Middle School Special Education Teacher (24-25 SY) - Freire Schools
Philadelphia, PA
About the Job
About Freire Schools
Established in 1999, Freire Schools (www.freireschools.org) is a network of four charter schools across Philadelphia and Delaware whose mission is to prepare students from historically underserved communities for success in college and beyond. We're distinguished by our belief in every student who walks through our doors, our strong code of conduct and commitment to peace that ensures a safe environment for all, our sense of family throughout our community, and our joyous and engaged classrooms that focus on academic achievement. As evidence of our impact, in 2023 Stanford's Center for Research on Education Outcomes ranked Freire Schools in the top 15 in the country for academic gains out of 368 charter networks nationwide.
About the team
For this 7/8th Grade Middle School Special Education Teacher position, you'll be working for our middle school in center city Philadelphia called Freire Charter Middle School (5th-8th Grade): Freire Schools' youngest Dragons are preparing for college and changing what it means to be in middle school. Our students arrive at Freire Middle School at a range of achievement levels. Here, they don't just catch up – they make leaps in personal and academic growth, setting them up for even greater success in high school. In 2022, following a longitudinal study on student outcomes commissioned by the Philadelphia School Partnership, Freire Middle School has been identified as one of 36 Philadelphia public and public charter (K-8) schools "Beating the Odds" in academic growth.
What you'll do
As a member of Freire's special education team, you'll ensure that all of the students on your caseload have access to high-quality instruction and support. This is a position serves 7th and 8th Grade students in a science co-taught classroom.
Responsibilities
- Co-teach and collaborate with general education teachers to create and maintain a classroom culture of critical thinking, learning, respect, and high achievement for all students.
- Familiarize yourself with IEPs and specially designed instructional/behavioral accommodations for the students on your caseload.
- Leverage content specific curriculum and create learning materials to promote critical thinking and problem solving.
- Establish consistent communication rhythms with families regarding individual student progress and school related information.
- Actively participate in professional development and collaboration with staff to support the needs of our students.
Who you are
You possess an unwavering belief that our students are capable of success, and you both exude and cultivate our values of equity, love, critical thinking, and diversity.
We're looking for someone who meets the minimum requirements to be considered for the role. If you meet these requirements, you are encouraged to apply. The preferred qualifications are a bonus, not a requirement.
Minimum requirements
- Bachelor's Degree or higher
- Valid state teaching certification or the ability and willingness to obtain certification.
- Strong content knowledge
- Positive attitude, sense of humor, and willingness to do whatever it takes to get a job done
- At least 2 years of previous successful experience working with diverse student populations.
Pay and benefits
*Effective for the 2024-2025 school year, salaries for certified teachers entering their first year of teaching start at $60,000. Freire Schools also offers a top-tier benefits package, a strong commitment to developing all staff as professionals, and the opportunity to work with the best students in Philadelphia.
The annual salary range for this role is $50,000 - $85,000. We offer a competitive salary based on your experience and qualifications. Our benefits package includes health, dental, vision, and more. Pennsylvania employees are enrolled in Freire's 403(b) retirement plan which includes a 5% contribution from Freire.
Freire Schools is committed to maintaining a workplace environment that is free from all forms of discrimination and discriminatory harassment, in service of the policy goal to provide all persons equal access to all categories of employment regardless of a person's actual or perceived race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender (including gender identity and expression), age, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, ethnic background, marital status, pregnancy or related conditions, disability, veteran/military status, or any other category protected by state or federal law.
