Job Summary:
The Summer Arts Academy Site Director works side by side with the Summer Arts and Learning Academy
Director of Operations and promotes and supports the overall vision and mission of the Summer Arts
and Learning Academy. The Summer Arts Academy Site Director is ultimately responsible for all aspects
of the program and its operations and provides leadership and oversight of the summer school site
which includes, but is not limited to, overseeing student achievement, daily attendance, climate and
culture, scheduling, building and staff supervision, and emergency procedures.
About the Summer Arts & Learning Academy:
Baltimore City Schools Summer Arts and Learning Academies, operated by Young Audiences Arts for
Learning Maryland (YA), will be an action-packed, full-day, five-week program that introduces students
to a wide variety of art forms – from illustration, to spoken word, to percussion, to 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 will be co-taught by a teacher and professional
teaching artist allowing students to experience reading, writing and math like never before...through
the arts! Students will have the opportunity to imagine, create, and express who they are through the
arts and try on art forms they never imagined. Students will 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 Summer Arts and Learning Academies throughout the City, locations TBD. Each site is
expected to accommodate 11 classrooms with 26 students in each for a total of 286 students per site.
Mission and Core Values:
The mission of the Young Audiences Elementary Summer Arts and Learning Academies 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.
Essential Skills and Attributes:
● Proven success leading educational initiatives, building positive school cultures, and motivating
and supporting staff.
● Excellent personnel management experience.
● Teaching or administrative certification required.
● Strong collaboration and leadership skills
● Excellent Organizational Skills
● Punctuality and ability to meet deadlines
● Excellent and timely communication skills
● Excellent disciplinary skills
● Ability to have critical conversations and provide feedback with teachers, staff, parents and
students when necessary.
● Understanding and appreciation of arts integration
● Ability to fill in as a substitute in the classroom
Dates and Times
Site Directors must be able to commit to all dates/times below:
● All SALA staff will need to attend a series of professional development trainings. If this is your
first year participating in the program, you will have to attend an additional orientation. The
dates and times for these events will be shared at a later date. Details about each training are
below: All sessions are required and paid.
○ New Staff Orientation: This orientation will take place on a Saturday and is for new staff
only.
○ Regional Orientation and Cookout: This will take place on a weeknight evening.
○ One Site-Based Saturday PD: This will be held on a Saturday.
○ Content Training: 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
SALA Directors will be compensated at $33.75 per hour. SALA Directors will work between 287 and 330
hours over the course of the Summer depending on site placement.
Essential Functions
● Ensure that the philosophy and core values of the Summer Arts and Learning Academies are
central to the school culture and visible throughout the site.
● Establishes a positive and productive school climate for all staff and students.
● Provide oversight of the daily operations and implementation of the summer learning
instructional program to ensure that all students have access to unique, relevant, challenging
and fun learning experience.
● Monitor student attendance data, prepare reports that summarize student attendance and
achievement data, evaluate student progress, conduct weekly meetings/training with staff and
monitors the overall operation of the program.
● Ensure that parents/guardians of absent students are called daily to promote high rates of daily
attendance.
● Ensure all artists/teachers submit written weekly instructional outlines for all classes
● Ensure arts integration/co-teaching planning occurs and keep records of time spent
● Attend required training and meetings as directed by Young Audiences
● Work cross-functionally with Young Audiences and Baltimore City Schools stakeholders to
ensure smooth operation of the site including teaching and learning (Office of Extended
Learning, Office of Specialized Services, Extended School Year Office and Office of Fine Arts),
food and nutrition, transportation, student support and safety, and communications.
● Complete at least one hour lesson observations of each artist or artist/teacher pair (10 total
observations). Provide written feedback to artist and teacher and a copy to Young Audiences.
● Respond to inquiries from parents and the community in a timely and professional manner with
consultation from Young Audiences and the Office of Teaching and Learning at Baltimore City
Public Schools.
● Provide direct supervision and oversight of all site based staff including teachers, teaching
artists, teaching artist assistants, interns, Youthworks, and contract staff.
● Models and requires that all staff engage in practices that promote high performance, ethical
behavior, collegiality and teamwork.
● Creates and implements (in collaboration with co-director and student support specialist) a
behavior management system and other policies for the site.
● Collaborate with and provide support for various partnerships and external stakeholders.
● Submit verbal and written reports as required.
● Oversee parent/guardian involvement workshops.
● Serve as substitute in classrooms when needed.
● All other duties as assigned.
To apply:
For consideration, apply online at https://www.yamd.org/programs/summer-arts-academy/work-with-us/
