Job Description

Uncommon High School Performing Arts Teachers foster a love for learning in every student. Our Performing Arts program is culturally-responsive, fast-paced, and fun—with plenty of acting, dancing, and singing in every lesson. Teachers cultivate communication skills and build student self-confidence by sharing their expertise in acting and musical theater. We have built a community that encourages respect, hard work, and celebrates our students academic and nonacademic achievements. Our performance based program goal is to train students to express their authentic unique selves with confidence.

Responsibilities

1. Instruction

• You'll create an environment where students feel empowered to express themselves through song, dance, and drama.
• You'll teach enunciation, projection, acting, singing, and movement through our culturally relevant performance based program.
• You'll collaborate with fellow performing arts teachers to further develop a network-wide curriculum.
• You'll teach Uncommon Schools performing arts curriculum which involves music, acting, and movement.
• You'll design, direct, and produce multiple school productions annually which includes communicating with outside vendors and the internal Operations team.

2. Producing

• You'll direct annual productions that enhance and reflect school culture.
• You'll create or order costumes, production sets, and props when needed.
• You'll craft production elements such as lights, sound, and set.

3. School Culture and Daily School Activities

• You’ll support weekly morning circles and community meetings to celebrate student accomplishments and increase school spirit.
• You’ll source artistic material from your unique student populations to inform the development of your performing arts content.
• You’ll build positive relationships with students to ensure they feel seen, loved, and heard.
• You’ll partner with students’ families to ensure appropriate resources are available to support their child's learning needs.
• You'll engage in practice-based professional development, mentorship, and coaching sessions.

Qualifications

• A commitment to the mission of Uncommon Schools and investment in our vision for being an anti-racist organization
• A demonstrated commitment to supporting students’ social emotional and academic development
• A belief in and alignment with Uncommon’s core values and educational philosophy.
• An enthusiasm for collaborating with internal and external partners in the best interest of students
• A self-directed learner who solicits and implements feedback to improve outcomes and achieve objectives
• A passion for musical theatre (singing, acting, and dancing) and an ability to provide individual and small group instruction
• Required Experience:
  • A minimum of 2 years of combined experience as a performer, producer, playwriter, director and/or technical support.
  • Prior to the start of employment, you must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Certification is not required to be hired at Uncommon, but you do need to meet NY state certification eligibility requirements. To meet these requirements, you must enroll in a teacher preparation program and maintain a GPA of 2.75 or higher during your employment with us if you do not have a degree in education. Uncommon Schools teachers are required to become certified in the state of New York within a reasonable period after beginning employment.

Additional Information

Our people are what makes us Uncommon. We believe our compensation philosophy and benefits should reflect our values—equity, transparency, and clarity—to enhance our ability to attract and retain talent and reward their expertise. Our staff receive best-in-class training, coaching, and support to develop and operate mission-driven schools that provide a high-quality education to our students and families.

Compensation for this position: The starting compensation for this role based in New York City is between $64,000 to $96,900. The starting pay will depend on various factors that may include but are not limited to professional experience, education, training, certifications, tenure with Uncommon Schools, and work location. Because we value staff tenure in each role, we do not currently cap salary ranges. Please note: ranges may differ for staff who work from a location other than New York City.

Benefits: We offer comprehensive, flexible, and competitive benefits that support the personal health, wellness, and finances of our staff and their families.

Uncommon believes in the importance of being a diverse, equitable and inclusive organization that enables our students and staff to thrive. We are committed to building an exceptional team that reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our students. We also strive to ensure an inclusive community by creating a space for meaningful dialogue about issues of race and identity for our staff and students. As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or disability. We also ensure that individuals with disabilities receive all privileges and benefits associated with employment and are provided reasonable accommodations for the interview process and to perform core job functions.