Academic Lead Teacher

Background/IRC Summary:  Since 1999, the IRC has developed partnerships with New York City public schools, community-based organizations and local colleges and universities to support the positive development of refugee youth and their communities in New York City.  The Education and Learning Program provides year-round programming working directly with refugee youth, their parents and families, and their schools.

Job Overview/Summary: The Newcomer Youth Summer Academy (NYSA) is a six-week program that prepares newly arrived refugee youth to succeed at their grade. Up to 130 students from ages 5 – 21 from over 20 countries will participate in academic, creative arts, physical education, and social-emotional learning classes.

At the Lower School levels (K-1^-5^th), the NYSA Academic Lead Teachers will instruct a self-contained classroom, teaching Phonics, Literacy, and Math. At the Upper School levels (6--12^th) Academic Lead Teachers will be responsible for specialized content instruction in one of three specific subjects: English Language Arts, Math, or Social Studies. 

Each Academic Lead Teacher is expected to design pre- and post-assessments. Academic Lead Teachers are responsible for creating and submitting culturally relevant daily lesson plans and associated slide decks and materials. Given the student body's varied English language acquisition levels, life, and formal education experiences. The Academic Lead Teacher must consistently plan for differentiated, trauma-informed instruction and apply a sheltered instructional approach to guiding English Language Learners. Throughout their classroom activities, the Academic Lead Teachers will be encouraged to contribute to the Program’s goals of fostering students’ social-emotional development and building a strong sense of community among the students and staff. 

Position term:  July 5^th – August 11^th, 2023

Hours:   

• Training: July 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, 2023: Up to 24 hours of training
• Foundational online training modules to be completed independently ahead of synchronous staff training dates 
• Main Program: July 10^th - August 11^th, 2023: 4.5 hours per day plus 1 evening of parent/teacher conferences.  Expect 1-2 hours per week of additional external planning, grading, and data analysis. 

Major Responsibilities:

• Participate in instructional planning sessions, trainings, and all program meetings.
• Plan culturally responsive, trauma-informed lesson plans for a class of approximately 15-25 students, using the sheltered instructional model (SIOP) for instructing Multilingual Language Learners
• Submit detailed daily lesson plans, slide decks, and associated in advance of the date of instruction
• Administer formative and summative assessments, including content area pre-assessments of students, to inform curriculum and lesson design
• Complete all staff program evaluations
• Regularly review student progress and maintain bodies of evidence, including work samples
• Supervise students in the cafeteria during lunch
• Complete all required reports on time.
• Effectively plan for and incorporate Classroom Culture Lead Teacher(s) and volunteer Peer Mentors into classroom instruction
• Finalize weekly progress reports and final report cards for each student

Job Requirements:

• Master’s degree in education or related field
• New York State teaching certification
• A minimum of three years instructing in the New York City Department of Education (or other accredited school system)
• Shown success in planning and delivering culturally responsive, trauma-informed, sheltered-instructional curricula for classes of diverse beginner to intermediate ELLs/multilingual learners
• Strong cultural competency
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Fluency in written and spoken English required. Second language proficiency in relevant language highly desirable (Spanish, French, Dari, Farsi, Pashto, Arabic, Mandingo, Bambara, Wolof, Fulani, Tibetan, Russian, Urdu, Bengali, Haitian Creole, Burmese, and Nepali)
• Certification or commensurate experience in Responsive Classrooms or Classroom Mindfulness, desirable

Working Environment:  NYSA takes place in a centrally located school in New York City. All applicants must be willing to relocate for the entirety of the Academy.

Posted pay ranges apply to US-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget.  Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement: In accordance with IRC’s duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards and our commitment to safeguard the health of our employees, clients, and communities, IRC requires new hires to furnish proof of vaccination against COVID-19 in order to be considered for any in-office or hybrid positions.  All IRC US offices require full vaccination to attend any in-office functions (e.g., meetings, trainings).

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity: IRC is committed to building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity.  We strongly encourage applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they can contribute to this goal. 

Equal Opportunity Employer: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

US Benefits: We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits.  In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days depending on role and tenure, medical insurance starting at $120 per month, dental starting at $7 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with immediately vested matching, disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles. 

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