Request for Qualifications
Young Audiences is seeking highly experienced teachers to submit their qualifications to be contracted as a
teacher during the Summer Arts & Learning Academy (SALA) in Summer 2020.
The SALA Classroom Teacher:
The SALA Grade Level teacher is key to ensuring rigorous and meaningful learning in both literacy and math
at SALA sites. Grade level teachers will be paired with a highly skilled teaching artist to provide
arts-integrated instruction daily. Teachers teaching in Grades 3-5 will team-teach with their teaching artist
partner either two 90-minute blocks of arts-integrated literacy or two 90-minute classes of arts-integrated
math each day. Artist/teacher pairs co-plan and co-teach each lesson together. Teachers teaching in Grades
K-2 will team teach one 90-minute class of arts-integrated math and one 90-minute class of arts-integrated
literacy to the same students each day. All teachers regardless of grade will lead a morning meeting or
CREW session each morning. Teachers have the option of teaching a half day (8:30 am-1:30 pm daily), or a
full day (8:30 am-3:30 pm daily).
About the Summer Arts & Learning Academy:
Baltimore City Schools’ Summer Arts & Learning Academy (SALA), operated by Young Audiences/Arts for
Learning Maryland (YA), is an action-packed, full-day, five-week program that introduces students to a wide
variety of art forms—from illustration and spoken word to percussion, drama, and dance—and gives
students a chance to work alongside students from across the city and be taught by professional artists.
Daily literacy and math classes are co-taught by a teacher and professional teaching artist allowing students
to experience reading, writing, and math like never before...through the arts! Students have the
opportunity to imagine, create, and express who they are through the arts and try on art forms they never
imagined. Students travel to different arts destinations across the city, and their work will be celebrated
through a student showcase on the final day of the program. YA will host eight Academy sites throughout
the City, locations TBD. Each site will host 10-13 classrooms of 26 students each.
Mission and Core Values:
The mission of Young Audiences elementary grade Summer Arts & Learning Academy is to provide students
with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend a summer learning from the best teachers and teaching
artists our state has to offer. Through a dynamic, creative, and supportive environment, students will
explore math and literacy in a unique arts-integrated environment that prevents the summer learning slide,
allows them to develop socially and emotionally, expands their personal creative process, and introduces
them to many different art forms taught by professional artists.
We...
● believe unwaveringly that ALL students can achieve high standards in and through the arts;
● provide opportunities for students to develop powerfully articulate voices through art forms and
honor their creative processes along the way;
● create safe, brave learning environments for students to grow, make mistakes, and contribute to
the community;
● collaborate and reflect by learning from and with each other at every step of the process,
cultivating positive relationships between all ages;
● encourage the development of critical thinking, problem solving, inquiry, imagination, and
creativity, and provide multiple ways for students to demonstrate knowledge and mastery;
● learn about, honor, and leverage the cultural knowledge, experiences, and frames of reference of
our students and community to make learning more relevant and effective;
● ensure that our students are known, loved, supported, celebrated, and valued.
Requirements:
● To be hired, teachers must have a current teaching certification. Teachers with special education
certifications are also encouraged to apply as a general classroom teacher.
● A passion for students: building meaningful relationships, and a desire to “go above and beyond” to
ensure each student’s success.
● A strong interest (with experience preferred) in arts integration and co-teaching.
● A strong desire to fully integrate into a non-traditional learning environment where flexibility is
strongly valued and where new and innovative ideas are not only cultivated but expected from all
staff.
● All teachers must be willing to use either the school office landline or their personal cell phone
(number blocking is acceptable) to contact parents as needed.
Dates and Times:
To fulfill this contract, teachers must be able to commit to attending all program days. All other paid
planning hours, course development time, and time spent designing content and artistic experiences for
students can be completed at the teachers’ discretion.
● All SALA Classroom Teachers will need to attend at least two professional development trainings.
First-year SALA Classroom Teachers will need to attend an additional orientation. The dates and
times for these events will be shared during the interview. Details about each training are below:
All three sessions are required and paid.
○ New Staff Orientation: This orientation will take place on a Saturday and is for new SALA
Classroom Teachers only.
○ All Staff Orientation and Cookout: This will take place on a weeknight evening.
○ One Site-Based Saturday PD: This will be held on a Saturday.
● Training and Professional Development Week - Wed-Fri, June 24-26 and Mon-Tues, June 29-30,
9:00 am – 4:30 pm. This is required and is paid.
● Final On-Site Prep and Planning Day
● Academy Dates: For all 5-week sites, the program will begin on July 6th and end on August 7th.
Program hours are 8:30 am (Breakfast) to 3:00 pm. Full-Day Teacher Time Commitment: 8:30
am-3:30 pm. Half-Day Teacher Time Commitment: 8:30 am-1:30 pm. Note: one Academy location
will run an additional week and end on August 14th.
● Two 1-hour planning meetings/staff meetings per week (times TBD, most likely staff meetings on
Tuesday and Thursdays at 8:00 am).
Compensation:
● Classroom Teachers will be compensated based on a number of factors, including experience and
the specific circumstances of their contracted position (i.e. site location, number of teaching hours etc. Classroom Teachers will be paid an hourly rate of $22.50 - $30.95 and teachers completing the
entire program will be paid up to $4,162 - $7,892 for working the whole summer.
Roles:
Teachers are needed in both of the following roles:
● Full-Day Teachers: In this role, contracted teachers will design and deliver arts-integrated lessons in
the morning and stay on-site to assist with afternoon arts explorations/majors. Teachers in this role
will be needed from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm during program days.
● Half-Day Teachers: In this role, contracted teachers will design and deliver arts-integrated lessons
based on their content. Teachers in this role will be needed from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm during
program days.
Scope of Work
● Serve as lead teacher for two daily 90-minute, arts-integrated classes, one math and one literacy
(for artists teaching grades K-2); or two sections of either 90 minutes of arts-integrated math or
literacy (for artists teaching grades 3-5). Teachers are the content area specialist in the
artist/teacher pairs.
● Co-plan and co-teach all arts-integrated literacy and math lessons with teaching artist partner.
● Provide one-on-one instruction and support to students, as needed.
● Lead a daily 30-minute morning meeting/crew time (small homeroom group) that promotes
character development and builds one-on-one relationships with students.
● Create a positive culture and climate within their classroom and address any issues (including
disciplinary) within the parameters of site procedures.
● Build relationships with students, staff, and parents and create a positive, supportive community
within the classroom and site.
● In partnership with a teaching artist partner, deliver content effectively using the Young Audiences’
SALA Literacy and Eureka Math curricula.
● Support two field trips throughout the summer. Teaching artists will be responsible for their
classroom of students during these trips.
● If/as needed, support the structured team building recess block two times per week in partnership
with the PE instructor.
● Attend all professional development and planning meetings as instructed by summer site director
(these are paid upon completion of the program and will total 2 hours per week for the five
program weeks).
● Complete or oversee the completion of all required paperwork as assigned by the site director
including student attendance records, student pre and post surveys or assessments, student
observation rubrics, student progress reports, etc.
● In partnership with teaching artist partner, complete a daily lesson plan outline for both morning
and afternoon classes. All plans must be turned in at the completion of the program. All lesson
plans are to be displayed in the lesson folder outside the classroom door each day.
● When appropriate, be in contact with parents/guardians of students within your class to provide
progress updates, share challenges, or address disciplinary issues, etc. This includes responding to
family inquiries in a timely manner.
● Assist with the preparation and planning of the final student culminating showcase.
● Collaborate with and provide support for various partnerships and external stakeholders.
● Submit verbal and written reports as required.
● Administer student program evaluations when needed.
To apply:
For consideration, apply online at https://www.yamd.org/programs/summer-arts-academy/work-with-us/
The early bird application deadline is January 3, 2020. Priority will be given to early bird applications.
