THE OPPORTUNITY For nearly 25 years, Citizen Schools has been a pioneer in educational equity. Since opportunity, unlike talent, is not equally distributed, we have provided hands-on learning experiences that ignite curiosity, build confidence and expand horizons for over 50,000 underrepresented middle school students. Together with our partners, including 25,000 career mentors, we have exposed students to ideas and connections, helping them access even better opportunities than previous generations.

Today, we engage underserved students in hands-on learning, in school and after school. Our students are creators and problem-solvers, not just consumers. They become scientists, artists, mathematicians, engineers, writers, and programmers. We also apply best practices from our direct service work to systems-level advancement of STEM mentorship and learning by working with communities. 

Together we are transforming education in school, after school, and across communities.

THE ROLE

Citizen Schools seeks a talented, enthusiastic, and diverse cohort of educators to serve as part-time Teaching Associates for the 2020-2021 academic year. 

As a Teaching Associate, you will work in a school within a Bay Area (Oakland, Alum Rock, or Redwood City) school district, serving as a substitute in a classroom when needed or adding capacity in a particular classroom working with students with special needs. 

TAs work approximately 15-25 hours per week. Schedules vary by campus, but TAS SUPPORTING OUR IN-PERSON LEARNING CARE PODS WILL WORK MONDAY, TUESDAY, THURSDAY, AND FRIDAY during the COVID-19 pandemic flexibility to support throughout the school day is desired. TAs need to be available between 8:00a m -1:00 pm, with additional hours on Fridays for meetings and professional development. 

As our Teaching Associate, you will play a critical role in Citizen Schools' effort to engage, build confidence and inspire curiosity in our students. You will be an ideal candidate for this position if you are an innovator, enjoy working and challenging young minds creatively. 

This is a part-time position reporting to the Campus Director at Renaissance Academy at Fischer. This role is based in San Jose, Alum Rock School District. This position is a part of the Extended Learning Time (ELT) team. 

Serving as a member of the Citizen Schools team means working in a fast-paced environment that values learning and an entrepreneurial approach. Knowing its importance to the success of our work, Citizen Schools is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we aspire to build a diverse team across our network. Please be sure to submit your resume and a thoughtful cover letter that explains your interest in the role and our organization. We appreciate your time and will review and respond to all applications received. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Partner with volunteers to facilitate and assist with four high-quality apprenticeships per semester 

• Inspire students to set and achieve ambitious academic and personal goals 

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with families, colleagues, partner organizations, and school staff and administration to support student growth and hold students to consistently high expectations 

• Participate in Citizen Schools' system of student incentives, recognition, and consequences

• Create opportunities for students that strengthen the connection between academic success, college, and career. 

• Maintain accurate class records and support student placement process

• Maintain accurate campus information including contact information, campus calendars, campus schedules

• Collect and track student data in order to make decisions for individual students and the program 

• Create and reinforce a culture of achievement and the idea that hard work + opportunity = success 

• Build and leverage relationships with students, families, volunteers, peers, and the school community 

• Plan and manage logistics for events both on- and off-campus

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

There are innumerable ways to learn, grow and excel professionally. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. We want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work. This said, we are most likely to be interested in your candidacy if you can demonstrate the majority of the qualifications and experiences listed below:

• +2 years experience working with youth, middle school youth 

• Knowledge of and commitment to the Citizen Schools' mission

• Coaching skills and ability to provide and receive constructive feedback 

• Commitment to teamwork and collaboration with diverse groups of people 

• Ability to build relationships and influence students, colleagues, and community members 

• Strong oral and written communication skills

• Strong detail orientation, time management, and organization skills 

• Spanish skills a plus

• Strong team orientation and ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people

• Proactive attitude, out of the box thinking, and ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment 

• Desire and excitement to model Citizen Schools' core values: Confidence, Curiosity, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Perseverance and Teamwork

• The fundamental belief that all students can achieve academic and professional success

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Salary will be competitive with similar roles at non-profit organizations of comparable size, and you will also receive a robust benefits package. We offer medical and dental insurance, 403(b) retirement plan with a match, paid vacation, professional development stipend, and more.

ABOUT CITIZEN SCHOOLS

Citizen Schools helps all students to thrive in school and beyond through hands-on learning and career mentors. Our vision is all students have experiences and career mentors that ignite curiosity, build confidence, and help them develop into the next generation of leaders. Together we are transforming education in school, after school, and across communities.

To learn more about our work, please visit www.citizenschools.org. 

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Citizen Schools is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, cultural heritage, ancestry, political belief, age, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability or veteran status. Citizen Schools is compliant with the American with Disabilities Act and we are committed to making special accommodations for your interview or work as a member of our team. If specific accommodations are needed, please contact us and we will work to accommodate your needs.