Teacher High School ELL Specialist
Job Description
Who We Are
RePublic Schools is a network of high-performing public charter schools based in Nashville, TN and Jackson, MS with a mission to reimagine public education in the South and prepare all of our scholars to have the opportunity to graduate from college. In addition to providing a world-class traditional academic curriculum, we empower our students to be change agents by teaching them to code – starting in the 5th grade.
Despite the fact that our scholars come from traditionally underserved communities (approximately 85% identify as low-income, and nearly 95% as students of color), we have seen them defy the odds to achieve outstanding results. RePublic’s schools have scored in the top 5% of all open-enrollment public schools across the state of Tennessee for both student growth and absolute achievement – making ours the first (and only) charter schools in state history to achieve this dual distinction.
At RePublic, we cultivate a cohesive community of families, staff, and scholars committed to doing whatever it takes to ensure our scholars succeed. We are looking for an English Language Learner (ELL) Specialist for the 2017-2018 school year at RePublic’s flagship high school in Nashville, TN. Candidates must share our unwavering belief that all children can achieve at high levels and change the world. Sound like you?
What You’ll Do
Overview
Equal parts visionary, bridge-builder, and organizational mastermind, the ELL Specialist at RePublic High School is charged with paving the way to design and oversee the implementation of a world-class ELL Program at RePublic High School that meets the diverse needs of our scholars, sets teachers up to successfully differentiate instruction to support students with diverse language needs, and communicate with families from diverse backgrounds to ensure all stakeholders have the access necessary to support student learning and social emotional development. Based on best practices in industry and research in the field, the ELL Specialist will provide direct instruction to students in need of English as a Second Language (ESL) courses, and supports students to access and master academic content in the general education classroom setting. The ELL Specialist is a member of the Student Supports Department and is coached by the Director of Student Supports.
Responsibilities
- Direct Student Supports
- Teach English Language Development (ELD) courses in place of (or in conjunction with) English content classes for students on her/his caseload.
- Provide inclusion support in core content classes which contain ELL and transitional ELL students.
- Work specifically with ELL students during designated periods of the school day.
- Lead an advisory of scholars each morning to support scholars to meet academic goals, build authentic relationships with peers and faculty members, and develop social-emotional skills.
- Teacher Support and Professional Development
- Advise teachers on accommodating and modifying core academic curricula for students of diverse language levels.
- Provide professional development for teachers on topics including (but not limited to) language development, sheltering academic content, ELL-supportive instructional differentiation strategies, and supporting transitional ELL students.
- Ongoing Compliance Management
- Manage school-wide ELL compliance, including ensuring that newly enrolled scholars’ needs are being accommodated.
- Organize annual and screener assessments like WAP-T and ACCESS to assess scholars initially and monitor growth and progress to learning goals.
- Arrange accommodations for school-based and state-required assessments.
- Communicate with families of ELL students and uphold general Department of Education compliance requests.
Who You Are
Our ideal ELL Specialist candidate is:
- A serial optimist. You’ve got a deep, personal commitment to the mission of RePublic Schools, and a genuine belief that all students can achieve academic excellence, regardless of race, language ability, or socioeconomic status. You’re a fierce advocate for students with diverse language and cultural backgrounds, you’ve got a “healthy rage” about the state of public education in the South, and you want to be a part of a team that is doing something about it every single day.
- A systems builder. You’re unfazed by ambiguity, and thrive in situations where you get to build something out of nothing, develop and inspire others to execute on your vision, or create order out of chaos. You want to do work that’s never been done before, better than anyone’s ever done it.
- A details maven. Nothing gets past you. You don’t drop balls, miss deadlines, or forget to respond to someone’s inquiry. You track timelines, data, and information in an organized and systematic fashion, and you develop systems to help others do the same to ensure your kids get the support they need to thrive.
- A bridge and community builder. You live to help coach others to understand, build relationships with, and support scholars with diverse language needs. You know it takes a village, so you’re fired up about giving key RHS stakeholders the tools, resources, and coaching they need to meet kids where they are.
- Other qualifications and required certification:
- Bachelor’s degree in English as a Second Language or related field required, with a Master’s degree in a related field preferred;
- Current WIDA certification and ESL teaching license in the state of TN (or in a state with reciprocity with Tennessee), or is willing and able to transfer pursue certification in both;
- Ability to speak Spanish preferred, though not required;
- Minimum of 2-3 years of experience serving scholars who are traditionally underserved, in an urban public school or charter school setting preferred;
- Experience managing, coaching, or laterally managing other adults through program design and implementation in school-based settings highly preferred.
How to Apply
To Apply
- Interested? To apply for this position, please submit a resume and an optional cover letter: http://republiccharterschools.org/careers
- Questions? Contact us: careers@republiccharterschools.org