Visual Arts Teacher, CSUS

Position: Visual Arts Teacher

Cambridge Street Upper School/Visual & Performing Arts Department

Overview of Cambridge Public Schools:

Cambridge Public Schools, in partnership with our families and community, will provide all students with rigorous, joyful, and culturally responsive learning as well as the social, emotional, and academic supports each student needs to achieve their goals and postsecondary success as engaged community members. CPS students and staff, as members of a learning organization engaged in continuous improvement, will demonstrate a growth mindset and embrace risk taking and innovation.

About 7,000 students choose Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) each year, and our diverse student enrollment continues to rise. Over 30% of CPS students speak a language other than English at home, and over 65 languages are spoken by our families. Among the most common are Spanish, Haitian Creole, Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, and Portuguese. Our schools proudly embrace this diversity.

The structure of our school system supports the developmental growth of students over time. Twelve cozy elementary schools feed into five "Upper School" programs, bringing together enough students to allow for greater choice and differentiation without sacrificing the safe feeling of a relatively small environment. The Upper Schools then feed into one high school, the eclectic and innovative Cambridge Rindge and Latin School.

The Cambridge Upper School Community:

Our Vision: Academic Excellence and Social Justice for ALL scholars.

Our Mission: Challenge the Opportunity Gap

The Cambridge Street Upper School (CSUS) was founded in 2012 as a middle school serving grades 6-8 and is one of four middle schools and one K-8 Spanish bilingual school in the Cambridge Public School's Upper School Network. Current enrollment is 287. Our sender schools are Cambridgeport School, Fletcher-Maynard Academy and the King Open School. CSUS endeavors to develop and sustain a vibrant and high functioning teaching and learning community that values social justice, affirms cultural identity, and promotes academic excellence for all. CSUS actively aspires to become a culturally proficient school that reflects equity and inclusion and affirms the rich cultural and racial diversity of our student body and their families. We are committed to challenging the opportunity gap and providing academic excellence for all.

Key Responsibilities:

• Teach visual arts classes to grades 6-8
• Teach students in general education, inclusion classrooms, and substantially separate classrooms
• Implement a rigorous and balanced standards-based art curriculum
• Implement a curriculum that includes drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics, 2D, 3D and printmaking. Must be proficient in multiple modalities.
• Demonstrate artistic skill using a wide variety of 2D and 3D media
• Differentiate instruction to meet the needs of diverse learners
• Demonstrate flexibility and compassion, while maintaining high expectations for student achievement
• Demonstrate strong classroom management skills
• Employ instructional methods that motivate students to continue to pursue study in the visual arts community
• Collaborate with school faculty to develop interdisciplinary curriculum and work with challenging students
• Organize and participate in exhibitions of student work on and off campus, including an on campus annual art show
• Contribute to departmental and school wide curriculum projects and other initiatives
• Steward the careful use of supplies, equipment, and teaching resources

Your Skill Set:

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

• You have 2+ years' experience leading visual arts instruction in an urban, multicultural setting in 6-8.
• You are a culturally responsive educator with a strong sense for social justice and equity.
• You possess a high degree of comfort working with colleagues to build and refine engaging, standards based learning experiences that are responsive to the needs and interests of the communities you serve.
• You bring a collaborative disposition, eager to partner with classroom teachers, VPA staff, and other team members in the district on behalf of our students and families.
• You possess excellent classroom management skills and use appropriate authentic assessment strategies to monitor student progress.
• You are able to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of diverse learners and adjust practice to meet the needs of all students.
• You possess strong organizational skills, setting up structures that allow you to manage your own work effectively and position colleagues for success.
• Bachelor's degree required, Master's degree preferred.
• Massachusetts Licensure for Art pk-8 or 5-12 required.

How to Join Our Team:

Please upload a resume and thoughtful cover letter, outlining how your skills, experience, and commitment to equity in education help you 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.