ETHNIC STUDIES OVERVIEW

Ethnic Studies courses in HPS center on 3 major concepts: Access, Relevance, and Community. Our Ethnic Studies courses utilize Culturally Relevant Pedagogies through their emphasis on teaching the Standards through content that allows students to explore their Identity, their family history, and their community history, intentionally creating opportunities for students to engage with community, family members and some type of social activism. Our curriculum is anchored by four essential themes and questions:

Causality: How did systems of power and oppression become institutionalized in the United States and how are these systems upheld overtime?

Solidarity: In what ways are people of color and marginalized groups, both in the U.S and abroad, impacted by a legacy of colonization?

Resistance: What have people of color, marginalized groups, and young folks done to organize movements that challenge the Status Quo?

Action: What action can Holyoke High School students plan, organize, and implement to resist systemic oppression in our own city and schools?

Job description:

• Meet and instruct assigned classes in the locations and at the times designated.
• Plan a program of study that, as much as possible, meets the individual needs, interests, and abilities of the students and employs a variety of instructional techniques and media.
• Create a classroom environment that is conducive to learning and appropriate to the maturity and interests of students.
• Guide the learning process toward the achievement of High School Ethnic Studies curriculum goals and – in harmony with the goals – establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, projects and the like to communicate these objectives to students.
• Strive to implement by instruction and action a philosophy of education, instructional goals, and objectives that are aligned to the ARC of Ethnic Studies (Access, Relevance, and Community).
• Assess the accomplishments of students on a regular basis and provide progress reports as required.
• Maintain accurate, complete, and correct records as required by law, district policy, and administrative regulations.
• Make provisions for being available to students and parents for education-related purposes outside the instructional day when required or requested.
• Strive to maintain and improve professional competence.
• Attend staff meetings and serves on staff committee as required (Ethnic Studies PDs/PLCs and whole staff meetings).
• Attend monthly Ethnic Studies department meetings and all Ethnic Studies Professional Development (which includes 3 days over the summer in July 2018).
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Experience implementing Ethnic Studies Pedagogy/Content
• Commitment to ensuring academic success for all students
• Understanding of Social Justice as emphasized in the Curriculum
• Experience working in an urban setting
• Experience working with diverse student populations
• Ability to read, interpret, and apply student performance data to instructional planning and execution
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; excellent teamwork skills and desire to collaborate
• Bilingual applicants (Spanish) strongly encouraged to apply
• Teachers of color strongly encouraged to apply 
• Critically conscious, self-reflective candidates encouraged to apply
• Evidence of developing healthy and supportive student and family relationships
• An authentic commitment to learning the context of the city of Holyoke 

Required license(s):  

• History, 8-12 with SEI Endorsement