Request for Qualifications
Young Audiences is seeking highly experienced teaching artists to submit their qualifications to be
contracted as a teaching artist during the Summer Arts & Learning Academy (SALA) in Summer 2020.
The SALA Teaching Artist:
The Summer Arts & Learning Academy (SALA) Teaching Artist is the heart and soul of the academies.
Teaching Artists are paired with a Grade Level teacher for the entire 5 weeks of the program. These pairs
are responsible for delivering engaging, meaningful, and joyful instruction both in and through the arts.
Artists teaching in Grades 3-5 will team-teach with their teacher 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. Teaching Artists 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. Teaching artists will also lead a small group of students daily for a morning meeting
period and may be needed to assist when needed with recess periods. In the afternoon, the teaching artist
will teach a class in their art form with the assistance of a teaching artist apprentice.
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.
Dates and Times:
To fulfill this contract, teaching artists must be able to commit to attending all program days. All other paid
planning hours, course development time, and time spent designing artistic experiences for students can be
completed at the teaching artists’ discretion.
● All SALA contractors 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 during the interview. Details about each training are
below: All sessions are required and paid.
o New Staff Orientation: This orientation will take place on a Saturday and is for new staff
only.
o Mixer: This will be on a weeknight
o Regional Orientation and Cookout: This will take place on a weeknight evening.
o One Site-Based Saturday PD: This will be held on a Saturday.
o Supplies Happy Hour: This will be held on a weeknight evening
o 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: 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 Teaching Artist Time Commitment 8:30 am – 3:30 pm daily (7
hours daily). Half-Day Teaching Artist Time Commitment 8:30 – 1:30 pm daily. 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).
Roles:
Teaching artists are needed in both of the following roles:
● Full-Day Teaching Artist: In this role, contracted artists will design and deliver arts-integrated
lessons and creative process based lessons in their art form. Teaching Artists in this role will be
needed from 8:30 – 3:30 during program days.
● Half-Day Teaching Artist: In this role, contracted artists will design and deliver arts-integrated
lessons. Teaching Artists in this role will be needed from 8:30 – 1:30 during program days.
Compensation:
● Teaching artists 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.
Teaching Artists will be paid an hourly rate of $33.00 - $37.97 and teachers completing the entire
program will be paid up to $6,105-$9,682 for working the whole summer.
Scope of Work
● Serve as lead teaching artist and co-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). Teaching Artist is the arts content
specialist in the artist/teacher pairs.
● Co-plan and co-teach all arts-integrated literacy and math lessons with partner teacher.
● 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; address any issues (including
disciplinary) within the parameters of site procedures.
● Build relationships with students, staff, and families and create a positive, supportive community
within the classroom and site.
● In partnership with the teacher partner, deliver content effectively using the Young Audiences SALA
Literacy and Eureka Math curricula.
● Lead a daily 1.5 hour arts major or arts exploration class. These classes are not co-taught with the
teacher partner and are fully the responsibility of the artist to teach their art form. A teaching artist
apprentice will be provided (artists may also nominate an assistant that they would like to work
with).
● 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 the teacher 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 their class to provide
progress updates, share challenges, etc. This includes responding to parent/guardian 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.
