High School Science Teacher

Math, Engineering, and Science Academy (MESA) Charter High School is a community high school in Bushwick, Brooklyn. We opened our doors in August 2013 and we now have 498 students in grades 9-12. We graduated our first class of seniors in June 2017 and our cumulative graduation rate is 94%. Our students come from more than forty different middle schools, including traditional public, parochial, and public charter schools. Some are advanced students coming from magnet schools; others are beginning English Language Learners. What they all have in common is a desire to succeed; MESA students come to school every day, ready to work.

What makes us different is our staff. This year, 42% of staff will be in at least their fifth year at MESA! MESA teachers believe…

• that the greatest contribution we can make to social justice is to give a young person control of their destiny
• committed people, when given autonomy, will find innovative and creative ways to make change
• that being a great educator takes intellectual preparation and a strong sense of personal accountability to produce high quality work.

What makes us different is our model:

• Intentional Grading—MESA uses a standards-based grading system, which makes data understandable and accessible. This enables teachers to create targeted, focused instruction, and helps students understand and track their own progress. MESA teachers love data or at the very least, aren’t afraid of it!
• Intentional Support—MESA teachers have a minimum of rote administrative duties in order to better focus on planning and instruction. Teachers receive ongoing coaching while dedicated time for co-teaching, department and grade team planning are built into the school schedule.
• Intentional Professional Development—MESA has a comprehensive professional development calendar that includes sessions on instructional practices, school culture as well as diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
• Intentional School Culture—MESA’s advisory model connects small groups of entering freshmen with a teacher-advisor for all 4 years of high school. Advisors provide guidance on academic progress and are mentors, facilitators and positive influencers. Students are recognized by their teachers regularly for academic achievement and effort and are incentivized to meet school expectations around attendance, punctuality and preparedness.
• Intentional Relationships—MESA knows that all caregivers want their children to succeed. MESA enlists families as partners in their child’s education through regular communication, workshops, and access to student attendance information and grades. More than 85% of MESA caregivers attend the initial parent-teacher conference of the school year.
• Intentional Scheduling—MESA’s school day starts and ends later than most DOE schools, as research indicates that a late start helps high-school students succeed. The calendar and earlier start allows for “Intersession,” during Spring Break where students receive enrichment, skill remediation, or Regents preparation.

Specific Responsibilities:

● Design and teach five periods of Science each day (two periods daily of prep time). Utilize Universal Design for Learning method of planning and instruction to reach all learners.

● Build relationships with all students. MESA teachers believe that strong rapport is key to student engagement and motivation.

● Attend, participate in, and facilitate team meetings and professional development opportunities, as well as common planning times. MESA believes that good professional development is interactive, practical, and teacher-driven.

● Communicate regularly with caregivers about both positive and negative interactions with students, making a minimum of two positive contacts (phone, email, or text message) with families per week.

● Hold office hours before or after school, at least once per week, to provide extra help and opportunities for reassessment.

● Teach one week of Intersession enrichment program based on teacher interest (additional stipend provided).

● Maintain duties as Advisor.

● Other duties, as assigned by the Principal.

Qualifications:

Qualifications: (1) Minimum Bachelor’s degree in subject area to be taught, Master’s Degree preferred; (2) Preferred minimum of three years teaching experience in an urban public or charter school setting, or similar background; (3) Proven track-record of high achievement in the classroom and commitment to accountability; (4) Belief in and alignment with MESA’s core values, educational philosophy and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion; (5) Valid New York State Certification strongly preferred; (6) Spanish-speaker a plus.

Salary: $60,000 - $100,000, based on experience.

To apply: Please email your resume and cover letter to Arthur Samuels, Co-Executive Director, at hiring@mesacharter.org with the subject heading “High School Science Teacher.” Cover letter should specifically indicate why you want to work at MESA. APPLY BY EMAIL ONLY. Due to the nature of the position and the volume of applications received, MESA will not be able to reply to all submissions. MESA will contact candidates with next steps.

MESA is committed to attracting, hiring and retaining a diverse and inclusive staff. It is MESA’s policy to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, national origin, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, genetic information, citizenship status, uniformed service member or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.