SY25-26 J.F. Kennedy Middle School Guidance Counselor

Grades: 6-8

Guidance Counselor

Full Time Start Date: Immediate

Base Salary: Up to $90,424 and commensurate with experience

Job Responsibilities

Educator responsibilities in SEZP include:

• Enacting anti-racist instructional practices that ensure students own the learning
• Providing grade level rigor in the course content using highly-rated, research-based curriculum
• Providing embedded interventions for students needing additional support, time, or scaffolds
• Working closely with a co-taught team of two to three additional educators in the classroom
• Engaging with families as partners in the learning around successes, challenges, and problem-solving on behalf of our scholars
• Other duties as determined by the school Principal

Position Qualifications

• Experience teaching in middle school or high school preferred
• Appropriate content/program area and grade level educator license (School Counselor) from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education required (Educators who are not yet licensed by MA DESE in the appropriate content/program area and grade level may be eligible for a licensure waiver and are still encouraged to apply.)
• Experience as an active anti-racist, LGBTQ+ advocate, or organizer for equity preferred
• Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred
• Bachelor's degree required

If you meet some of the qualifications above, we encourage you to apply or reach out for more information. We know that historically marginalized groups - including people of color, women, people from working class backgrounds, and people who identify as LGBTQ - are less likely to apply unless and until they meet every requirement for a job. Therefore, we strongly encourage applications from educators with these identities or who are members of other marginalized communities.

We encourage you to reach out to us at info@sezp.org if you have questions about the role or your qualifications. We are happy to help you feel ready to apply

Benefits

Selection as an educator in SEZP recognizes an individual for their outstanding vision, capacity, and commitment to anti-racist school communities. Educators joining SEZP may be eligible for the following recruitment incentives, subject to personalized negotiation for individual candidates:

• Up to $90,424 base salary
• Substantial signing bonus in addition to base salary
• Relocation award for candidates from regions beyond western Massachusetts

About the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership:

While Massachusetts is consistently ranked as one of the top states for education results in the country, we have one of the highest and most persistent opportunity gaps. The Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership (SEZP) - established in 2015 as a collaboration between Springfield Public Schools (SPS), the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), and the Springfield Education Association (SEA) - seeks to improve the longitudinal life outcomes of the more than 5,000 students in our 16 middle and high schools.

As a "zone" of schools within the city of Springfield, SEZP's approach draws on a deep and embedded partnership with the school district and local teachers' union, while harnessing the flexibility and innovation found in autonomous school models. As a result, each school within SEZP is accorded significant school-based autonomies - in curriculum, talent, calendar, schedule, and budget - while being held accountable for realizing achievement gains for historically marginalized students. In all of our work, SEZP is in pursuit of equity and anti-racism acknowledging the systemic oppression our students and families encounter daily and working to disrupt these provision gaps urgently and courageously.

NONDISCRIMINATION EMPLOYMENT STATEMENT

The Springfield Public Schools does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, sex characteristics, sex stereotypes and other sex-based conduct, genetic information, ancestry, age, disability or military service or marital status. The Springfield Public Schools does not discriminate in admission to, access or treatment in its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, sex, gender identity, sex characteristics, sex stereotypes and other sex-based conduct, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation, disability or homelessness.

NOTICE OF SEX NONDISCRIMINATION

Springfield Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of sex and prohibits sex discrimination, including sex-based harassment, in any education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX and its regulations, including in admission and employment.

Inquiries about Title IX may be referred to the Springfield Public Schools' Title IX Coordinator, titleix@springfieldpublicschools.com, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights at https://ocrcas.ed.gov/contact-ocr, or both.

The Springfield Public Schools Title IX Coordinator is Katie O'Sullivan, Senior Administrator of Human Resources, 1550 Main Street, Springfield, MA 01103, 413-787-7100 ext. 55428, titleix@springfieldpublicschools.com.

Springfield Public School's sex nondiscrimination policy and grievance procedures can be located on the Springfield Public Schools website, www.springfieldpublicschools.com/non-_discrimination

To report information about conduct that may constitute sex discrimination or make a complaint of sex discrimination under Title IX, please refer to titleix@springfieldpublicschools.com

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