Elementary Special Education Teacher

Democracy Prep Public Schools is seeking an Elementary Special Education Teacher to deliver engaging instruction tailored to students with diverse learning needs.

Democracy Prep Public Schools is committed to ensuring all scholars succeed in the college of their choice and lead a life of active citizenship. As a teacher, you will play a vital role in creating a classroom culture that reflects high expectations and high support, fostering academic and personal growth for every scholar. 

Who You Are:

• Mission-Driven Educator: You are deeply committed to Democracy Prep’s mission focusing on fostering college success and authentic civic engagement for scholars.
• Outstanding Classroom Teacher: You maintain consistently high behavioral and academic expectations, supporting scholars in meeting those expectations.
• Self-Reflective Professional: You are dedicated to aligning your classroom to our commitment to antiracism and contribute to a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Results-Driven Assessor: You use data analysis to drive instructional decisions and teacher accountability, ensuring positive outcomes for all students.
• Content Area Expert: You engage scholars with differentiated instruction and deliver high-quality curriculum by preparing rigorous and engaging lessons through thoughtful lesson planning.
• Educator with Experience Preferred: You hold a Bachelor’s degree (required) and have at least 2 years of teaching experience in urban areas. State certification is preferred. Note: We request transcripts as part of our onboarding process.

What You’ll Do:

• Ensure Classroom Culture: Create and maintain a classroom atmosphere characterized by high expectations and high support.
• Create an Inclusive Environment: Engage in training, reflection, and dialogue around issues of race, identity, diversity, equity, and inclusion for staff and scholars.
• Curriculum Implementation: Plan and prepare for the effective implementation of a coherent, research-based curriculum.
• Data-Driven Instruction: Develop and use a variety of assessment data to refine curriculum and instructional practice.
• Build Relationships: Maintain strong relationships with scholars, families, and colleagues through effective and frequent communication.
• Professional Growth: Continuously improve your practice through weekly coaching sessions, professional development, and collaborative, data-driven reflection with department and grade-level teams.
• Support Social-Emotional Well-Being: Cultivate the social-emotional growth of all scholars by building a positive classroom culture and leveraging strong partnerships with scholars, their families, and the scholar support team.
• Foster Active Citizenship: Engage students in age-appropriate conversations and activities about current events, participation in community service, and the celebration of culture, heritage, and identity.
• Whole-School Involvement: Participate in school-wide events and tasks, including transitions, family conferences, tutoring, and other activities as assigned by school leadership.

Qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s degree (required).
• 2+ years of teaching experience, preferably in urban education (preferred).
• Any NY State certification, Students with Disabilities K-12 (required).
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Ability to create an inclusive and positive classroom culture that emphasizes high expectations for all scholars.
• Commitment to professional growth through coaching, reflection, and collaborative work with colleagues.

Work Schedule 

This is a fully on-site, school-based role that requires in-person attendance five days per week. The position does not include a remote or work-from-home option.

Compensation 

The salary range for this role is $68,707 to $137,729_._ Our salary schedule is commensurate with years of lead teaching experience and your certification status. Our teaching salaries start at $68,707 for a first-year uncertified teacher and $75,250 for a first-year certified teacher and cap at $137,729 for a certified teacher with 29+ years of lead teaching experience. Democracy Prep employees are provided with a benefits package that includes medical, vision, and dental insurance, 403B matching, parental leave, tuition reimbursement, a smartphone, and a laptop.

This is an in-person position, reporting five days a week to one of our ten schools across Harlem and the Bronx.

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Democracy Prep is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, or ancestry, sex, age, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, veteran or military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, familial status, domestic violence victim status, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances. Our mission is to educate responsible citizen-scholars who will change the world. We strongly believe that by building a DREAM team that represents numerous perspectives, backgrounds, and expertises, we can achieve this goal together. This is a value we highly support and strongly encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply.