Math Teacher
History
Williamsburg Charter High School (WCHS) is a high performing, public charter high school located in Brooklyn, New York. WCHS opened in August 2004 as the first Chancellor-authorized charter high school in the City of New York with a ninth grade class of 267 students. Now in its seventeenth year of operation, WCHS has grown to serve approximately 963 students in grades nine through twelve. The school’s mission is to unite youth, families, staff, teachers and the community at large in providing young people with the tools necessary to make sense of the world, and prepare them in their journey to become skilled workers and literate citizens of the world. Young people will accomplish this through their participation in a rigorous and demanding liberal arts education that includes language, literature, writing, science, history, mathematics, the arts, technology, and exploration in disciplines designed to teach fairness, justice, respect and compassion for themselves and others, as well as the skills of critical thinking, communication and research.
Williamsburg Charter High School provides a broad liberal arts academic program to the high-school age youth of north Brooklyn. School programs are individualized to connect to each student’s particular level of development, including English Language Learners and students with Special Education Services. Further, WCHS provides supportive relationships with faculty, extended instructional periods, and opportunities after-school and on Saturdays for additional academic support. Social and emotional support is also available to students to ensure their non-academic needs are addressed. Students are accepted to WCHS through a random lottery with no minimum requirements, tests, or auditions required to gain entrance and, as a public charter school, there is no tuition.
Education and Credentials
New York State Certification
Bachelor’s degree
At least two years of experience teaching in an urban high school setting
New York State Fingerprint clearance
Salary
$63,000- $90,000
Prospective Williamsburg Charter High School Teachers:
Are committed to the idea that every child can succeed at high levels
Believe that they have been called to teach and empower young people
Demonstrate a commitment to providing students with a rigorous academic experience
Are resilient, resourceful, relentless, and well-able to adapt to the many changes that can happen in an organization focused solely on doing what is best for students
Excel at working in a highly collaborative, professional setting but can also work independently
Understand the unique needs of the community they serve as well as the complex issues that affect urban youth and their families
Are committed to inquiry-based teaching
Engage a youth development approach in their interactions with young people by being sensitive to their developmental needs
Are passionate and positive about school culture
Feel full responsibility for students’ achievement
Love ‘the details’ and realize that student success depends almost exclusively on them
Are reflective and willing to improve upon their practice through professional development and support
Effectively manage their time, resources, and technology
Are convinced of the transformative power of education for all students, families, and educators
Position Description
The ideal Williamsburg Charter High School teacher will provide our students with a rigorous instruction. They will be responsible for the following:
Teacher as Advisor
As students transition to high school, one of the things they could lose is the comfort of having a teacher who understands their background, challenges and successes. Research has shown that this relationship is key part of having students feel accounted for and by extension, accountable. In support of our students, our teachers are also Advisors to between 12-15 students for the duration of their high school career. This allows the teacher to become a part of the developmental process of their students and allows each family to have a primary contact within the school at all times. Advisors serve students and families by:
Taking complete ownership of the academic, behavioral and overall success of a group of 12-15 students
Ensuring advisees are in attendance, punctual, excelling in all their classes, and seeking out appropriate support
Creating an advisory period that acts as ‘home base’ for each student
Being the academic expert on each advisee
Acting as the liaise between the student, the family and the school teams
Teaching the advisory curriculum that has been created for their advisees’ grade
Accompanying advisees on educational field trips as determined by the School Leader
Contacting their advisee’s families a minimum of seven times a year and responding within 24 hours to all communications from their advisee’s families
Developing and overseeing Individual Student Support Plan plans twice a year for each of their advisees
Facilitating discipline-related required meetings on behalf of their advisees
Performing any other advisor-related duties as requested
Ensuring Student Learning Through Data-driven Instruction:
Prepare rigorous, student-centered lesson plans that will engage and motivate students to learn
Plan standards-based units of study with clear, intended outcomes and goals in mind
Provide meaningful feedback on student work to determine student progress and to make suggestions for improvement
Proactively and relentlessly seek new ways to promote student learning
Create thoughtful, standards-based assessments
Work closely with school leaders and colleagues, using data to drive instruction and by extension, consistently raising student achievement and intervening with improvement plans and support for struggling students
Have fun and pass the love of learning onto students!
Design opportunities for students to use the world around them as a classroom through field trips and or/inviting guests into the classroom as appropriate
Hold students to high behavioral and academic expectations and support students to succeed
Model professional and collegial behavior for students
Engage in the process of collaborative evaluation with school leaders
Ensure that students are well-prepared for all New York State exams and WCHS interim assessments
Personal Commitment to On-Going Learning
Participate in all assemblies, meetings, school-sponsored events and professional development activities offered during or after work hours
Participate in focus groups, evaluations, and committees as requested to assist with the constant improvement of the school as a whole
Participate and support WCHS open-door classroom policy, allowing parents and teachers and other stakeholders to informally observe your work and actively seeking to observe the work of your colleagues for professional development
Positively Contributing to Student and Teacher Culture
Arrive to school no later than 7:55 AM (to ensure that the classroom is clean, supplies are prepared and the instructor is ready to receive students) and leave no earlier than 3:10 PM (to hold necessary interventions, hold office hours, attend school meetings and to ensure that students that need extra help are able to receive it). Even with these times parameters in mind, we ultimately seek educators that will simply do whatever it takes and will work relentlessly to ensure each student’s learning is maximized
Teach five class periods per school day
Serve two periods of School Service per week as determined by his/her supervisor (e.g., Study Hall supervision, cafeteria duty, hallway duty, monitoring of student entry and exit, etc.)
Cover at least five periods per semester for absent teachers
Proactively involve the student’s family in their learning through regular communications including (but not limited to): weekly informal communication via emails, notes, telephone calls, and meetings
Realize that although student achievement is central to our work, Williamsburg Charter High School graduates are not just academically well-prepared, but also good citizens of their community. The cornerstone of our ideology is based on providing students with life skills and a sense responsibility to their community in addition to excellent education
Share expertise and curriculum with colleagues
Respond to all school-related communications within 24 hours, including but not limited to voicemails and emails, from Williamsburg Charter High School faculty and staff (including supervisors and other teachers)
Attend and participate in school-related activities and events outside of normal school hours (e.g., Parent Advisory meetings, Back-to-School Night, field trips, student events and performances, etc.)
Adhere to the WCHS Student Handbook, Teacher Handbook, Personnel Policies, and Instructional Manual
Education and Credentials
New York State Certification
Bachelor’s degree
At least two years of experience teaching in an urban high school setting
New York State Fingerprint clearance
Benefits:
Health\Dental\Vision Insurance
FSA (Health & Dependent)
Commuter Benefits
Life insurance
Gym Reimbursement
EAP
Paid time off
Parental leave
Professional Development
403(b) with up to 8% match
Short Term & Long Term Disability
Free Coffee, Tea and Snacks