Position: English Language Arts Teacher, Grade 7

Putnam Avenue Upper School

The Opportunity:

Putnam Avenue Upper School is an innovative public middle school in the Cambridge Public School District. We are looking for a dynamic, committed educator with strong content and pedagogical knowledge, solid classroom management skills, a deep commitment to social justice and anti-racism and experience working in an urban school setting.

The 7th grade English Language Arts teacher at the Putnam Avenue Upper School will teach 4 sections of English Language Arts from a standards based, rigorous curriculum that centers diverse, high-quality authentic texts from multiple genres, cultures, and time periods. In addition to all responsibilities of teaching ELA, the PAUS Grade 7 English Language Arts teacher should positively contribute to the PAUS community and CPS ELA Department by actively engaging in meetings (ie: ELA department meetings, grade level team meetings), forming relationships, regularly communicating with caregivers, and performing other duties as requested.

The Grade 7 English Language Arts teacher reports to the Head of the Upper School and works closely with the Grade 7 teaching team and school and district ELA/Literacy Instructional Coaches and Department.

Key Responsibilities:

• Plan and execute effective ELA lessons.
• Assess students regularly, and refine and differentiate classroom instruction based on assessment data and student needs.
• Establish a culture of high expectations and cultivate a strong, caring, respectful classroom community that enables all students to thrive.
• Establish and integrate social emotional learning into the classroom and work to foster a safe, caring, and active learning community.
• Collaborate with all team members, including but not limited to, special educators, instructional coaches, paraprofessionals, interventionists, and other school and district staff.
• Regularly communicate with families and caregivers as active partners in students’ learning and development.
• Continuously engage in ongoing learning and reflection related to culturally responsive pedagogy and literacy best practices.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Your Skill Set:

As the incoming ELA Teacher, you will possess many, though perhaps not all, of the following characteristics and qualifications:

• An unwavering belief in all students along with a strong desire to learn, grow and improve, alongside a strong work ethic
• English Language Arts teaching experience with a proven track record of high achievement in the classroom.
• Strong classroom management skills.
• Strong knowledge of Common Core/MA Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, alongside the ability to establish and maintain effective and collaborative working relationships with a diverse staff and student body.
• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree strongly preferred.
• Massachusetts Teacher Certification in English Language Arts grades 6-8 required.

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, experience, and commitment to equity in education meet the qualifications of the position as well as 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.