Founding Elementary School Music Teacher

Job Description

Job Description

Originally   founded in 1991  as Harlem RBI, DREAM has grown to annually serve more than 2,500 youth across East Harlem and the South Bronx through a network of seven PreK-12, extended-day, extended-year DREAM Charter Schools and community sports-based youth development programs. Through our commitment to rigorous academics, social-emotional learning, deep family and community engagement, and health and wellness, we create lifelong learners who are equipped to fulfill their vision of success in and out of the classroom. We dream big, as well, with an aggressive five-year plan to expand to serve 3,500 students across seven schools —growing our organization’s impact and leveling the playing field for all children. To learn more, visit wearedream.org .

Reporting to the Academic Dean, the Music Teacher will be responsible for building meaningful relationships with students, designing and implementing a NYS Learning Standards -aligned curriculum, and working with their grade team to analyze data to drive instruction. This is an exciting opportunity for an educator who is passionate about improving student outcomes by leading excellent instruction and building a positive school culture.

• Create and foster a culture where all students can achieve at high levels;
• Design and implement NYS Learning Standards -aligned curriculum through backwards lesson planning and follow school-wide protocols for developing and documenting syllabi, lesson plans, assignments, and rubrics;
• Actively participate in all meetings, collaborative planning, and professional development, including an annual summer institute;
• Track, monitor, and assume responsibility for academic progress of students;
• Analyze data and trends, both in class and on assignments, to inform instruction;
• Set and maintain high expectations by building meaningful relationships;
• Work with Student Culture Team to create individual behavior plans for students, as needed;
• Build a warm and inclusive classroom environment and abide by school-wide practices for classroom management and individual behavior plans;
• Work with grade team to analyze data, revise practices, norm on team-wide initiatives, and discuss individual scholars with a solutions-oriented mindset;
• Establish and maintain strong relationships and regularly communicate scholars’ progress towards goals and with families;
• Lead workshops, clubs, activities, and/or teams directly related to your subject area as part of our After School Program
• Additional duties related to the running of the school as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree required;
• New York State certification in subject area preferred;
• At least two years of teaching experience with record of improving student achievement preferred;
• Expertise in aligned content area;
• A desire to make a difference in the lives of our students, families and community;
• Desire and ability to receive and implement feedback;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with various audiences (including colleagues, students, families); 
• A commitment to working with diverse populations of families and students;
• Bilingual (Spanish) preferred;
• A strong belief in the mission and values of DREAM, including the desire to make a difference in the lives of our students, families, and community.

• We offer comprehensive benefits including:
• Flexible Medical Health Plans, subsidizing the majority of costs for the employee, their spouse/domestic partner and children;
• The ability to select between a variety of medical plans according to what best suits the employee’s needs;
• Dental and vision plans;
• Disability benefits;
• Life insurance;
• Up to 12 weeks fully paid of Parental Leave;
• Flexible spending account options;
• Pre-tax commuter benefits (parking and transit);
• Fitness and entertainment discounts;
• A variety of support through our employee assistance program (EAP);
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer match starting at 4% after one year, with increases tied to DREAM tenure;
• Referral, performance, and tenure milestones bonuses;
• Discounted school meals through our in-house Scratch Food Program;
• Tuition reimbursement support;
• Access to a professional development fund;
• School-based 10-month employees have approximately 40 days off throughout the school year, including holidays, school breaks, personal days and wellness days, in addition to summer break.
• Benefits are subject to change.

• The salary range for incoming teachers is $75,000 to $100,000. New teacher salaries are determined based on the number of years of experience as a teacher.
• Additional compensation is added for incoming teachers with Master's degrees and NYS Special Education certifications.
• Teachers are eligible for annual salary increases based on tenure and performance; salaries for teachers who continue on at DREAM can exceed the incoming teacher band above.
• DREAM is committed to upholding highly competitive salaries and ensuring teacher pay is within the highest quartile of NYC Charter Schools.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At DREAM, diversity, equity, and inclusion are a matter of mission. 

From our schools to our playing fields, DREAM is committed to building a team where each individual can bring their full identity and experience to work because representation matters—it enriches our team culture, enhances our ability to innovate, and strengthens our impact in and out of the classroom. DREAM engages staff that represent and appreciate the diversity of our majority Black and Hispanic student body, while working to ensure that our practices are equitable, welcoming, and productive. We are dedicated to creating a world where youth, especially youth of color, have permission to dream—along with the tools and opportunities to make their dreams reality.

Come dream with us .

DREAM Maxims  

All Kids Can. This Kid Can.

DREAM is Family.

Fun is a Serious Value.

Teamwork Makes the DREAM Work.

Fail. Persist. Exceed.

DREAM Big.

Applying to DREAM

We know applying for a new job can be a daunting process. In addition, studies have shown that historically underrepresented individuals often only apply to roles if they meet 100% of the qualifications. We encourage all applications! You may be just the person we need. If you have any questions about your application or interview process, do not hesitate to ask your recruiter; we are here to help!

DREAM provides reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and applicable state and local laws. If accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact your recruiter.

If you are a current DREAM employee, please click here to review our Internal Selection Process before applying.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.