SY 26-27 High School Reading Interventionist

MESA Links is a growing network of high-performing charter schools serving the diverse communities of Brooklyn. Our flagship campus, Math, Engineering, and Science Academy (MESA) Charter High School, opened its doors in Bushwick in August 2013 and now serves 500 students in grades 9–12. Since graduating our first class of seniors in 2017, MESA Bushwick has maintained a 94% cumulative graduation rate, reflecting our students' strong commitment to academic success.

Building on the success of our flagship school, MESA Links is expanding to meet the growing demand for high-quality education in Brooklyn and is projected to double in size over the next 5 years:

• MESA South Brooklyn launched this year with its inaugural 9th grade class of 130 students, offering a rigorous college-preparatory program that mirrors the excellence of our flagship campus.
• MESA East New York currently serves 50 students in 7th and 8th grades and will launch its high school campus in SY 26-27 with 140 students.

Across our 3 campuses, we are seeking a driven, skilled Reading Intervention Teacher who is deeply committed to helping high schoolers below grade-level reach their literacy potential. Candidates with prior elementary or middle school experience (Wilson® training preferred) are encouraged to apply. The ideal candidate is trained in teaching reading, adaptive in their approach, and brings a positive, solutions-oriented mindset to hard work. Above all, this educator is relentless in the pursuit of ensuring every student develops the literacy skills and confidence to become a successful reader.

What makes us different is our staff. MESA teachers believe…

• that the greatest contribution we can make to social justice is to give a young person control of their destiny
• committed people, when given autonomy, will find innovative and creative ways to make change
• that being a great educator takes intellectual preparation and a strong sense of personal accountability to produce high quality work.

What makes us different is our model:

• Intentional Grading—MESA uses a standards-based grading system, which makes data understandable and accessible. This enables teachers to create targeted, focused instruction, and helps students understand and track their own progress. MESA teachers love data or at the very least, aren’t afraid of it!
• Intentional Support—MESA teachers have a minimum of rote administrative duties in order to better focus on planning and instruction. Teachers receive ongoing coaching while dedicated time for co-teaching, department and grade team planning are built into the school schedule.
• Intentional Professional Development—MESA has a comprehensive professional development calendar that includes sessions on instructional practices, school culture as well as diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
• Intentional School Culture—MESA’s advisory model connects small groups of entering freshmen with a teacher-advisor for all 4 years of high school. Advisors provide guidance on academic progress and are mentors, facilitators and positive influencers. Students are recognized by their teachers regularly for academic achievement and effort and are incentivized to meet school expectations around attendance, punctuality and preparedness.
• Intentional Relationships—MESA knows that all caregivers want their children to succeed. MESA enlists families as partners in their child’s education through regular communication, workshops, and access to student attendance information and grades. More than 85% of MESA caregivers attend the initial parent-teacher conference of the school year.
• Intentional Scheduling—MESA’s school day starts and ends later than most DOE schools, as research indicates that a late start helps high-school students succeed. The calendar and earlier start allows for “Intersession,” during Spring Break where students receive enrichment, skill remediation, or Regents preparation.

Job Responsibilities

• Build strong, trusting relationships with all students, but especially with struggling readers. MESA teachers believe that strong rapport is key to student engagement and motivation.
• Design and deliver targeted small-group instruction and Wilson instruction based on student needs (including decoding, fluency, and comprehension)
• Apply the principles of the science of reading to all instructional planning and delivery
• Analyze assessment data to form reading groups and develop instructional schedules
• Administer ongoing assessments to monitor student progress and adjust instruction accordingly
• Collaborate with classroom teachers across departments to support literacy instruction and student success in mainstream settings
• Collaborate with SST team to ensure alignment and coherence across departments and courses
• Attend and participate in team meetings and professional development opportunities. MESA believes that good professional development is interactive, practical, and teacher-driven.
• Communicate regularly with caregivers about both positive and negative interactions with students, making a minimum of two positive contacts (phone, email, or text message) with families per week.
• Hold office hours before or after school once per week, to provide extra help and opportunities for reassessment.
• Optional opportunity to teach one week of an Intersession enrichment program based on teacher interest (additional stipend provided).
• Maintain duties as Advisor.
• Other duties, as assigned by the Principal.

Qualifications: (1) Experience with Wilson Reading Systems (Fundations, Just Words, WRS) or Orton-Gillingham preferred (2) Minimum Bachelor’s degree in subject area to be taught, Master’s Degree preferred; (3) Preferred minimum of three years teaching experience in an urban public or charter school setting, or similar background; (4) Proven track-record of high achievement in the classroom and commitment to accountability; (5) Belief in and alignment with MESA’s core values, educational philosophy and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion; (6) Valid New York State Certification strongly preferred; (7)Spanish, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Russian, Arabic speakers are a strong plus.

Salary: $60,000 - $100,000, based on experience.

To apply: Please email your resume and cover letter to Arthur Samuels, Co-Executive Director, at hiring@mesacharter.org with the subject heading “26-27 High School High School Reading Interventionist.” Cover letter should specifically indicate why you want to work at MESA. APPLY BY EMAIL ONLY. Due to the nature of the position and the volume of applications received, MESA will not be able to reply to all submissions. MESA will contact candidates with next steps.

MESA is committed to attracting, hiring and retaining a diverse and inclusive staff. It is MESA’s policy to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, national origin, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, genetic information, citizenship status, uniformed service member or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.