ESY Returner: Arts Integration Coach | SALA (Summer Arts for Learning Academy)

SUMMER ARTS FOR LEARNING ACADEMY (SALA)

ESY ARTS INTEGRATION COACH (former Instructional Coach)

Reports to: Arts Integrations Manager, Summer Arts for Learning Academy

About the Summer Arts for Learning Academy ESY program :

Baltimore City Schools’ Summer Arts for Learning Academy (SALA) ESY program, operated by Arts for Learning Maryland, offers students an opportunity to imagine, create, and express who they are through the arts. This is a full-day, five-week program (Monday - Thursday) that introduces students to an artist integrated program.  Teaching artists, teachers and paraeducators will work together to offer ESY students an opportunity to engage in a program that integrates an artist into the ESY classrooms we serve. ESY students have a wide variety of ability levels and needs for accommodation, so the ideal candidate will have experience with a variety of special education populations and a willingness to adapt as needed.  Arts for Learning Maryland will host 10 Academy sites throughout the city, locations TBD. 

Mission and Core Values:

The mission of Arts for Learning Maryland’s Summer Arts for Learning Academy (SALA) is to provide students with an opportunity to spend 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 allows them to develop socially and emotionally, expands their personal creative process, introduces them to different art forms taught by professional Artists, and allows them to experience math and literacy content from a different lens.

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.

SALA ESY Arts Integration Coach

Job Description:

The SALA Arts Integration Coach is the key to ensuring rigorous and meaningful learning at SALA ESY  sites. They are considered the “arts integration specialists” in the building, and they are the first point of contact for content, collaborative planning, co-teaching, arts integration, lesson plans (how to write them, how to submit them, what we are looking for), building classroom community, and reconducting observations (in partnership with the rest of the Site Admin Team).

Arts Integration Coaches will be placed at SALA ESY sites to support staff in planning and co-teaching, as well as to encourage them to reflect on their work, for which a coaching attitude and a desire to build mentoring relationships is essential. For additional information on SALA ESY please view the following link: Extended School Year (ESY) & SALA. 

Ideal Arts Integration Coaches Have:

• A strong and demonstrable understanding of effective arts integration and co-teaching.
• A desire to support educators in growing their knowledge of arts integration, mentoring new staff, and leveraging the expertise of veteran teachers and teaching artists to the site’s advantage.
• An ability to successfully partner with the rest of the site Admin Team in order to support all staff and students alike.
• Experience coaching, leading professional development, mentoring, and/or being part of an instructional support team in various contexts.
• Experience working with SALA/ESY, thus having a strong understanding of the program culture, logistics, and procedures, as well as all position expectations.
• An ability to create inclusive environments where all students’ unique gifts and talents are discovered and cultivated and where students’ identities (racial, cultural, social, gender, etc.) are acknowledged, affirmed, and reflected around them. 
• An ability to examine biases and an understanding of the concepts of institutional and structural racism and its impact on policies and practices, especially related to the administration of public education.
• A passion for students: an ability to build meaningful relationships and a desire to “go above and beyond” to ensure each student’s success.
• A commitment to seeing families as partners in education and communicating with them regularly.
• Experience coaching, leading professional development, mentoring, and/or being part of an instructional support team in various contexts.

Please note, staff working in SALA will need to be able to stand, walk, and be active throughout the entire duration of the program day. They will need to be able to keep up with and supervise students within and outside the classroom, for example, during Fitness and Fun time and field trips. Staff will also need to be able to lift up to 20lbs on occasion when setting up and breaking down classroom and/or preparing for performances and other events. Bending, kneeling, and climbing stairs are also frequently needed during SALA. 

Job Responsibilities:  

As a member of the Site Admin Team:

• Check instructional resources (e.g., math manipulatives, books, dictionaries, etc.) in the first two weeks--those that are not being used in a classroom should be taken to the office and repurposed.
• 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.
• Support the Site Admin team in carrying out the site operations.
• Support or participate in school-wide student activities and/or family and community events.
• Support the structured team-building recess (Fitness & Fun) block twice per week.
• Submit verbal and written reports as required.
• Administer student program evaluations when needed.
• Create a positive culture and climate within the building by centering the program’s mission and core values and addressing any issues within the parameters of site procedures and expectations.
• Build relationships with students, staff, and families and create a positive, supportive community within the classroom and site.
• Support the completion of all required paperwork as assigned by the Site Director/Instructional Coach, including student attendance records, student pre and post surveys or assessments, student observation rubrics, student progress reports, etc.
• Adhere to all health and safety policies as required by BCPSS, CDC, World Health Organization (WHO), and Arts for Learning Maryland.
• Assist with site logistics (transitions, cafeteria duties, tidiness of site, among others)
• All other duties as assigned.

Specifically as an Arts Integration Coach:

Professional Development

• Support/facilitate professional development sessions prior to the program.
• Support Teachers and Teaching Artists in big picture planning and collaborative conversations during Professional Development Week.
• On the last two days of Professional Development week, check in with teaching pairs on site to ensure that they are prepared for the first day: plans are ready, expectations are posted, community building/classroom management is in place, etc.

Mentoring/Coaching

• Set up a coaching schedule each week to be in classrooms to provide on-the-spot feedback in the form of notes while observing.
• Provide coverage so that new Teachers/Artists can observe other classrooms in order to further their understanding of arts integration.
• Co-teach as needed for teaching pairs to reflect and learn.
• Develop a schedule for check-ins with each teaching pair at least once a week either to coach (described above) or help plan and discuss successes and challenges.
• Support Artists/Teachers in creating units/lessons with these questions in mind:
• • How can this unit/lesson make my students smarter about something (outside of skills) people, places, things? Histories?
  • How can this unit/lesson advance understanding of power, equity, and anti-oppression? Is there a connected objective clearly stated?
  • Are the standards represented in the lessons? Are there any red flags? Do you see any connections across classes? If so, you can connect Artists and Teachers who are doing similar work or who might benefit from collaboration

• Connect Teachers/Artists to resources and ensure that they have the materials, texts, and resources needed.
• Be a part of the Observation Team that uses the Observation Tool to visit classrooms, as needed by external evaluator WolfBrown.

Instructional Practices and Student Support 

• Develop, adapt, modify, and personalize educational materials, resources, techniques, methods, and strategies to meet the needs of students with different abilities within the SALA framework (focus on differentiation, scaffolding, and co-teaching) in partnership with the on-site Lead Special Educator.
• Work with SALA's team of special service providers (SPED, ESOL, and others) to ensure ongoing communication and instructional support systems.
• Coordinate instructional activities and collaborate with other professional staff, both school and non-school-based, as required to maximize learning opportunities (e.g., Majors and Explorations partners, other potential outside vendors, and resources identified by ICs to enrich students' learning experience).
• Demonstrate the use of both traditional and innovative instructional methodologies in working with students with various abilities and neurodivergence.
• Build relationships with students, staff, and parents and create a positive, supportive community within the classroom and site.

Additional Duties:

• Be responsible for the thorough and complete collection and storage of all student assessments in partnership with the Office Manager. 
• Collect student artwork and artistic products that reflect strong arts integration with the lessons from which they came. Use those to create a space in the building to highlight best practices - i.e., display work products, connect staff, etc.
• Use part of the staff meeting each week to give timely updates, share shout outs, and offer specialized workshops.
• Provide ongoing feedback to Teachers/Artists through formal and informal observations throughout the program.
• Provide feedback to all the Teachers/Artists on their site at the end of the program using the staff evaluation form in collaboration with the Site Directors.
• Participate in a weekly call with other AICs and the Education lead on the SALA HQ Team to share successes, challenges, and questions and to get timely updates and problem solve.

Required Dates, Times and Working Hours:

SALA ESY Arts Integration Coaches must be able to commit to attending program and training days, including PD week shortly before program launch, and spring PD dates that will occur March-June. Specific dates and deadlines will be provided in a timely manner and all training is paid.

• SALA ESY Program Dates: For all Baltimore sites, the program will run Monday through Thursday for a 5 week period of time. Program hours for students are 8:30 am (Breakfast) to 3:00 pm. 
• • AICs time commitment: 7 hours a day (8.30am - 3.30pm)

• Weekly Meetings and Planning Time: One 30-minute staff meeting per week (days/times TBD by Site Directors); one weekly check-in with the staff they support (day/time/format TBD by Position Director); Planning time (vertical and co-planning): 2 hours a week (more information on this during Spring PD). These meetings are required and paid.

Compensation:

• The SALA ESY Arts Integration Coach is a temporary, non-exempt position and is not eligible for health benefits. This position is eligible for time-off in the form of Sick & Safe leave.
• Arts Integration Coaches will be paid an hourly rate of $52
• ALL positions will be paid at the hourly rate of $25.00 for all professional development sessions and training. 

Time Off:

Grant and special-funded staff, hired for short-term assignments, internships, and as temporary project-based staff, are not eligible to accrue PTO, however Sick and Safe leave is available to these employees. Sick and Safe Leave is accrued at a rate of one hour for every thirty hours worked and begins accruing on day one of employment. Employees may use the leave in increments of 1 hour or greater. Employees will be paid at their current regular rate for each accrued Sick and Safe Leave hour used.

Employees who have questions about Sick and Safe Leave, including (i) their eligibility for Sick and Safe Leave; (ii) when Sick and Safe Leave may be used; and (iii) the amount of available Sick and Safe Leave should promptly contact the People Operations Department (pops@artsforlearningmd.org)

To apply:

For consideration, apply online at: www.artsforlearningmd.org/programs/summer-arts-academy/work-with-us/ 

Arts for Learning Maryland (formerly Young Audiences of Maryland) is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to cultivating a diverse workforce and equitable workplace. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, national origin, veteran status, and disability. All qualified applications will be given equal opportunity.