Salem Public Schools

Salem is a small, diverse city with a proud maritime and immigrant history.  Salem Public School leaders are passionate about urban education and understand the urgency of improving student achievement.  They respect and value the racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity of our students and their families, and have a strong commitment to the Salem community.  Salem Public Schools seeks individuals who are able to serve all of our students, regardless of ability or language. Applicants who have experience working in urban schools and have bilingual skills are strongly encouraged to apply.

What You’ll Do:

The ELL Department in Salem Public Schools plans to implement a dual language (Spanish-English) program starting in kindergarten in the 2020-2021 school year.  The program will grow by one grade level each year and will serve both native English and native Spanish speakers with the goal of all students achieving academically at high levels and becoming bilingual and biliterate in both languages.  The ELL Department seeks a bilingual kindergarten teacher for a unique opportunity to co-teach in English for one year and then teach as the primary teacher in Spanish in kindergarten for the following year.  This is a minimum of a two-year commitment.

The bilingual kindergarten teacher position is an incredible opportunity for a native Spanish-speaking teacher with an interest in teaching dual language to gain expertise in the challenging and rewarding world of kindergarten instruction.  In the 2019-2020 school year, the bilingual kindergarten teacher will build his/her own capacity and knowledge of excellent kindergarten instruction by co-planning and co-teaching in a general education Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) classroom with an experienced and veteran Salem kindergarten teacher. During this year, he/she will also pursue the Bilingual Educator Endorsement through Salem’s partnership with Boston College.  In the 2020-2021 school year, the bilingual kindergarten teacher will become one of two founding bilingual kindergarten teachers in the dual language program in Salem.

Role Responsibilities:

• Teaches reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, by using the district curriculum and other appropriate learning activities reflecting a deep understanding of state frameworks and use of the workshop model.
• Co-plans and uses appropriate instructional and learning strategies, activities, materials, and equipment that reflect understanding of the learning styles and needs of students assigned.
• Provides structure in the classroom by promoting a positive classroom environment that is conducive to learning for students of all backgrounds and language proficiency levels.
• Prepares teaching materials and related reports including ongoing data analyses for the purpose of improving instruction, implementing lesson plans, and documenting student progress.
• Instructs and provides assistance for student learning, individually or in groups, designing lessons that both present and reinforce learning concepts.
• Participates in coursework towards pursuing Bilingual Educator Endorsement
• Works under the general supervision of the ELL Director, building principal and other building administrators, manages student behavior, assesses and evaluates student achievement.

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 failure, using mistakes and challenges as opportunities for growth. You model persistence and growth mindset and thrive in a culture of feedback.

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree Required; Master’s Degree preferred
• Native literacy or highly advanced proficiency in Spanish Required
• Massachusetts certification as Elementary, Early Childhood, ESL, or Spanish by Massachusetts Department of Education, or in the process of licensure
• SEI Endorsement Required
• Ability to meet the expectations of the Massachusetts Standards and Indicators of Effective Teaching Practice
• 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.