Library Media Specialist

State of Connecticut • Somers, CT

4d • Onsite

About The Position

The State of Connecticut, Department of Correction (DOC), Unified School District #1 (USD#1) is seeking enthusiastic Library Media Specialists (State School Teacher (12 Months) (35 Hour)). This position is responsible for prioritizing safety and security, developing educational plans, setting goals, evaluating student progress, participating in planning team meetings, relating to professionals in ancillary educational roles, maintaining student records, modeling positive teaching practices, serving as the instructional hub of a school, assisting in ensuring students develop strong information literacy, digital competency, and a lifelong love of learning, collaborating with teachers to co-teach lessons, guiding students in evaluating sources, conducting research, and using library tools effectively, overseeing the selection, acquisition, cataloging, and circulation of print and digital materials, maintaining a diverse and current collection, and assisting the facility population with library needs. The DOC protects public safety by ensuring offenders serve their sentences of imprisonment in facilities that are safe, human, and provide re-entry programming. USD#1 is dedicated to providing quality educational programs for incarcerated individuals, offering academic knowledge, vocational competencies, and life skills integrated with technology in a positive environment to foster lifelong learning, multicultural awareness, and a successful social transition.

Requirements

• Endorsed Library Media Specialist in Connecticut
• Possession of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college
• Active Initial, Provisional, or Professional Endorsement
• Understanding of the different types of learning styles of students and being able to teach to their ability levels
• Ability to work with a variety of different disciplines throughout the day
• Working knowledge of classroom routines and disciplines
• Outstanding personal and interpersonal skills
• Ability to follow the class schedule as provided by the school administration with the understanding that it may change unexpectedly
• Possession of a valid Connecticut State Board of Education teaching certificate appropriate to the teaching assignment
• May be required to possess and retain a current Connecticut Motor Vehicle operator's license

Nice To Haves

• Experience with teaching a diverse group of people
• Experience working in a correctional institution setting, detention center, or similarly secured environment
• Experience teaching groups of people with differing levels of education
• Experience working in a school library setting

Responsibilities

• Prioritizing safety and security as it pertains to staff, victims, citizens, and offenders
• Developing educational plans for individuals and groups
• Setting short and long term goals and evaluating student progress
• Participating in planning team meetings and case review conferences to assess student behavior
• Relating to professionals in ancillary educational roles
• Maintaining student records and writing reports
• Modeling positive teaching practices
• Serving as the instructional hub of a school, connecting students and educators to resources, technology, and research skills
• Assisting in ensuring that students develop strong information literacy, digital competency, and a lifelong love of learning
• Collaborating with teachers to co-teach lessons on research skills, information literacy, and digital citizenship
• Guiding students in evaluating sources, conducting research, and using library tools effectively, fostering independent learning and critical thinking
• Overseeing the selection, acquisition, cataloging, and circulation of print and digital materials, including books, databases, and multimedia resources
• Maintaining a diverse and current collection to support curriculum needs and student interests
• Assisting the facility population with library needs

Benefits

• Option to maintain State of Connecticut Teacher Retirement Plan or enroll in the State Employee Retirement System
• A variety of medical and dental plans
• Participation in a hybrid retirement plan which provides a retirement benefit, that may include retiree health insurance
• Sick and personal leave
• Five (5) weeks of scheduled vacation time
• Annual $1,000.00 lump sum payment
• Tuition reimbursement
• Public Services Loan Forgiveness employer

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level