K-3 Elementary Music Teacher

Job Description

Job Description

Base Salary SY25/26: $67,000-$87,000

Competitive Raises year to year, many BONUS and Stipend opportunities, no Master's needed.

Why Our School is Special:

BelovED Community Charter School is a highly successful charter school that truly supports its teachers. We serve a student mix that is among the most diverse in America while enjoying the cultural vibrance of Jersey City, Hoboken and New York City. If this appeals to you, then apply today! We have achieved academic success without burning out our teachers by meshing an effective education program with effective teacher supports and professional development.

We truly value our faculty and work hard to control other costs so we can focus our resources on supporting them. In fact, throughout our history, we have annually increased faculty salaries by more than at other public schools and now, among those with similar experience, OUR FACULTY MEMBERS ARE AMONG THE HIGHEST PAID IN NEW JERSEY.

New Jersey charter schools ARE public schools. Our teachers are part of the Teachers’ Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF), just like teachers at other public schools, and teachers are able to transfer their pension credits from a traditional public school to a charter school and vice versa.

Teacher Responsibilities:

Values, Expectations, and Commitment: Our teachers commit themselves to the school’s values and mission. Moreover, appreciating the example of excellent schools which succeed at helping all students achieve at a high level, our teachers hold high expectations for each student and commit themselves to helping every student achieve their full potential.

Student Learning: Our teachers take ownership for his or her students achievements and learning progress that meets or exceeds the school's high standards. They actively develop solutions to problems, reaching out for peer and leader support, and are able to take advantage of all school provided resources.

Teaching and Assessment: We provide teachers with curricular materials. We also allow teachers flexibility in designing their own. We ask that teachers plan and deliver vibrant and engaging lessons – each with a measurable goal – within the framework of the school’s carefully sequenced, standards-aligned education program. Our teachers administer school-provided formative assessments on a regular basis so instruction can be targeted to their students' needs.

Culture and Classroom Management: Our teachers communicate and model behaviors which befit the high expectations culture and the caring school climate to which we are committed. Our teachers apply school and classroom rules consistently and effectively; make use of preventive discipline; and effectively supervise students both in their classroom and elsewhere on school grounds.

Teamwork, Professional Relations, and Professional Development: Our teachers see themselves as members of a team and commit themselves to their own and to their peers’ on-going professional development. Teachers will be required to attend professional development sessions, to participate actively in planning meetings, and to become part of a professional learning community where they can lend assistance to, and gain assistance from, their grade-level peers.

Special Needs Students and English Language Learners: Our teachers work collaboratively with the school’s special education and ELL staff to implement the school’s special education and ELL programs and to comply with all state and federal regulations.

Teacher Supports:

Teachers are part of a school-wide team that includes many different professionals and they receive career-long coaching and professional development support from our diverse Leadership Team. Teachers work closely with their grade level peers, with whom they engage within professional learning communities (PLCs) assisting one another to solve problems and plan lessons collaboratively.

Additional teacher supports include:

• Abundant planning periods and a designated lunch break that provides teachers an opportunity to prepare up-coming lessons during the school day;
• A research-based curriculum and supporting curricular materials (you will have the freedom to develop your own, but after a full day in the classroom, you may appreciate not always having to develop learning objectives and curricular resources from scratch);
• High-quality formative assessments, aligned with our curriculum, that will help you immediately identify when students in your class have not achieved mastery of a skill, concept, or knowledge item;
• Full-time reading and math specialists or intervention teachers who will be available to tutor students who are struggling to master an essential skill, and social workers AND counselors who will be available to help students struggling with outside problems

This position provides the flexibility to use self-created materials and the ability to adapt or integrate additional resources based on the student needs and teaching style.

Teacher Responsibilities:

Teaching and curriculum:

General Music

• Plan and deliver engaging, age-appropriate music lessons for grades K-3, incorporating singing, movement, instruments, and creative expression.
• Introduce basic music theory, notation, rhythm, and performance skills.
• Develop original lesson plans or modify existing resources to best support student learning.
• Align lessons with New Jersey standards for music education.
• Foster an inclusive and supportive environment for learning that encourages joy in music-making.
• Communicate with families about classroom activities, student progress, and any concerns.

Fifth Grade Choir

• Lead daily rehearsals for fifth grade choir, focusing on vocal health, technique, and ensemble singing skills.
• Select age-appropriate repertoire for an end-of-year choral performance.
• During the first few weeks of school, co-teach fifth grade general music with the Electives Department Chair; after the transitional period, students will rotate weekly between general music and choir in smaller cohorts.

Band Support

• Assist with select full-band rehearsals or sectionals (co-teaching alongside the Electives Department Chair) as needed to support ensemble growth.
• Responsibilities will be collaborative with a focus on support, with no independent instruction required.

Collaboration:

• Work with the Electives Department Chair to plan for continuity and progression from K-3 to 4-5 in the music curriculum.
• Take initiative to integrate interdisciplinary concepts into music curriculum, including school wide initiatives focusing on DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion).
• Participate in coaching meetings, department meetings, and staff meetings to contribute to the success of the music program.

Performances and Events:

• Prepare K-3 students for participation in winter and spring Showcases, highlighting students’ skills in the arts.
• Prepare fifth grade students for a dedicated end-of-year concert with the fifth grade band.
• Support additional music activities, instrumental lessons, and/or events as needed.

Requirements

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Music Education.
• New Jersey Department of Education Certification (CE, CEAS, or Standard)
• Demonstrated experience teaching elementary school music or equivalent experience focused on younger learners.

Preferred:

• Vocal music background with experience leading young singers.
• Familiarity with Orff, Kodály, or similar pedagogical approaches.
• Ability to play piano or guitar to accompany classroom activities.
• Classroom management, communication, and planning skills.

Benefits

Charter schools ARE public schools. Our teachers are part of the New Jersey Teachers’ Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF), same as teachers at traditional public schools, and can transfer their pension credits from a traditional public school to our school and vice versa. Additional benefits include:

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)
• Short Term & Long Term Disability
• Training & Development

As an equal opportunity employer, BelovED CCS hires without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, or disability.