POSITION: Bilingual Educators & Accelerated Community to Teacher (BE/ACTT) 2024 Cohort member

REPORTS TO:  Senior Director of BPS Teacher Pipeline Programs

Position Number: N/A

Grade: N/A

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW:

Founded in 1647, Boston Public Schools (BPS) is the oldest public school district in the country. As the birthplace of America’s public education system, BPS has a long, rich tradition and commitment to education. We are a leader in urban education. BPS has been recognized nationally for programs and initiatives such as universal preschool, early childhood education, equitable school-based funding formula, and policy specifically focused on creating greater racial equity to name a few. Boston Public Schools is committed to transforming the lives of all children through exemplary teaching in a world-class system of innovative, welcoming schools. We partner with the community, families, and students to develop in every learner the knowledge, skill, and character to excel in college, career, and life. 

DIVISION/OFFICE OVERVIEW: 

Boston Public Schools Division of Equity, Strategy and Opportunity Gaps (ESOG) comprises four different offices (Equity; Opportunity Gaps; Recruitment, Cultivation and Diversity; and, Strategy and Innovation). The Office of Recruitment, Cultivation & Diversity Programs (RCD) combines talent acquisition and cultivation, pipeline development, and diversity programs to better support candidates and employees from recruitment throughout their careers. RCD is committed to recruiting, hiring, developing, and retaining a racially, ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse group of highly effective and culturally proficient teachers and staff members every year.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW:

This application for the BPS Bilingual Educators/Accelerated Community to Teacher (BE/ACTT) Program is a part of an overarching strategy to increase the diversity of exemplary educators in the district’s teacher pipeline. BE/ACTT is an intensive 12-month program designed to prepare racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse Boston residents OR BPS paraprofessionals, and substitutes who hold a bachelor’s degree. Candidates are prepared in decolonizing and culturally and linguistically sustaining pedagogies to promote racial literacy and educational equity. 

Candidates will gain knowledge and experience working with children in a classroom setting to become BPS teachers with a provisional license in a single content area, including: Bilingual Education, Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, or Secondary Mathematics, Science, English, History, or Humanities. Candidates receive MTEL prep support and SEI/RETELL course at no-cost. Working in a cohort, participants will develop their teaching practice mentored by highly-skilled BPS teachers and community partners through a rigorous, interactive, and hands-on experience.  Participants will prepare a competency-based portfolio in the BE/ACTT pre-practicum. Upon completion of the program, participants are eligible to apply for the Boston Public Schools Teaching Fellowship (BPSTF), a 12-month practicum for first-year teachers to  develop strong instructional practices in actual Boston classrooms, with personalized training and expert coaches to guide them along the way. BPSTF is the only DESE-approved district-based program for initial licenses in  Elementary/ESL, Elementary/Moderate Disabilities, Secondary ESL or Secondary Moderate Disabilities, and Bilingual Endorsement with Special Education Certification.

Note: this is an accelerated program to license and prepare high qualified candidates. Candidates must have a growth mindset, highly organized and responsive to electronic communications, and demonstrate high standards for personal and professional development.

Who is Eligible?

• Applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree by June of 2023
• Applicants must demonstrate a passion for teaching in K0-12 settings
• The program does not currently support candidates seeking only Special Education or ESL licensure
• Applicants must reside in Greater Boston 
• (Priority to Boston residents and BPS employees - BPS paraprofessionals or substitute teachers are highly encouraged to apply)
• Applicants must pass a background check via fingerprinting, Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI), and Sex Offender Registry Information (SORI)
• Applicants must demonstrate significant commitment to working with students in an urban setting
• Applicants must be able to fulfill all components of this intensive year-long program (see dates below)
• Applicants who reflect the racial, cultural and linguistic backgrounds of our students are encouraged to apply
• Applicants who wish to be in the Bilingual Educators (BE ACTT) strand must demonstrate written and speaking proficiency in a language other than English. 

Important Selection Process:

• First round of applications due by Wednesday, March 1, 2023 - candidates’ application and supporting documents (letters of recommendation and transcripts) will be scored as they are received by the BPS Teacher Pipeline Programs and MTEL Prep Support Teams. 
• Cohort Selection Announcement: No later than Monday, May 1, 2023             

Course Obligations:

• Attend BE/ACTT Program Orientation
• Attend MTEL Prep courses, beginning in July 2023. Dates TBD based on cohort needs
• (MTEL preparation support will be available during the summer of 2023 and on weekday evenings during the school year for cohort members requiring additional support)
• Must take and pass all appropriate MTELs to complete certification 
• Pre-Practicum Course Schedule: 2-3 Saturdays per month from 9:00am to 3:00pm and 4 weeknights per month, October 2023 - June 2024
• Required attendance at all BE/ACTT sessions and related program events
• Required 10-12 hour Teacher Moments observations to be completed between October 2023 - May 2024
• Ongoing development and completion of a teaching portfolio
• Participants must hold a preliminary licensure in their subject area by July 1, 2024.

How to Apply?

A complete application on TalentEd is due by 11:59pm on: March 1, 2023

A complete TalentEd online application includes the following:

1. Resume
2. An official or unofficial undergraduate transcript* showing courses taken in the content area (if applicable) and grades/GPA
3. Short written responses that are clear, concise, and free from grammatical and/or spelling errors
4. Three professional/educational references (Please use this recommendation form).

PLEASE NOTE: 

Email the selection committee at the following email address if you have any questions: diversity-ACTT@bostonpublicschools.org.

Please be prepared to answer the following 5-6 short answer questions using the online application.

Questions for all applicants:

1. Why do you want to teach in the Boston Public Schools? (200 words maximum) 
2. What subject area and grade level do you want to teach? Please specify one of the following: Bilingual Education (PreK-6), Early Childhood (PreK-2), Elementary Education (1-6), Secondary Science, Secondary Math, Secondary ELA/Humanities. 
3. How do your educational background and/or professional experiences inform your decision to teach your subject area? (200 words maximum) 
4. What 2-3 areas do you want to grow as a teacher for which you are seeking support through BE/ACTT? (200 words maximum)
5. Teaching in a diverse, urban school district such as Boston’s requires an awareness of the dynamics of power, privilege, and systemic racism. What experiences have shaped your awareness of these dynamics and inequities? (200 words maximum)

Additional question for applicants seeking to become bilingual teachers: 

Why do you want to work as a bilingual educator and what is your pedagogical approach to supporting access, equity, and high-quality achievement for all multilingual learners? (200 words maximum)