Position Type:
Summer School - Classified

Date Posted:
6/4/2021

Location:
Westhill HS

Date Available:
Summer 2021

Closing Date:
until filled

   Additional Information: Show/Hide
The filling of this position is based upon continued funding in the Board of Education budget.

Note: Teachers dually certified in TESOL, Bilingual Education or ESL, with experience in Sheltered Instruction or fluency in a language other than English, will be given preference for all Stamford Public School positions.

General Statement:
Research shows the critical importance of freshman year in predicting high school and postsecondary success, and too many students struggle during the transition between middle and high school. One way Westhill High School is committed to preparing its students for their transition into high school is through a free, multi-week Summer Bridge program. Through a partnership between the RISE Network and Stamford Public Schools, Westhill will debut its Grade 9 Summer Bridge program this summer to help incoming freshmen prepare for and get excited about attending high school at Westhill.

This no-cost, multi-week summer program offers meaningful opportunities to proactively help students transition smoothly into high school, form strong relationships with students and staff, and gain confidence and skills to achieve their goals. In this program, we are looking to build relationships among students and staff members, pre-teach skills critical for high school success, educate students about on and off campus resources, and prepare them to learn about the different high school expectations. The Westhill Grade 9 Summer Bridge Program will take place at Westhill High School.

Westhill is seeking six (6) talented, highly motivated educators to staff its Summer Bridge program. Under the direction of the Westhill High School Principal or designee, Summer Bridge educators will be responsible for helping prepare students for the upcoming school year, and developing and implementing a curriculum that pre-teaches some of the skills that are critical to Grade 9 core classes. Outside of delivering engaging content, Summer Bridge staff are encouraged to develop meaningful relationships with students to build students' confidence, competence and comfort when it comes to their upcoming high school transition. Educators scheduled to teach Grade 9 courses for the 20-21 school year are strongly encouraged to apply.

Positions available include:

• (1) Language Arts Content Teacher: This individual will be responsible for planning and implementing curriculum aligned with the standards detailed in Westhill's Grade 9 language arts scope and sequence.
• (1) History Content Teacher: This individual will be responsible for planning and implementing curriculum aligned with the standards detailed in Westhill's Grade 9 history scope and sequence.
• (1) Math Content Teacher: This individual will be responsible for planning and implementing curriculum aligned with the standards detailed in Westhill's Grade 9 math content area scope and sequence.
• (1) Science Content Teacher: This individual will be responsible for planning and implementing curriculum aligned with the standards detailed in Westhill's Grade 9 science content area scope and sequence.
• (2) Electives Content Teacher: These individuals will be responsible for planning and implementing a standard-aligned curriculum for an (credit-bearing) elective course offered to Westhill students

Major Responsibilities:

1. Student Supports & Programming:

• Build meaningful relationships and provide targeted support for freshmen demonstrating attendance, academic, social, and/or behavioral risk factors
• Engage students in coaching sessions, serving champions and advocates
• Develop personalized achievement plans for all students; regularly engage students, families, and staff in conversations about progress relative to individualized achievement plans.
• Coordinate necessary academic and nonacademic interventions for each student, working in close collaboration with teachers, families, administration, social workers, counselors, and school partners.
• Develop a curriculum for a standards-aligned course; submitting curriculum planning documents (i.e. objective calendar, weekly lesson plans, etc.) to the Summer Bridge Coordinator
• Help design and lead engaging programming that supports students through the Grade 9 transition

2. Family Engagement & Communications

• Forge and maintain close partnerships with families by providing regular communication about students' progress, what students will learn in your class, and any relevant logistics and expectations
• Maintain a thorough log of student and family interactions, interventions, and student progress

3. Progress Monitoring

• Analyze student data and early warning signs, and closely monitor student progress to provide proactive and preventative supports triggered by data
• Coordinate interventions and support with staff in response to individual student data

Physical and Mental Demands, Work Hazards:
Works in standard office, school building environments, and/or virtual platforms.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Commitment to creating schools that provide an education that cultivates productive habits of mind, body, and heart in every student
• Strong belief in the importance of Grade 9, and that all students can learn and achieve at high levels
• Experience working with high school-age youth and their families
• Demonstrated understanding of, sensitivity to, and respect for the diverse academic, socio-economic, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, mental or physical disability, and religious background of all students, faculty and staff, and with all individuals encountered in the performance of required duties
• Understanding of mastery-based models of learning and assessment
• Ability to master new content quickly and work in a self-motivated manner
• Willingness to work collaboratively with an ability to engage in professional and productive interactions with a diverse range of stakeholders (staff, students, families, external partners, etc.)
• Demonstrated ability to motivate and inspire students, families, and school staff
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including high school-age group facilitation
• Experience assessing and applying best practices at scale to drive results
• Strong critical thinking including synthesizing different types of data
• Sense of humor, positive attitude, and willingness to work in a collaborative environment
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and to meet competing demands
• Excellent computer skills; ability to use PowerPoint, Excel, Google apps, and the Internet
• Knowledge of and/or demonstrate the ability to learn and implement Operating Systems (i.e. Windows); Office suites (i.e. Microsoft Office, Google Docs); Presentation Software (i.e. PowerPoint, Keynote); Spreadsheets (i.e. Excel, Google Spreadsheets); Communication and Collaboration tools (i.e. Skype); Accounting Software (i.e. QuickBooks); Student Information Systems (i.e. Naviance, Power School); or any other technology deemed relevant for this position

Qualifications:

• Current Westhill High School Educator, preference for applicants with Grade 9 teaching assignments for the 2020-2021 school year
• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field required
• CT CSDE certification endorsed for Grades 7-12 in the content area of the Teaching Assignment
• Fluency in Spanish preferred

Work Schedule:
Summer 2020: August 17th - 21st
Staff Development/Planning – TBD

Compensation:
Hourly Rate for Summer School Per SEA Contract

Board Approved May 26, 2020