Position: Grade 5 Teacher, STEM
Morse School

The Morse School Community:
The Morse School serves children and families from every Cambridge neighborhood and from over 35 different countries. At the Morse School, we nurture not only our children's curiosity and intellectual skills, but also their healthy social and emotional development. Morse School families, teachers and staff members work together to foster a sense of safety and belonging and to support students in developing a sense of civic responsibility and an appreciation for people with different origins, identities, beliefs and learning styles. We strive to promote a sense of community, where all adults and children feel respected and appreciated. The Morse School follows an inclusion model, with English learners and students with moderate disabilities learning alongside their general education peers with support from special educators, ESL teachers, related service providers, and interventionists.

We are actively working towards becoming an antiracist school, and are taking steps towards identifying and dismantling racist structures, hearing and elevating underrepresented voices, and striving to achieve an equitable and just educational experience for all students.

The Opportunity:
The Morse School is seeking an innovative and collaborative fifth grade STEM teacher who comfortably fosters a safe and positive classroom environment with high student engagement, ambitious goals, and joyful learning. The successful candidate will possess a strong conceptual understanding of mathematics and science instruction at the elementary level and a passion for inspiring students through authentic, hands-on learning activities. We are in the process of shifting our math pedagogy towards an equity-driven, inquiry-based approach inspired, in part, by The Impact of Identity in K-8 Mathematics: Rethinking Equity-Based Practices (2013, Aguirre, Mayfield-Ingram, & Martin). We are eager to identify an individual who is able to collaborate effectively with the other members of our staff, sees herself/himself as a learner, and can balance both the rigorous responsibility as well as the joy of working in a PreK-5 school. The person who fills this position will work as part of a departmentalized team that also includes an ELA/Social Studies teacher.

The Morse School serves children and families from a diverse range of racial, cultural and linguistic backgrounds. We recognize that elementary-aged children benefit from seeing themselves reflected in the adults around them and we are eager to field applications from a range of candidates whose backgrounds mirror the diversity of the students we serve.

The Morse School supports teachers' professional growth through an instructional coaching model. This individual will work under the general supervision of the principal and assistant principal and will be evaluated following the professional standards articulated in the Massachusetts Teacher Rubric.

Your Skill Set:
As the incoming Grade 5 Teacher, you will possess many, though perhaps not all, of the following characteristics and qualifications:

• Massachusetts teaching certification/licensure in Elementary Education (1-6); Additional license/certification in Special Education (Moderate Disabilities) (preferred).
• Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) Endorsement required.
• Bachelor's degree required.
• Ability to foster positive academic growth through the planning and delivery of high-quality, standards-based, joyful instruction to students representing a diverse range of learning needs (including English learners and students with disabilities);
• Previous and successful experience working in a multicultural environment and demonstrated implementation of culturally-responsive practices that include students from diverse ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds;
• Ability to design, administer and analyze a variety of informal and formal assessments to inform instructional next steps and create small groups for targeted instruction;
• Ability to manage a safe and effective classroom environment through positive routines and instructional practices that establish high expectations and encourage children to manage their own learning.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with teaching colleagues, specialists, instructional coaches, administrators and parents to foster positive social, emotional and academic development for children;
• A commitment to social justice and a willingness to collaborate with other members of the school community to understand and address the effects of implicit racial bias; and
• Demonstrated interest in actively pursuing ongoing professional development and learning opportunities to improve quality of practice and expertise.
• Ability to speak Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Nepali, or Russian a plus.
• Ability to meet the expectations of the Massachusetts Standards and Indicators of Effective Teaching Practice.

Cambridge Public Schools is committed to slowing and/or stopping the spread of COVID-19. Therefore, as a condition of employment with Cambridge Public Schools, all new hires will be required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 no later than their first day of work. Written requests for either a religious exemption from this requirement based on sincerely held religious beliefs, or for a medical exemption based upon clear documentation from a medical provider should be submitted to the attention of the Chief Talent Officer.

How to Join Our Team:
Please upload a resume and thoughtful cover letter, outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position and stating how you heard about this opportunity.

At the Cambridge Public Schools, we are committed to cultivating an environment where diverse perspectives and backgrounds are embraced, acknowledging that a team reflecting diversity of race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, and veteran status allows us to serve our communities better. To that end, we welcome and encourage applicants to bring their authentic selves when considering employment opportunities within our school district.