High School StepMojo Teacher's Assistant

Company Description

Uncommon Schools is a nonprofit network of high-performing, public charter schools providing an outstanding K-12 education in historically under-resourced communities. We have proudly built schools that reflect our student population, with more than 60% of our teachers and staff across our network identifying as a person of color. Uncommon currently manages 53 schools serving more than 20,000 students in five cities: Boston, Camden, New York City, Newark and Rochester. We are proud that Uncommon graduates persist in and graduate from college at five times the rate of their peers nationally. We achieve this by offering strong academic, co-curricular, and social-emotional learning that prepares students for success in college and beyond. 

North Star Academy currently manages fourteen schools in Newark, NJ serving students in grades K through 12. We believe in strong authentic relationships between teachers and students, supported by effective school systems and an engaging instructional model that enables students to flourish academically and personally. North Star Academy is NJ's #1 highest performing public charter school and has served Newark families for over 20 years.

Job Description

As a nation, we have long struggled to provide equitable access to a high-quality education for all students, and the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic only served to exacerbate those systemic inequities. At the same time, the disruption and innovation of the last two years have opened the door to a new sense of possibility. Many students, school staff and system leaders have rightly called to use this moment not just to recover – but to reimagine and reinvent how we approach education.

High School students have been amongst the most vocal about what they want – more agency and flexibility, more high-interest and high-quality course choices, greater attention to their needs as whole children, and more intentionality about launching them successfully toward a diverse array of college and career options. Based on these themes, many system leaders have begun to craft an ambitious agenda to reinvent high school. Because of this need, North Star is partnering with Stepmojo to offer all students radically expanded access to high-interest, rigorous courses, exceptional teachers, and personalized college and career options. In order to deliver on this extraordinary opportunity, we need a team of on-the-ground coaches to support student learning. 

The presence of technology alone is no guarantee that students will succeed. Strong, effective online learning doesn’t just happen. It requires the work of thoughtful, engaged staff who leverage the best of remote instruction and in-person scaffolds to address the unique learning needs of their students. Learning coaches will give an extra boost to the online learning experience. They will build affirming relationships with students, manage all in-person activities by circulating and encouraging students, entering attendance data daily and grade data weekly.

Responsibilities:

• Manage the Classroom/Workspace Environment
  • Arrange and maintain a safe, structured, and effective learning environment
  • Create a positive, achievement-oriented learning environment that excites and invests students (e.g., establish classroom routines and expectations, develop affirming relationships with students)
  • Encourage students to engage and be active participants in their online course 
  • Troubleshoot minor technical issues (e.g., forgotten headphones, lost chargers)
• Provide In-person Support for Students
  • Track and monitor student attendance – intervening if truancy occurs
  • Notify school-site coordinator if attendance issues persist
  • Serve as a thought partner to work through issues during independent work time
  • Provide in the moment feedback to students regarding their participation in class – affirming and engaging students in the learning
  • Connect students who are struggling behaviorally or academically with the appropriate StepMojo or North Star resources
  • Conference with students’ family and academic advisor keeping everyone informed of the learning
  • Serve as a mentor to students – establishing trusting relationships and providing active guidance throughout the course
• Communication with the Online Instructor
  • Establish asynchronous check-in routines and procedures with each course instructor
  • Share insights as to how students are engaging with the content (e.g., where they struggle, high points of interest, questions)
• Provide Feedback to StepMojo and North Star
  • Meet with the implementation team for an initial orientation and onboarding session
  • Collaborate with StepMojo and North Star staf