Middle School Science Teacher

Camden Prep • Camden, NJ

4d • $56,000 - $80,000

About The Position

Uncommon Schools is seeking a Middle School Science Teacher to help prepare students with the knowledge and skills to engage critically with science. Teachers work in grade-level teams and deliver an interdisciplinary, NGSS-aligned curriculum that emphasizes a love of science, inquiry-based learning, student discourse, and science practices. The role supports students’ scientific questioning and analysis, subject mastery, and social-emotional development, preparing eighth-grade students for the academic autonomy and college-preparatory focus of high school.

Teachers analyze student work and assessments with school leaders, differentiate instruction, build relationships with students and families, and collaborate with colleagues. Uncommon Schools provides coaching, mentorship, and professional development. Compensation is $56,000–$80,000, with starting pay determined by factors including relevant full-time teaching experience, education, certifications, and tenure.

Requirements

• Demonstrated commitment to supporting students’ social-emotional and academic development.
• Enthusiasm for collaborating with internal and external partners in students’ best interests.
• Ability to learn independently, seek feedback, and implement it to improve outcomes and achieve objectives.
• Demonstrated interest in impacting K–12 students in urban schools and communities.
• Academic expertise in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field of study.
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university before the start of employment.
• Meet New Jersey state certification eligibility requirements: a final undergraduate or graduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 for graduates on or after September 1, 2016, or 2.75 for graduates before that date.
• Instructional staff must become certified in New Jersey within a reasonable period after beginning employment.

Nice To Haves

• One to two years of experience impacting K–12 students in urban schools and communities is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Teach an interdisciplinary, NGSS-aligned curriculum covering topics such as climate and Earth’s systems, the cosmos, matter and energy transformations, electricity and magnetism, and molecular and ecological systems.
• Develop students’ abilities to question, model, construct explanations, analyze data, argue from evidence, and plan and conduct interactive labs.
• Foster students’ confidence, engagement, and passion for science.
• Help students understand connections among scientific fields and their local and global communities.
• Meet weekly with the principal and/or instructional coach to analyze student work and assessment trends and respond to them.
• Learn and implement strategies to differentiate instruction for all learners.
• Build positive relationships with students so they feel seen, loved, and heard.
• Partner with students’ families to ensure appropriate learning resources are available.
• Participate in practice-based professional development, mentorship, and coaching.
• Attend weekly school-wide meetings to cultivate community, model core values, and encourage student achievement.
• Collaborate with the grade-level team to develop academic goals and practice instructional strategies.

Benefits

• Generous paid time off, including sick time, paid holidays, and approximately 10 weeks of paid spring, winter, and summer breaks.
• Extensive training and development.
• Health insurance.
• Dental insurance.
• Vision insurance.
• Flexible spending accounts (FSA).
• Dependent care flexible spending accounts (DCFSA).
• Health savings accounts (HSA).
• Retirement benefits, subject to role eligibility.
• Paid leave options, including parental, medical, and disability leave.
• Mental health and counseling support.
• Wellness benefits.

What This Job Offers

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