NYS Certified Special Education Teacher

Special Education Teacher (Multiple Subjects)

YOU MUST BE NYS CERTIFIED TO APPLY 

About Us

Williamsburg Charter High School (WCHS) first opened its doors in August 2004 as the first Chancellor-authorized charter high school in New York City. Now in its twenty-first year. Our mission is to bring together students, families, educators, and the community to equip young people with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in the world. Through a rigorous liberal arts education—including language, literature, writing, science, history, mathematics, the arts, technology, and career and technical education (CTE)—our students develop critical thinking, communication, and research skills. WCHS fosters a culture of fairness, justice, respect, and compassion, challenging each student to reach their full potential.

Salary

$68,000 - $90,000

Program

Williamsburg Charter High 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, CTE, college readiness, 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. WCHS's powerful educational program enables every student to graduate well-prepared for college and the world beyond it.

Position Description

Starting each day at 7:55 AM, the ideal Williamsburg Charter High School teacher will provide our students with rigorous classroom instruction for 5 periods each day. Until the day ends at 3:10 PM, they enjoy one period for lunch, two prep periods, as well as attend weekly department planning meetings and weekly professional development. Our teachers also provide advisory leadership.

Teacher as an Advisor

Research has shown that students feel more comfortable, accounted for, and accountable when their teachers understand their background, challenges, and successes. Creating an advisory period that acts as a ‘home base’ for each student, our teacher advisors provide this support to 12-18 students for the duration of each student's 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 are responsible for:

• Taking complete ownership of the academic, behavioral and overall success of the group 

• Ensuring advisees are in attendance, punctual, excelling in all their classes, and seeking support when it is needed.

• Being the academic expert on each advisee

• Acting as the liaise between the student 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 focus groups, evaluations, and committees as requested to assist with the constant improvement of the school as a whole

• Participate and support WCHS's 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

• Hold necessary interventions, during office hours, attend school meetings, and ensure that students that need extra help can receive it.

• 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 of responsibility to their community in addition to an 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)

• Participate in all assemblies, meetings, school-sponsored events, and professional development activities offered during or after work hours, e.g., Parent Advisory meetings, Back-to-School Night, field trips, student events, performances, etc.)

• Adhere to the WCHS Student Handbook, Employee Handbook, Personnel Policies, and Instructional Manual

Qualifications, Education, and Credentials

• New York State Certification Grade 7-12

• At least one year of experience teaching in an urban high school setting 

• NYSED Full Clearance

Academic Responsibilities

• Teach 5 course periods per day.

• Attend department and planning meetings.

• Uphold the tenets of the student covenant.

• Set and maintain high academic standards for all students.

• Collaborate with fellow teachers to provide rigorous, standards-based instruction.

• Utilize student performance data from assessments to inform instructional decisions.

What We Look for in Our Teachers

• A strong belief that ALL students can learn and achieve college and career readiness.

• A commitment to fostering independent learning, critical thinking, and research skills.

• A passion for engaging students through collaborative learning experiences.

• The ability to use data and assessments to drive instruction.

• A collaborative spirit and a commitment to professional growth.

• Openness to mentoring, feedback, and continuous development.

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