QSI               THE QUEENS SCHOOL OF INQUIRY

Teaching Positions Available for September 2005

 The Queens School of Inquiry is a innovative, new neighborhood New York City Public school, open to students in Region 4 from Districts 24 and 30 in Queens County.  It will open in September, 2005 with a 6th grade class of 81 students and will add one grade each year until it is a 6th-12^th grade school,  QSI is a collaboration of the NYC Department of Education, Queens College, the CUNY Early College Initiative, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  The goal of the school is to establish and implement a clear and demanding academic program for students, including after-school and summer programs, that will enable students to earn up to 60 Queens College credits – tuition-free, along with a Regents diploma by the end of 12^th grade. Students of all abilities, including struggling learners, students with special needs and English Language Learners will be welcomed to the school.

Core Information about QSI

Family Partnerships: The school believes that school-family-child collaboration is essential for student success. QSI staff will communicate regularly with families about school matters including academic expectations and social and emotional development, and will seek and build family support. Each student will have a Student Action Plan, jointly created by staff, parents and students and updated regularly, to focus instruction and to evaluate progress. We expect to educate all of our students, one child at a time.

Collaboration: QSI will be a Professional Development School, a Learning and Teaching Demonstration Site and a visitation site for professionals and community members.  Working with the faculty and pre-service teachers from Queens College, and with one another, teachers will welcome the opportunity to reflect on and refine their teaching. We expect that classroom practice will promote collaboration among the students as well.

Professional Development:  Teachers from QSI will have many opportunities for professional development and will have a guiding voice in creating them. Common planning time is built into the daily schedule and will be supported by Critical Friends Groups. Immediate expectations, with paid compensation, include bi-monthly evening planning meetings and one Saturday Retreat in the spring of 2005, two weeks in the summer of 2005 prior to opening, and some Saturdays and after-school sessions during the school year.  Topics will include building a school culture; adapting instruction and develop[pong interventions for multiple learning styles including students with IEP’s, ELL’s and struggling learners; effectively using instructional technology; and understanding and implementing the Principles of Learning from the University of Pittsburg.

The School Day: QSI will offer students before-school tutorials, a daily Advisory beginning at 8:30, a daily Inquiry Learning period, and an after-school session four times a week from 3:00 – 4:00 to build skills and assist with homework as well as provide arts and athletic experiences.  Class sizes are small we use extended blocks for ELA and math.  Teachers will be compensated for additional time. 

Duties and Responsibilities

· Have expert knowledge of their subject area

· Work in an inclusionary, non-tracked environment

· Teach outside of traditional subject and grade level confines

· Demonstrate a commitment to differentiating instruction and a willingness to adapt teaching to recognize alternative learning styles

· Use cooperative group work and constructivist learning as primary instructional approaches

· Assess student effort and learning through authentic assessment and portfolios as well as standardized tests

· Collaborate in interdisciplinary planning and team teaching

· Serve as a faculty Advisor to a multi-grade, small student Advisory Group throughout their stay at the school and attend professional meetings to support this work

· Work closely with families to support academic, social and emotional growth of students

· Participate in regular professional development, reflective practice, peer coaching, and in professional organizations

· Collaborate with faculty from Queens College on curriculum development and instructional practice, and with pre-service teachers during their internships

· Use technology inside and outside of the classroom

Selection Criteria

· Evidence of capacity and willingness to carry out the above duties and responsibilities

· Knowledge of and willingness to teach in another subject area, and/or background in working with students with special needs or English Language Learners will be considered assets

· In addition to an interview, teacher candidates will be asked to participate in a curriculum development simulation and may be asked to be observed teaching at their place of work or another venue, or to do a demonstration lesson

Eligibility Requirements

      Licensed certified teachers of Common Branches, Math, Science, ELA and Music with satisfactory ratings, and newly certified teachers are encouraged to apply.

Teachers Schedule

		Humanities 1	Humanities 2	Math/Science 1	Math/Science 2	Music/PE
		Mon. – Fri.	Mon. – Fri.	Mon. – Fri.	Mon. – Fri.	Mon. – Fri.
	8:30- 9:00	Advisory	Advisory	Advisory	Advisory	Advisory
1	9:00- 9:45	PREP	Humanities C	Math/Science B	PREP	Music/PE         A
2	9:45-10:30	Humanities A			Team Teach Humanities A	PREP
3	10:30-11:15		LUNCH	LUNCH	Content Tech           B	Music PE           C
4	11:15-12:00	C   O   M   M   O   N                            P   L   A   N   N   I   N   G
5	12:00-12:45	LUNCH	Content Tech C	Math/Science A	LUNCH	Music/PE B
6	12:45-1:30	Humanities B	PREP		Math/Science C	LUNCH
7	1:30- 2:15		Team Teach Humanities B	PREP		Content Tech A
8	2:15- 3:00	Inquiry	Inquiry	Inquiry	Inquiry	Inquiry