Science Teaching Position
Oak Hill Academy

The See Forever Foundation is recruiting a science teacher to complete staffing for the Oak Hill Academy in Laurel, MD. The school is within Oak Hill, the District's long-term secure detention facility for youth who have been adjudicated delinquent. We are looking for a teacher with a record of excellence in teaching, an unrelenting belief that all students can achieve, and an understanding of how to use data to improve student achievement.

About See Forever
See Forever opened in 1997, with the goal of creating a small, nurturing high school for students who had not succeeded in traditional schools.  We currently run three campuses under the Maya Angelou Public Charter School name.  One secondary campus is located in the historic Shaw district at 9th and T Streets NW, and the second one is at 57th and East Capitol Streets NE.  The third campus, a new middle school, is also located at 57th and East Capitol Streets, NE.

We assumed operation of the Oak Hill Academy in Laurel, MD during the summer of 2007, and we recently opened an affiliated Transition Center in Washington, D.C.  All students leaving Oak Hill will attend school in the Transition Center for up to three months.  Approximately 90 students will attend the Oak Hill School, and 30 will attend the Transition Center.

Nearly all of the students are years behind grade level academically, many have special needs, and most have experienced significant trauma at some point in their lives.  At the Oak Hill School and the Transition Center, we aim to provide these students with the best education they have ever had.

Our school approach and design have worked where others have failed. Over 80% of our graduates have gone on to postsecondary school after graduating from Maya Angelou, even though many had quit or been put out of school before coming to us. Nearly three times as many of our graduates are earning bachelor’s degrees than their peers, and overall 10% more of our alumni are staying in school to earn a postsecondary degree. Maya Angelou is recognized as a national model, having created the sort of high-quality school often reserved for the most affluent, but in our case designed specifically for the most disadvantaged and often academically in-need students.

Responsibilities
All teachers will be expected to support the school-wide goals of emphasizing literacy, helping students develop their critical thinking abilities, driving all students toward mastery and understanding, and helping students find their strengths and talents and use them to address weaknesses and overcome fears.

The Position and its Primary Responsibilities will include, but not be limited to:

• Developing and implementing unit plans and assessments that are aligned both with DCPS standards and with the school-wide curricular framework at Oak Hill
• Assessing individual learning styles and adapting teaching methods to fit
• Creating a classroom and school environment that features a rich diversity of resources, engages student interest, promotes student leadership and stimulates student learning
• Having thoughtful approaches to teaching concepts and sparking student interest while also imparting essential factual knowledge
• Managing administrative assignments effectively and with a high level of professionalism and integrity
• Participating in interdisciplinary team meetings for all students, and
• Modeling and contributing to a school culture of hope and high expectations for achievement.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in education or subject field, preferred
• Eligibility for certification in the appropriate content area
• Experience working with incarcerated or at-risk youth, preferred
• Familiarity with research-based instructional strategies
• Highly-qualified as stipulated by NCLB in applicant’s core content area

In addition, teacher candidates should possess an unyielding belief that with the appropriate supports, coupled with high expectations, all students can significantly improve their academic skills, and can develop pro-social and culturally normative behaviors that will enable them to succeed at school and beyond. Candidates should also believe that all students have strengths and talents and that good teachers help students find them and use them to address weaknesses or overcome fears.

Compensation
For teachers who are certified and/or have a master's degree in education, starting salaries with the Oak Hill Academy are comparable to those paid by school districts in the metropolitan area.  We have a robust benefits plan, including health care coverage, a 403(b) savings plan, and a computer purchase assistance plan.

To Apply
If you are interested in applying for this position, send your resume, a cover letter, and contact information for three references by email to OakHillCareers@seeforever.org. The subject line of the email should indicate the position for which you are applying. Resumes, cover letters and references should be in MS Word, and sent by email attachment.

See Forever is an equal opportunity employer. We believe a diverse staff is a better, more effective staff. Persons of color are strongly encouraged to apply.

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