Employment Opportunities

July 28, 2004

Openings

Summit always welcomes complete applications, or messages of interest from potential applicants, for possible full-time or part-time openings.

Summit has an ongoing interest in experienced secondary or college teachers for part-time electives. If you have a strong background in a specific or unique elective subject, please contact us.

We often have a need for full-time and part-time para-educators ("parapros") to help in the classrooms and the administrative office, and to supervise in the lunchroom and on campus. A law-enforcement security screening is required of all applicants.

Information for Faculty Applicants

Summit offers a highly successful standards-based and academically rigorous program for 300 students in grades 6, 7, and 8. Summit believes in active engagement of students in their learning, teaching for both content and critical thinking. Teachers have considerable freedom in how they cover the curriculum. Students are placed in mixed-age classed based on interest, motivation, ability, developmental level, and mastery of previous material. Applicants must have a strong academic background in subject area. A teaching license is not required; experience with middle school students is preferred. Please refer to the information below for complete application information and a full job description.

Broad Scope and Function of Faculty Position

  • Serves as primary teacher in a subject.
  • Supports standards-based instructional approaches that ensure the continuous progress of students desiring more challenge, including but not limited to high-ability and high-performance learners.

Faculty Member Duties

  • Teaches subject area according to curriculum guidelines specified by Summit. Further develops and refines a high-level, challenging curriculum in subject area. Maintains ongoing curriculum evaluation and development to meet the needs of students. Collaborates with other faculty in delivery of appropriate instructional approaches, working to serve the various learning styles and needs of Summit students.
  • Implements curriculum and instruction in a manner consistent with Summit's mission statement (see below), including understanding, modeling, and fostering independent thinking skills, creative problem solving, and abstract reasoning. Shows empathy for and understanding of students. Shares ideas and observations with students, parents and colleagues.
  • Develops with parents and students a cooperative partnership based on mutual respect and objectivity. Facilitates resolution of problems that might arise with students and parents. Assesses student performance frequently and objectively. Holds parent/student/teacher conferences in a manner consistent with the Summit Middle School policy manual.
  • Continues intellectual and professional development and pursues further education in primary academic discipline.
  • Follows state- and district-mandated school guidelines, except where Summit has received specific waivers. Follows policies established by the Summit Board of Directors.

Reporting Relationships

  • Reports to the Principal.

Experience and Skills

  • Expert-level mastery of subject area.
  • Expert-level written and oral skills.
  • Teaching experience in a public or private setting, including work with highly capable students, although a teacher license or certification is not required.
  • Demonstrated experience working with challenge groups in a standards-based environment, including utilizing assessments to place students, curriculum compacting, flexible pacing, flexible instruction, grouping and regrouping, acceleration, enrichment, and independent study to meet student needs.
  • Demonstrated talent in the instruction of students with varied learning styles and levels of mastery.
  • Demonstrated success in effectively solving challenging problems through a positive, collaborative approach.

Notes on the Teacher Selection Process

  • Applications may be mailed, e-mailed, or faxed as indicated below. Receipt of applications will be confirmed as soon as possible. Transcripts may be mailed under separate cover if the application is e-mailed or faxed.
  • Applications should include:
    • a resume with a summary of all teaching experience relevant to the desired position, including volunteer experience;
    • answers to the questions below;
    • a brief description of degrees earned and copy of transcripts (unofficial copies are satisfactory for the initial application; see below);
    • name and contact information for at least three references from administrators, teachers, parents or students; and
    • evidence of current teacher certificate or license in the state of Colorado or any other state, if applicable.
  • Incomplete applications may not be considered.
  • Finalists must provide a portfolio of lessons and units developed in support of curriculum, and prepare and teach a demonstration class with observation by the Hiring Committee.
  • Finalists are required to submit official copies of all transcripts of course work.
  • Summit may do a preliminary reference check as part of the initial screening of applications; please indicate references accordingly.
  • Consideration for all positions is ongoing. Please return your application as soon as possible as indicated below, by mail, e-mail, or fax.

Teacher Application Questions

  1. What is it about this teaching position that interests and motivates you?
  2. Please explain your decision to become a teacher.
  3. What makes you, or will make you, a good teacher?
  4. Describe your experiences, in a classroom or other setting, which provide the basis for your interest in working with middle-school-age students.
  5. Describe instructional approaches you have used in the classroom with a variety of student learning styles and levels of mastery.
  6. Describe your experience working with other teachers to implement any programs you have developed for students with a high level of ability and/or achievement.
  7. Describe your proudest accomplishment during the past five years.

Submit applications to:

Summit Middle School Teacher Application
Attn: Ashley O'Connor and Tom Mahowald
4655 Hanover Avenue
Boulder, Colorado 80305
U.S.A.

Phone: 303-499-9511
Fax: 303-499-0215
E-mail: employment[at]summitmiddleschool.org

The Boulder Valley School District is committed to and guided by the principle of equal opportunity. Summit faculty members participate in the BVSD's insurance and retirement program. Current BVSD teachers and administrators are eligible for a leave of absence from their regular positions to teach at Summit.

Summit Alternative Teacher License Program

In August 1997, Summit's proposal, written under the leadership of a Summit teacher, to become a Designated Agency for the Alternative Teacher License Program was approved by the Colorado Board of Education. The program was implemented in 1997-98 school year. The goal of the program is to provide a high-quality teacher training program at a reasonable cost for people who have unique knowledge and skills to offer the students in our community. Currently on Summit's staff are teachers with a variety of backgrounds. The Alternative Teacher License Program is an incentive in attracting highly qualified people to the teaching profession. Summit hopes to provide program candidates with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the public education system, whether they stay at Summit or move on to other public schools.

Summit's Alternative Teacher Training Program is based on the provision of a support team and the fulfillment of 225 contact hours of instruction and activities. Eighty of these hours are mandatory; the balance will be determined by the candidate's university course work, professional experience, or relevant life experience. Listed here are some of instructional programs and activities which were developed for the first year of Summit's Alternative Teacher Training Program: Classroom Management Workshop, BVSD Curriculum Council Meetings, Curriculum Review and Overview, Interdisciplinary Learning, Teaching Methodologies, Learning Styles, Assessment Techniques and Evaluation at Summit, State and/or National Standards, Evaluation of Standardized Test Scores in Subject Area, Design Pre-Test and Post-Test Assessment, Legal and Ethical Considerations in Teaching, Students' Rights and Limitations, Charter Schools in Today's Education System, Students with Special Needs, Learning Disabilities, Issues Facing Bright Middle School Students, Understanding the Twice-Exceptional Student, Gender Equity in the Classroom, Cultural Equity in the Classroom, Computer Technology in the Classroom.

The Support Team for each alternative teacher candidate consists of Summit's curriculum coordinator, mentor teachers, Summit's principal, and a representative from the university setting. Candidates select a primary mentor teacher in their field at the middle school level and a secondary mentor in their field from the high school level. The curriculum coordinator works closely with candidates and mentor teachers to assess candidates' knowledge and skills, customize training plans to address areas of deficiency, observe candidates in the classroom, and meet regularly to measure progress toward the completion of the program. Mentor teachers are required to observe teacher candidates on a regular basis and give constructive feedback, assisting with long-range, unit, and daily lesson planning, as well as classroom management skills.

Summit Middle School Mission Statement

  • To provide a rigorous, academic curriculum that promotes high levels of student effort and academic achievement.
  • To foster high self-esteem through stimulating intellectual challenge and meaningful academic accomplishment.
  • To inspire in students a lifelong love of learning and a desire for self-development.
  • To create a community of peers who value scholarship, academic achievement and creativity.
  • To serve as an excellent preparation for students intending to study in the International Baccalaureate program and other college-preparatory high school programs.

Background on Summit Middle School

Located on a campus in south Boulder, Summit Middle School opened in the fall of 1996 as Boulder Valley School District's first charter school. The original charter school proposal was developed by a group of approximately 30 interested persons, most of whom are parents. A seven-member Board of Directors elected by the faculty, staff, and parents of Summit students governs the school.

Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) encompasses the communities of Boulder, Louisville, Lafayette, Superior, Nederland, Ward, Jamestown, and Gold Hill, as well as portions of Broomfield and Erie. There are 300 eager and inquisitive young people from throughout the district who call Summit their school, and students on the lengthy waiting list hope to do the same.

Summit's uniqueness, however, goes beyond its charter status. Summit is a tuition-free, public charter school serving grades 6, 7, and 8 through mixed-age classes grouped by interest, motivation, ability, developmental level, and mastery of previous material, providing a choice at the middle school level for those families interested in a more rigorous academic program. Students are admitted without regard to past academic accomplishment or prior testing, with the understanding that Summit's program is designed for students who need or want more challenge and who are willing to work hard. Classes are taught by dedicated teachers who are specialists in their subject areas. Students select classes at the appropriate challenge level in each of the five core academic subjects (English, foreign language, math, science, and social studies) and also enjoy a wide variety of interesting elective classes.

At the heart of Summit's philosophy and commitment to its students is a belief that middle school students are capable of intellectual growth and high academic achievement, as well as social and emotional development. A rigorous academic curriculum coupled with responsive standards-based instruction makes Summit an exciting learning environment. Teachers actively engage students in their learning and teach for both content and critical thinking. Summit places a high priority on small class size, with an average of 20 students for core subject area classes. Students enjoy learning among peers who are as motivated as they are, and they thrive in the atmosphere of respect for individuals and individuality that is at the core of Summit's values.

Teachers, too, are enthusiastic about Summit. The promise of working with students who enjoy learning has drawn creative and committed educators from throughout the public and private sectors. Based on a firm foundation of mutual respect, collegiality, and a commitment to helping students achieve their goals, Summit's diverse faculty has developed a lasting camaraderie that extends beyond the school walls. Teachers are strongly encouraged to bring creativity to their work, and have ample opportunities for ongoing professional development.

The Summit parent community is steadfast in its support of teachers and staff, volunteering their time and talents in many arenas such as assisting in classes, fundraising, providing professional and technical expertise, and serving on the Board of Directors. Staff, students, parents, and the Board of Directors work together to help Summit fulfill its mission through open communication and mutual support.

For additional information about Summit's program, educational philosophy and location, please refer to our Web site, <http://www.summitmiddleschool.org>.