Middle School Teacher - Special Education

Committed to changing the game for students in Northwest Queens, we are in search of a Middle School teacher beginning August 2024 who strives for excellence even when the path of least resistance seems easier. A leader who is passionate about building community and is also committed to the persistence and stamina it requires to do the work. A person who does not shy away from giving critical feedback and can navigate with ease different styles of communication and the various constituents in a school community. Open to feedback, and eager to improve, this individual’s primary goal is to provide students with choices at the next level in a learning environment that is simultaneously challenging, stimulating, and fun.

Who We Are:

Forte Prep is a 5th through 8th-grade college preparatory, tuition-free public charter school for Queens, New York, with a focus on serving the Jackson Heights, East Elmhurst, and Corona communities. We will educate 360 students in the   School Year. Our mission is: Through rigorous academics, quality instruction, and a positive culture of individual and collective responsibility, Forte Preparatory Academy Charter School equips all students in grades 5 through 8 to excel in college preparatory high schools and use their leadership and voice to change the world.

Our students have outperformed Community School District 24, 30, Queens County, New York City, and New York State on the ELA and Math State exams in each of our first two years of operation. Our students were predicted to dramatically underperform their peers in both exams before they set foot in our school. We doubled proficiency rates in reading and nearly tripled them in math, and look forward to continuing to build from there. We are on our way to becoming a school that is well-known and well-respected in Queens. We do this work so that these students can beat the odds stacked against them and change those odds forever.

Our commitments are as follows:

We are committed to preparation for high school, college and beyond. Literacy and math are at the heart of a world-class education, open doors to college and lives of opportunity, and therefore underpin everything that we do.

We are committed to unlocking potential in every student. We focus on creative and digital enrichment, remediation, and individualization based on data.

We are committed to excellent teaching and learning. High-quality teachers are critical to creating and sustaining a culture of excellence and building academic success for every student, in every class, every day.

We are committed to diversity. Located in the most diverse borough (Queens) in its most diverse neighborhoods (Elmhurst/Jackson Heights/Corona), Forte Prep seeks to reflect and honor the diversity of our community within the walls of our school.

We are committed to an intentional school culture. This means fostering consistency in academic and behavioral expectations; Collaborating with school staff to support students’ academic and socio-emotional development; Ensuring that everything we do that supports a student's success beyond high school are built and maintained, grade by grade, year to year, and; Supporting staff to ensure the smooth administration and effectiveness of all enrichment programs.

We are committed to parents/families. We will communicate regularly with families, ensuring they are kept involved with and held accountable for their children’s performance, and correspond about school policies, trips, and events; and respond to family concerns promptly and effectively.

This is where you come in. 

• Plan and execute high-quality classroom lessons for math.
• Support the emotional and behavioral development of all students.
• Work collaboratively with other general education teachers and engage in co-planning.

• Teaching experience in urban communities preferred.
• NY Certification to teach math preferred.
• Demonstrated quantifiable and objective student performance gains that surpass state or local averages.
• Ability to work with a variety of learning abilities, including those with special needs and low skill level in a heterogeneously grouped classroom setting.
• Ability to communicate effectively with parents and community members.
• Bachelor's degree in education or mathematics.
• Highly Qualified as defined by No Child Left Behind.