Spanish Teacher (Grades 7-8), Saltonstall School, SY2024-25

Salem Public Schools

Salem is a small, diverse city with a proud maritime and immigrant history.  Salem Public School educators are passionate about urban education and understand the urgency of improving student achievement.  We respect and value the racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity of our students and their families, and have a strong commitment to the Salem community.  We seek individuals who are able to serve all of our students, regardless of ability, economic status, gender/gender identity, language, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, or other backgrounds. Salem Public Schools has a clear equity statement and core values that guide and drive our work as an anti-racist organization. Applicants who have experienced working in urban schools and have bilingual skills are strongly encouraged to apply. 

Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Teaches Spanish to all students in grades 7 and 8 as part of the core curriculum with a proficiency target of novice-high
• Serve as the founding teacher for a new pathway to the Seal of Biliteracy at Salem High School
• Plans and executes units, lessons, and performance tasks using a proficiency focused performance based model. 
• Regularly implements ACTFL core instructional practices. 
• Designs and implements instruction that is interactive and incorporates speaking, listening, reading, and writing in Spanish
• Regularly assesses students' language proficiency and uses that data to plan instruction.
• Promotes the learning and growth of all students through instructional practices that establish high expectations, create a safe and effective classroom environment, and demonstrate cultural proficiency.
• Promotes the learning and growth of all students through effective partnerships with families and caregivers.
• Collaborates effectively with teaching colleagues.
• Works under the general supervision of the building principal and or other designated administrator, manages student behavior, assesses and evaluates student achievement
• Additional duties may be assigned

What You’ll Bring:

We are looking for candidates who have diverse backgrounds and experiences, are inspired by our mission and are highly motivated to change children’s lives through education. You’ll be right at home here if you are a reflective practitioner who values collaboration with colleagues and pushes yourself, your work and the people around you to the next level.  We expect our SPS employees to:

• Hold a deep commitment to students and families and value diversity - The SPS community is vibrant, diverse in background, ethnicity, language, and perspective. You embrace and affirm the backgrounds of all members of the SPS community and view our diversity as a powerful resource that supports us each in learning and doing our best work.
• Hold high expectations for yourself, students, and colleagues – You see potential in all, especially our SPS students, and maintain high expectations for achievement, while providing the support necessary to meet that bar. You hold yourself to high expectations, modeling SPS values and seeking opportunities to continuously improve.
• Build authentic, caring relationships with colleagues, students, and families – You build strong relationships across students, families, and colleagues that are collaborative in nature and contribute to the individual and collective success of SPS. You partner with families and colleagues to make decisions in the best interest of students and learning.
• Embrace feedback – You are a reflective practitioner who learns from mistakes and challenges and uses them as opportunities for professional development. You model persistence and growth mindset and thrive in a culture of feedback.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree required; Master’s Degree preferred.
• Massachusetts teaching certification/licensure in Spanish (5-8) Education required.
• Strong desire to work within an urban educational program
• Current authorization to work in the United States

Equal Opportunity Employer

Salem Public School District is committed to maintaining a work and learning environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, pregnancy, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital/civil union status, ancestry, place of birth, age, citizenship status, veteran status, political affiliation, genetic information or disability, as defined and required by state and federal laws. Additionally, we prohibit retaliation against individuals who oppose such discrimination and harassment or who participate in an equal opportunity investigation