Summary & Overview of April Science Empowerment Academy

SEZP's mission to dramatically improve educational opportunity for Springfield students is marked by our Empowerment Academy programming. Empowerment Academies are an initiative to provide targeted, small-group academic support to middle and high school students that will focus solely on science curriculum during April break. These academies will be hosted at Forest Park Middle School with regular access to the ECOS facility and grounds. This extended learning time was shown to be an effective support for improvement of student performance through a randomized trial study completed in 2016.

In Empowerment Academies, a select number of students across SEZP will work in small groups of 10 - 12 students led by Massachusetts' best educators. The small group size and high-quality instruction will allow students to receive academic support tailored to their specific needs. It will also enable teachers to more effectively build strong relationships with students and accelerate student growth. Students will be selected based on academic need, attendance, and conduct.

Empowerment Academy teachers will be selected from a highly-competitive group of educators across Western Massachusetts. All Massachusetts educators with certification are encouraged to apply, although preference will be given to Springfield Public School teachers or Springfield Empowerment Zone teachers.

Science Teacher - Empowerment Academy Overview

Empowerment Academies need strong teachers to create a week-long vision for rigorous, academic support. Throughout the week, it will be the teacher's responsibility to diligently monitor student progress and implement a variety of strategies to increase student academic performance. This role requires teachers to attend professional development and integrate that content throughout the entire week of instruction. The focus of the PD will be: interactive instruction techniques, curriculum and content review and preparation, teacher collaboration, lesson plan work time, and creating a positive learning environment for students. As an academy teacher, you are encouraged to try new strategies to strengthen academic success.

Science Teacher Responsibilities

With support and general guidance from SEZP, teachers are expected to:

Work with students

Measure and monitor student progress throughout the week

Adjust instruction according to daily student data from informal/formal assessments

Teach 6 hours per day each day of the academy

Try new strategies and methods of instruction to drive results

Professional Development

Attend professional development sessions and complete any necessary prep and planning work

Support & regularly communicate with your academy coordinators leading up to and during week of programming

Implement strategies for building a positive, high-quality, and rigorous Empowerment Academy culture

Operations & Logistics

Attend each Empowerment Academy day

Create a lesson plans for each Empowerment Academy day of instruction

Participate in raffle and gift card distribution as directed by academy leaders

Manage any and all other tasks necessary for operational excellence as outlined by the academy leaders

Science Teacher Requirements

Proven record of increasing students' science achievement

Experience teaching MA 2016 Science, Technology, Engineering Frameworks

Familiarity with designing data-based and standards-aligned instruction

Willingness and track record of creativity in developing/implementing standards-based experiences for students

Experience teaching urban youth

Confidence as a problem solver who works to overcome challenges

Dedicated to the belief that all students can achieve at high levels

Demonstrated success in building relationships with students

Benefits

Selection as an Empowerment Academy teacher recognizes an individual for his/her outstanding instruction, leadership in the classroom, and commitment to urban education. The Empowerment Academy experience will also give teachers the opportunity to share with and learn from other great educators in a highly-collaborative environment. In addition, teachers will receive:

$2,000 stipend

High-quality professional development

Important Dates

Mandatory Professional Learning Dates

Wednesday, March 13, 3:30pm-5:00pm. @Duggan Academy

Saturday, March 30, 8:00am-12:00pm @Forest Park Middle School

Saturday, April 6, 8:00am-12:00pm @ECOS

Science Empowerment Academy Dates

Monday-Friday April 15-19, 8:30am-2:30pm

Schedule

Teachers will teach in the academy for 6 hours each day in accordance with systems outlined by Empowerment Academy leaders. Daily schedule details will be provided during the professional learning opportunities.

Curriculum, Materials and Support

Empowerment Academy leaders will establish content, parameters, and expectations for curriculum. Teachers will be provided with ample resources for preparation of lessons, tasks, and investigations. Teachers will be entrusted with the flexibility to use these resources to adjust the curriculum to best meet the needs of each student in their Empowerment Academy class. Academy leaders will also provide curricular support as needed onsite at the academy.

Academy leaders will order all necessary classroom and curricular materials for Empowerment Academy teachers in accordance with all reasonable teacher requests. SEZP staff is committed to providing strong support for leaders and teachers so that student learning and achievement are maximized.

Application Process

The application will open on Friday, January 18, 2019 and close on Friday, February 15, 2019. Applying early is strongly encouraged.

You will need to submit the following materials with your application:

Resume

Cover letter describing why you want to teach for the Empowerment Academy and what you hope to accomplish as a teacher for the Empowerment Academy

One reference from a supervisor (principal reference strongly preferred)

Evidence of effectiveness: this can be relevant data, a recent evaluation, sample lesson plan, sample student work, video of you teaching, etc.



Primary Location: Empowerment Zone
Salary Range: $2,000.00 - $2,000.00 / Per Year
Shift Type: Additional Pay

Job Contact Information:

Name: Stephen Stroud
Title:
Phone:
Email: strouds@springfieldpublicschools.com