26-27 Upper School Life Science SPED Teacher

At Quad Prep, we are on a mission — to transform the lives of neurodiverse, twice-exceptional people by redefining the experience of school. Through the collective, collaborative, and empathatic work of our teachers and clinicians, we are empowering our students to engage with the exciting and wonderful diversity of this world. Now in our 2nd decade, we are excited to welcome fellow innovators and collaborative colleagues to our team to be a part of this inspiring and impactful mission.

About the role

The Quad Preparatory School is looking for a full-time sixth-grade life science teacher for the 2026-2027 school year. The teacher will provide academic instruction and social-emotional support to students in the sixth grade in collaboration with our clinicians. Our classrooms consist of fewer than ten students, and our teachers also have one-to-one instructional time with their students once a week. Our students have a wide range of learning abilities. Teachers have the opportunity to receive mentorship, coaching, and support from clinicians as well as academic administrators.

Responsibilities

• Plan and implement high-quality, engaging life science lessons that are differentiated to meet the learning needs of the students.
• Regularly assess the students and the curriculum, adapting content and instruction as appropriate; communicating assessment results to parents.
• Subscribe to and implement the school’s philosophy of progressive and personalized education for twice-exceptional children.
• Collaborate with K-12 science teachers to ensure a vertically aligned science program.
• Support students during co-curricular programming that occurs during the school day.
• Create and maintain an orderly and aesthetic learning environment that accounts for students’ social, emotional, and executive functioning needs.
• Maintain accurate records using both our school’s learning management system as well as carefully managed portfolios of student work to illustrate and record progress and achievement.
• Empower students to take charge of their learning by providing all necessary scaffolding, modeling, materials, and resources, and consistently maintaining a high level of expectation for student success.
• Collaborate with other academic staff and psychosocial staff members to plan, integrate, and facilitate cross-curricular, inquiry-based projects.
• Communicate with parents and guardians to provide feedback on pupils’ academic and social-emotional progress through parent-teacher conferences, written reports, phone calls, and emails.
• Follow the professional code and policies of the school and conduct oneself in a way that promotes the mission of the school.
• Utilize technology: Veracross student management system, Google Classroom, and Google Suite, in particular Google Calendar, Google Drive, Docs, and Sheets.
• Attend all faculty and staff meetings, professional development sessions, and required special events (e.g., Curriculum Night, open houses, parent-teacher conferences).
• Perform other duties as assigned, including, but not limited to, teaching electives, serving as an academic advisor, and/or leading a student club (during the school day).

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in science, science education, elementary education, special education, or a related field.
• Minimum of 1 year paid teaching experience with upper elementary or middle school students.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience as an upper elementary or middle school science or special education teacher.
• Master’s degree in science education, special education, elementary education, science, or a related field.
• Special education training, including training in the areas of gifted education and twice-exceptional youth.
• Secondary Science, Elementary Education, and/or Special Education teaching credential.
• Experience teaching twice-exceptional youth.

Skills

• Love for working with middle school students.
• Desire and ability to work with students with special needs.
• Knowledge, understanding, and strong interest in life science.
• Ability to connect with middle school students.
• Lesson planning and the ability to provide engaging and differentiated instruction.
• Effective oral and written communication.
• A solid understanding of adolescent academic, social, and emotional development.
• Attention to detail.
• Maintaining confidentiality and privacy.
• Ethical conduct.
• Time management and the ability to multitask.
• Teamwork and collaboration.
• Patience and flexibility.

Work Environment

This job operates in a school setting. The school is located on the fifth and sixth floors of a building with an elevator. This role requires working in various locations around the school and occasional travel to the Lower School campus approximately two blocks away.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and listen. This position is active and involves continuous standing, walking, and climbing stairs. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move items under 20 pounds. Typing is required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Schedule

This is a full-time exempt position in an educational facility that is open eight hours a day. Teachers work ten months out of the year according to the academic calendar (late August to late June). Occasional evening or weekend hours may be required, anticipate at least three of these events throughout the year. In general, hours are Monday-Friday 8am - 4pm.

Pay

Annual salary range: $65,000-$89,000, dependent upon experience and degree obtained.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Account (FSA), pre-tax transit, and dependent care (DC FSA) accounts.
• 401K match and student loan repayment contributions (after one year of employment).
• Generous parental leave.
• Group life and disability insurance.
• Full tuition waiver for candidates wishing to participate in our annual Certificate Program in Meeting the Needs of Twice-Exceptional Students.
• Professional development opportunities, including a First Year Support Program for all new faculty and staff, and a Leadership Development Institute for those wishing to gain supervisory experience.
• On average, 33 days off (approximately 7 weeks) for scheduled holidays and school breaks.
• Generous preparation periods throughout each week, limiting after-work hours.
• Students dismissed midday each Friday for team meetings, planning, and prep.
• Opportunity to build a private practice or tutor non-Quad Prep students onsite during after-school hours at low-cost reduced rates.
• Staff wellness groups, social events, and voluntary groups including Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging; Staff Ambassador Program; and Peer Mentorship Program.