2020-2021 High School Health Science Teacher

ESSENTIAL QUALITIES 

Victory College Prep teachers are more than instructional staff members and classroom managers. They help transform teenagers’ lives by creating opportunities for a brighter future. We are seeking teachers who will make the commitment to teach with determination, integrity and purpose, embodying these essential qualities:

• Past experiences and actions reflect a commitment to the VCP mission, vision, core values
• A passion and ability to build and sustain the VCP K-12 model in a high need, urban environment
• Work in schools that demonstrates a sense of urgency and the relentless pursuit of high academic student achievement
• Reflective, self-aware and adaptable to communication and work styles of others
• Critical thinker and problem solver who takes initiative
• Belief in the power of collaboration and works to build a collaborative culture with VCP network, community, staff, families and students

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS 

A Victory College Prep teacher works to create and enhance a culture of achievement and respect where high expectations and results are the norm. All teachers are responsible for demonstrating significant and measurable academic gains, each year, with the students they teach. Teachers are also charged with continuing to spark students’ motivation to become lifelong learners and independent thinkers. All teachers’ actions must always be aligned with our mission, vision, core values and education program. The essential functions for College Prep Academy teachers are as follows:

INSTRUCTION

PLANNING for INSTRUCTION

• Use the state standards, course overviews and planning templates to create rigorous, objective-driven, arts-infused units, lessons and performance tasks.
• Facilitate an advisory class of approximately 15 students that focuses on 1) non-academic college prep, 2) student progress case management and 3) direct connection and communication with advisees’ families.
• Identify in each lesson what thinking skills will be explicitly taught and practiced; what physical, social, or content skills students will be able to do and how students will know if they can do it.
• Differentiate for individual students based on their unique learning needs so all students are appropriately engaged and challenged. This includes differentiating instruction for honors credit within a heterogeneously grouped class.

DELIVERY of INSTRUCTION

• Explicitly introduce learning objectives to activate students’ prior knowledge as it relates to the objectives, and conclude the lesson by revisiting the learning objective and having students apply it in context.
• Present academic content through a variety of instructional strategies (arts-infusion, Socratic seminar, Cooperative Learning and performance-based learning) and frequent integration of technology to reach all learners.
• Provide many and varied opportunities for students to achieve mastery while working to promote achievement by all students without exception.

ASSESSMENT

• Develop standards-aligned, measurable, ambitious big goals that will increase student opportunities for achievement; assess and track performance against these goals.
• Measure student achievement of, and progress toward, the learning objectives and big goals with formative and summative assessment tools.
• Provide ongoing and timely feedback to students on their progress towards meeting big goals by frequently checking for understanding and listening.
• Use data to reflect on effectiveness of lessons and student achievement progress to improve instruction and practice.
• Develop standards-based performance tasks and curricular assessments.
• Facilitate student exhibitions of work, progress and learning each semester for an audience of students, staff, family members and community representatives.
• Use data to update each student’s Individual Learning Plan.

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

• Teach students and facilitate activities during the Gateway Week; a summer bridge and orientation program designed to build school culture.
• Create a focused environment of fairness and respect that encourages students to take risks and strive to reach goals.
• Communicate and enforce high expectations and standards for behavior and academic performance, aligned with the College Prep Academy School Culture Guide to create a strong culture of achievement and respect.
• Establish, model, practice, and reinforce age-appropriate rules and logical consequences; create and consistently use individual behavioral management plans, as needed.
• Implement classroom procedures, systems, and routines that provide structure and maximize instructional time.

FAMILY and COMMUNITY RELATIONS

• Communicate respectfully and thoughtfully with parent/guardians remaining sensitive to different families’ cultures, values and needs.
• Conduct home visits and family meetings for students assigned to the advisory class.
• Initiate and maintain timely communication with all parents/guardians (through weekly communication, notes or phone calls home, in-person meetings, conferences, report cards) concerning student progress and to provide a clear picture of the curriculum and high expectations.
• Work collaboratively with parents/guardians, families, and other members of the community to involve them in academic activities and to support the success of a diverse student population and to bring in volunteers and additional resources.

PROFESSIONALISM

• Collaborate with colleagues to improve personal practice continuously, classroom instruction, assessment, and student achievement, as well as the overall goals and mission of the school and the network.
• Participate in a summertime professional development institute before the opening of school.
• Reflect critically upon teaching experience; identify areas for further professional development as part of a professional development plan that is linked to grade level, school, and network goals; access meaningful learning experiences; and listen thoughtfully to other viewpoints and respond constructively to suggestions and criticisms.
• Use feedback from Principal to update Individual Professional Development Plan.
• Fulfill all outlined and related functions professionally, timely and thoroughly.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS 

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree required, Masters Degree preferred
• Minimum of two years teaching experience in an urban public school or charter school setting preferred
• Required state teaching certification/licensure; Highly Qualified status under No Child Left Behind
• Proven track record of raising student achievement scores in an urban environment
• Strong desire to work within an innovative, urban educational program

CORE COMPETENCIES:

• Mission Focused
• Driven towards Excellence
• Results Oriented
• Culturally Proficient
• Collaborative Colleague
• Constant Learner

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS:

• Knowledge of or experience with Common Core State Standards or Understanding by Design preferred
• Ability to use data to inform instruction and decision-making related to student achievement
• Ability to turn best practices into high quality, goal-driven results
• Highly effective writing, oral and interpersonal skills to communicate with a varied audience
• Data managements tools, organizational tools, computer skills (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint and Outlook)