CDOC State Teacher I: Academic/Cognitive (Sterling)

This position is open to both residents and non-residents of Colorado and is located at the Sterling Correctional Facility in Sterling, Colorado. This posting may be used to fill future vacancies at this location.

About the Role

The position provides High School Equivalency (HSE) Instruction within an adult educational correctional system/facility by delivering instruction, training, and assessments. Instruction aligns with the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) approved Certificate of Accomplishment Curriculum for appropriate Adult Basic Education levels. This position will also provide oversight of the Cognitive Education Program.

Responsibilities

• Teaches and mentors inmate students individually or in large and small group classrooms, promoting occupational, academic, and transitional performance skills.
• Determines educational needs of inmate students to develop short- and long-term goals.
• Plans course content and develops methods of instruction.
• Develops and implements competency-based teaching aids such as instructional software, multimedia visual aids, or study materials.
• Provides hands-on training to teach and demonstrate skills, techniques, methods, and procedures.
• Selects and administers appropriate oral, written, and/or performance assessments to measure progress, course completion requirements, and evaluate training/testing effectiveness.
• Prepares reports and maintains records such as inmate student grades, attendance rosters, and training activity details.
• Observes and evaluates inmate students' work to determine progress, provide feedback, and make suggestions for improvement.
• Justifies accuracy and usage of budget requests.
• Participates in conferences, seminars, and training sessions to stay current with developments in the field and integrates relevant information into training programs.
• Commits to teamwork and collaboration with fellow teachers to promote mutual guidance and improvements.
• Actively contributes to the safety and security of the facility through effective inmate management and conflict resolution.
• Encourages and promotes critical thinking, self-discipline, and self-motivation for the inmate student population to provide skills necessary for reintegration into society.
• Maintains safety and security by training inmates and, in emergent situations, performing inmate counts, shakedowns, searches, escorts, movement control, and inmate access to classrooms.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s Degree in an education-related field.
• Must possess at least one of the following credentials:
  • Colorado Initial or Professional Teacher License (Individuals with a Colorado Initial License upon hire must obtain the Colorado Professional Teacher License within three years of hire).
  • Adult Basic Education Authorization (ABE).
  • Colorado Interim Authorization (out-of-state applicants may be eligible).
  • Appropriate educator license for your state (out-of-state applicants).
• A copy of your license and college transcripts (noting type of degree and date conferred) must be scanned and uploaded with your application. Transcripts from colleges or universities outside the United States must be assessed for U.S. equivalency by a NACES educational credential evaluation service.

Skills

• Significant knowledge of effective teaching strategies, methods, and techniques.
• Exceptional interpersonal and customer service skills.
• Effective conflict resolution skills.
• Strong self-motivation skills.
• Highly effective organizing, planning, and prioritizing skills.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Proficiency in office technologies, especially Microsoft Office Suite.
• Precise attention to detail.
• Self-control and ability to work in stressful, potentially violent situations.
• Ability to remain alert, emotionally stable, and mentally resilient under pressure.
• Tolerance to stress, confinement, and high-stakes interaction.
• Ability to read, comprehend, and communicate fluently in English both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to create accessible documents and technical content following plain language guidelines with accessibility in mind.

Preferred Qualifications

• CDE endorsement in Special Education, English, or Mathematics.
• Master’s degree in Education or a related field.
• Experience teaching and assessing high-risk or incarcerated adults or youth.

Benefits

• Distinctive career advancement opportunities throughout the state system.
• Strong, secure, yet flexible retirement benefits including PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan plus 401K and 457 plans (Correctional Officers I-IV qualify as "Safety Officers" and are eligible for increased PERA benefits).
• Medical and dental health plans.
• Short- and long-term disability coverage.
• Paid life insurance.
• 11 paid holidays per year plus vacation and sick leave.
• Wellness program, tuition reimbursement, training opportunities, and more.

For more information, visit State of Colorado Employee Benefits.

This position is compensated on a bi-weekly pay cycle. All job offers are contingent upon a successful medical screening certifying the candidate's ability to perform the essential functions of the position.