This vacancy is the result of temporary funding through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER). The duration of the funding means the position is temporary and may last for one, two, or three years. Hired candidates may be excessed or non-renewed from the position for the following school year. 

REPORTS TO: Health Education Director (Cheryl Todisco)

ACADEMIC/NON-ACADEMIC: Academic 

POSITION OVERVIEW:

The Health Education Teacher is a two-year position supported by ESSER funds. 

The Health Education teacher resides in the Office of Health and Wellness within the Division of Academics of the Boston Public Schools, reporting to the Health Education Director. The Health Education teacher is responsible for teaching comprehensive standards and skills-based Health Education (HE) within BPS middle grades to advance student health, wellness, and health literacy. 

The HE teacher will directly implement high-quality district-approved comprehensive health education curriculum. The HE teacher will provide instructional practices that establish high expectations, create a safe, welcoming  and sustaining  learning environment, and demonstrate a collaborative approach to teaching and learning through antiracist practices in alignment with the mission of the Boston Public Schools.   

Supporting targeted schools, the HE teacher will deliver direct HE instruction to students in up to four middle schools on a rotating schedule.  The Health Education teacher will have a thorough knowledge of instructional pedagogy and the Whole School, Whole Community and Whole Child (WSCC) model.

Supporting targeted schools, the HE teacher will deliver direct high quality, skills and standards-based HE instruction that is medically-accurate, age and developmentally appropriate, and culturally and linguistically sustaining to students in up to four middle schools on a rotating schedule.  By leveraging evidenced-based curriculum, the HE teacher will scaffold instructional materials, integrate varied assessment methods  and incorporate trauma-sensitive practices to meet the diverse needs of all BPS students in the middle grades.. The Health Education teacher will have a thorough knowledge of instructional pedagogy and the Whole School, Whole Community and Whole Child (WSCC) model.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

CORE COMPETENCIES: Using the Rubric of Effective Teaching, the Office of Human Capital has identified priority skills and abilities that all BPS teachers should possess:

• Accountability for Student Achievement

(II-A-1. Quality of Effort and Work, II-D-2. High Expectations, I-B-2. Adjustments to Practice)

• Sets ambitious learning goals for all students, creates cognitively demanding tasks, and models the belief that that all students can master challenging material through e?ective e?ort
• Assesses students’ understanding regularly with ambitious learning goals in mind and takes ownership of making necessary adjustments to instruction to reach goals despite setbacks
• Passionate and optimistic about their students, their content, and the teaching profession

• Communicating Content Knowledge

(I-A-1.  Subject  Matter  Knowledge,  I-A-4.  Well-Structured Lessons)

• Demonstrates mastery of and enthusiasm for content area and the pedagogy it requires
• Demonstrates understanding for how the subject matter applies in real-world settings and connects to other content areas and relevant standards
• Can convey content in creative and engaging ways that align to standards

• Equitable & Effective Instruction

(II-A-3. Meeting Diverse Needs, II-A-2. Student Engagement, II-B-1. Safe Learning   Environment)

• Scaffolds and differentiates instruction in order for all students to do complex thinking and rigorous academic work
• Uses instructional practices that are likely to challenge, motivate, and engage all students and facilitate equitable, active student  participation
• Builds a productive learning environment where every student participates and is valued as part of the class community

• Cultural Proficiency

(II-C-1. Respects Differences, II-C-2. Maintains Respectful  Environment)

• Actively creates and maintains an environment in which students’ diverse backgrounds, identities, strengths, and challenges are respected

• Parent/Family Engagement

(III-A-1.  Parent/Family Engagement)

• Engages with families and builds collaborative, respectful relationships with them in service of student learning

• Professional Reflection & Collaboration

(IV-A-1.  Reflective  Practice,  IV-C-1.  Professional Collaboration)

• Regularly reflects on practice, seeks and responds to feedback, and demonstrates self- awareness and commitment to continuous learning and development
• Seeks to participate in and contribute to a collaborative adult learning community.

• Work regularly with the HE Director and Instructional Coaches to improve teaching pedagogy
• Provide feedback to OHW for continuous adaptation and improvement of curriculum.

• Maintain a shared school database of curriculum implementation;
• Continuously improve professional knowledge and practice through self-guided inquiry and participation in professional development activities, and stay current with best practices and research.

QUALIFICATIONS - REQUIRED:

• Bachelor's degree in Education and classroom teaching experience 
• Coursework in science and health
• MASS DESE Licensure in Health/Family and Consumer Science 
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and adapt to the needs of schools 
• Values collaborative work environments and enjoys completing task with fellow team members
• An understanding of the principles of equity at multiple levels (e.g., racial, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, health, ability) and the need for antiracist policies and practices in research and evaluation.
• An understanding of and commitment to gain greater understanding of what is necessary for an urban school system to enjoy continuous improvement in an increasingly complex and competitive environment. 
• A deeply held and unyielding belief in the overarching mission of public education.

QUALIFICATIONS - PREFERRED:

• Masters Degree in Health Education
• Experience supporting comprehensive Health Education in an urban school setting 
• Familiarity with Boston and Boston Public Schools 
• BPS values linguistic diversity and believes that candidates who speak another language bring added value to the classroom, school, and district culture and diversity. BPS is particularly interested in candidates who are fluent in one of BPS' official languages:Spanish, Creole (Cape Verdean), Creole (Haitian), Chinese, Vietnamese, Portuguese, & Somali.