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 as well as social and emotional development, and will seek to build family support. Each student will have a 'Student Action Plan', created jointly by staff, parents, and students, and updated regularly that will focus teacher instruction and 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 other QSI faculty, teachers will welcome the opportunity to reflect on and refine their teaching. Team teaching is the norm and the primary strategy for academic intervention. We expect that this 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 2005, two weeks in the Summer 2005 (prior to opening), and occasional  Saturdays and after-school sessions during the school year. Topics will include building a school culture; adapting instruction and developing interventions for multiple learning styles including students with IEPs; ELLs and struggling learners; using instructional technology effectively; team teaching, and understanding and implementing the 'Principles of Learning' from the University of Pittsburgh.

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. This time is to build student skills and assist them with homework in additional to providing arts and athletic activities. Class sizes are small. The schedule has extended blocks for humanities and math/science subjects. Teachers will be compensated for any and all additional time. 

Teacher 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 student advisor to a multi-grade, small student advisory group during their tenure at the school and attend professional meetings to support this work
• Work closely with families to support the academic, social and emotional growth of students
• Participate in regular professional development, reflective practice, peer coaching, and professional associations
• Collaborate with faculty from Queens College on curriculum development and instructional practice, and with Queens College 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
• 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.

Sample Schedule for 5 Teachers: Classes (Q), (S) and (I)
	Hum I	Hum II	Math/Sci I	Math/Sci II	Mus/PE
	Mon - Fri	Mon - Fri	Mon - Fri	Mon - Fri	Mon - Fri
8:30-9:00	Advisory
9:00-9:45	Prep	Hum (I)	Math/Sci (S)	Team Teach Hum (Q)	Music/PE (Q)
9:45-10:30	Hum (Q)				Prep
10:30-11:15		Lunch	Lunch	Learning Lab (S)	Music/PE (I)
11:15-12:00	Common Planning Time
12:00-12:45	Lunch	Learning Lab (I)	Math/Sci (Q)	Lunch	Music/PE (S)
12:45 - 1:30	Hum (S)	Prep	Math/Sci (Q)	Math/Sci (I)	Lunch
1:30-2:15		Team Teach Hum (I)	Prep		Learning Lab (Q)
2:15-3:00	Inquiry
3:00-4:00	Extended Day

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