STEAM Teachers are expected to build positive relationships with their students and also hold them to high expectations. Teachers should manage their classes with positive proactive systems and strong rituals and routines.  They are also expected to seek out more information and support from other staff members (the SIT team, admin, other grade level teachers etc.) if a student is not doing well either behaviorally or academically. At Highline, we believe in a student’s first approach at all times, and our teachers are the foundation of this work.

STEAM Teachers are expected to contribute to regular newsletters sent home about the work of the grade level and help create community by engaging parents through inviting them to participate as volunteers or in class events (such as literacy or math day), and to build relationships with families through phone calls and both formal and informal meetings. Teachers should work to ensure all families attend the student conferences held twice a year. Teachers are expected to participate in at least three evening or weekend events such as the music performances for their grade level, the Cultural Fair and the Fall festival.

STEAM Teachers are expected to enter data into the school learning management system based on standards-aligned and school-readiness assessments. They are expected to provide their Teaching Assistant with appropriate assignments for students and tasks in the classroom and also guidance for how to work well with all students in their classroom.

STEAM Teachers are expected to attend all professional development as assigned by their principal and participate with respect and attention.

Qualifications:

• Teaching experience appropriate to the assignment;
• Demonstrated commitment to and understanding of the Highline mission;
• Strong classroom management and student relationship building skills;
• Strong communication and collaboration skills;
• Bachelor's Degree and appropriate certification or test completion; and

• Flexibility and a positive attitude.

Minimum Physical Requirements

• Be able to walk quickly, bend, kneel, crouch, sit, stand, grab or hold with one or both hands.
• To be able to lift up to 40lbs without difficulty
• To maintain appropriate demeanor and professional classroom behavior when working with children and adults
• The ability to sit for extended periods during group training

Highline is an equal opportunity employer. This means that Highline provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, or any other status protected by federal, state or local law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Salary : $60,000 - $80,000