Job Description:
NEW MILFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Position Information
- Job Title: Talented & Gifted (TAG) Teacher
- Location: Sarah Noble Intermediate School & Schaghticoke Middle School (Grades 3-8)
- Reports To: Assistant Superintendent
- Employment Type: Full Time | 186 Days | FLSA Exempt
- Bargaining Unit: CEA-New Milford
- Salary: Teachers salary schedule per collective bargaining agreement
Position Summary The Talented and Gifted (TAG) Teacher ensures students identified as Talented and Gifted receive appropriate academic rigor, depth, and social-emotional support across grades 3-8. The position provides specialized instruction, coordinates TAG testing and identification, facilitates enrichment opportunities, and supports classroom teachers with differentiation and higher-level thinking.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
Identification & Program Coordination
- Coordinate district TAG testing, screening, and identification with administrators and teachers.
- Analyze standardized test scores, screeners, cognitive assessments, and student work to support equitable identification.
- Coordinate enrichment opportunities during and after school.
- Maintain program records, student rosters, testing schedules, and compliance files.
Direct Instruction & Advanced Learning
- Provide direct, individualized, and enriching instruction to identified students in grades 3-8.
- Design interdisciplinary units, pull-out seminars, and push-in learning focused on higher-order thinking, creative problem-solving, and critical analysis.
- Integrate educational technology to support research, creative projects, and presentations.
- Provide guidance and social-emotional support related to perfectionism, asynchronous development, and peer dynamics.
Classroom Teacher Consultation
- Serve as a resource for classroom teachers by providing materials, instructional methods, and differentiation strategies for gifted students.
- Support higher-level thinking and problem-solving instruction.
- Assist with curriculum compacting, tiering, and accelerating content.
Collaboration & Communication
- Communicate regularly with TAG students, parents/guardians, teachers, administrators, and community stakeholders.
- Organize showcases, academic competitions, and exhibitions highlighting student research and accomplishments.
- Participate in district/building teams (e.g., SRBI/MTSS, 504, PPT) as a resource for twice-exceptional (2e) students.
Professional Conduct & Compliance
- Maintain strict confidentiality of student records and testing data in compliance with FERPA.
- Comply with state regulations, district safety procedures, and Connecticut mandatory child abuse and neglect reporting laws (C.G.S. § 17a-101).
- Perform other TAG-related duties as assigned by the Assistant Superintendent.
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities
- Strong knowledge of gifted education and the developmental/social-emotional needs of gifted learners.
- Ability to individualize instruction using specialized techniques, curriculum compacting, project-based learning, and depth/complexity frameworks.
- Excellent collaboration, interpersonal, and multi-site organizational skills to manage logistics, testing schedules, and events.
Minimum Qualifications & Requirements
- Education: Bachelors degree from an accredited institution required; Masters degree in Gifted Education, Curriculum & Instruction, or related field preferred.
- Experience: Minimum of five (5) years of successful classroom teaching experience required; TAG experience strongly preferred.
- Certification: Current Connecticut Teaching Certification covering grades 3-8 (e.g., Endorsement #001, #006, #013, or equivalent; Gifted/Talented endorsement preferred).
- Clearances: Successful completion of CT DCF background check and state/national criminal record check prior to employment.
Equal Opportunity & Accommodation Statement
New Milford Public Schools is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Connecticut state law, New Milford Public Schools provides reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship.