Teacher Reading Teacher
Job Description
Who we are and why it matters – Manhattan Charter School (MCS) is a high performing charter school located on the Lower East Side in New York City that is committed to providing every child with the tools and support necessary for success. Operating as a 501c3 nonprofit organization, MCS has been consistently high-achieving since its founding in 2005.
Manhattan Charter School has 270 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. There are no more than 25 students in an MCS class because we believe much of our success is due to our small school size, and intimate school culture and learning environment. Each school’s principal greets every student by name, every morning, and knows every family. In addition, every teacher knows every child. This intimate environment creates a community of collaboration, communication and accountability for both students and teachers.
MCS focuses on providing a rigorous curriculum of core subjects to help students achieve high academic levels. Though MCS adheres to New York State Learning Standards, its teachers have flexibility when developing their curriculums. Likewise, MCS is committed to offering a well-rounded education program to all students, which it believes helps students develop critical thinking processes, problem solving abilities and supports their learning in the core subject areas. All students receive music instruction each and every day. Other enrichment programs include French, Art, and Physical Education, and hands on experiments in science studies.
Additionally, students explore the historic Lower East Side neighborhood as part of their humanities studies. The Lower East Side is a centrally located, and culturally diverse, neighborhood in Manhattan. Long a fixture of the immigrant experience in New York City, many ethnic groups have resided here over the years as they worked to build a new life for themselves and their families in America. Through walking tours of the neighborhood, students learn about the Lower East Side’s evolution from an area of commercial success and tenement living to the vibrant neighborhood it is today.
The majority of MCS students are minority, live in the neighborhood, and qualify for free lunch. Through its work MCS is demonstrating that all children, regardless of race or economic status, can succeed when given equal access to quality education. The schools pride themselves on delivering rigorous, standards-driven instruction and fostering a culture of high expectations, while maintaining a strong sense of camaraderie amongst students and teachers.
What our teachers mean to us – At Manhattan Charter School, we believe teacher effectiveness is the key to high student achievement. Teachers receive a circle of support and time for developing their craft that includes:
- Targeted Professional Development that is built into the school calendar: 2 weeks before the school year starts (3 weeks for new teachers) + 2 half days each month + 1 week at the end of school year
- Daily support and feedback from content area experts in writing, literacy and math, and instructional coaches
- In addition to building a robust network of on-staff expertise, MCS is committed to investing in teachers by sending them for specialized training and experiences based on teacher individual needs, interests, and areas of specialization (including using outside consultants with specialized know-how)
- A full-time Instructional Assistant that is pursuing a Master’s in Education in each class
- An operations team who have set up operational processes that support teachers rather than burdening them
About this position – We are looking for a Reading Teacher for the 2017-18 school year.
Specific Reading Teacher Responsibilities
- Diagnose reading difficulties using formal and informal assessment data obtained from students.
- Set student goals and instructional outcomes based on specific student assessments in reading
- Provide intensive reading instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, spelling, comprehension, and fluency for students to increase their independent reading level
- Use identified needs to guide the learning process toward student achievement in reading; including helping students read fluently, comprehend what they’re reading, and train them in phonetics, spelling, grammar, vocabulary memorization.
- Use a variety of instructional techniques and literacy materials consistent with the needs and capabilities of the individuals or student groups involved.
- Keep written evidence of preparation upon request of immediate supervisor.
- Maintain accurate, complete, and correct records of student progress monitoring.
- Conduct or participate in parent conferences and telephone conferences.
- Conduct student assessments to identify those eligible for intervention services, to plan instruction, and/or to assist staff members in learning various assessment techniques.
- Assess the accomplishments of students on a regular basis and provide progress reports as required.
- Collaborate, as needed, with appropriate personnel regarding students who may need specialized interventions.
- Strive to maintain and improve professional competence through professional development activities.
- Performs other duties, as deemed appropriate, by the Principal
Qualifications
- Master’s Degree required, relevant content area like literacy or reading specialist preferred
- Minimum 5 years of experience teaching reading
- Reading Specialist certification preferred, but not required
- Reading Recovery training preferred, but not required
