Career Center

Position

We seek a Physical Education Teacher/Assistant Teacher beginning August 2022.

School Overview

Founded in 2006, Community Partnership School (CPS) is a Pre-Kindergarten through Fifth Grade independent elementary school located in North Central Philadelphia. CPS works diligently toward realizing its ambitious mission: to meet talent with opportunity by providing pre-kindergarten and elementary aged children from low-wealth, low-income backgrounds with a high-quality, affordable education that prepares them for lifelong success and strengthens the communities to which they belong.

Our approach embraces family engagement and whole-child development – in other words, actively stimulating the intellectual, social-emotional and physical well-being of each of our students in active partnership with their families.  CPS begins with Pre-Kindergarten in order to capture early learning benefits for both our students and their families. The School program ends after Fifth Grade, with strong focus on individual fit in the placement of our graduates into middle school. Our investment in the success of our students doesn’t end at graduation as we provide on-going graduate support through a comprehensive alumni program. Community demand is approximately ten times the number of spots available each year.

Primary Responsibilities

This position combines part-time PE and Assistant Teacher responsibilities into one full-time position. Essential job functions are explained below:

The Physical Education (PE) Instructor at CPS organizes games and challenges that promote physical activity, the goal of which is to develop motor and social skills among our students. As elementary-aged students differ broadly in their development and physical ability, the PE Instructor works hard to involve students equally and plan activities that support each student’s growth. As a coach, referee, and motivator, the PE Instructor engages the class in both team and individual activities, while explaining the safe and correct way to engage physical fitness.

As an Assistant, the teacher will support Lead Teachers in various aspects of their professional responsibilities.  A major objective of the Teacher Assistant program is to reduce the student/teacher ratio in the classroom, thus Assistant Teachers gain significant instructional experience, typically preparing for and instructing their own reading groups, assisting with math sections, and/or supporting the Lead Teacher in social studies and science.  Specific roles and instructional responsibilities vary according to the Assistant’s level of professional development and confidence. 

The successful applicant must clearly demonstrate motivation and intellectual curiosity, and enjoy working with eager, agile, and energetic students, ages 4-11.  Candidates must also display a strong sense of collegiality, flexibility, openness, and effective communication skills as these qualities are vital for effective work in a collaborative learning community.  A love of children, technology proficiency, and a desire to contribute beyond the classroom are also important attributes of a successful candidate. 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

A bachelor's degree in a relevant field is required.  Specific academic preparation in the education field and/or classroom teaching experience is preferred. As a school deeply committed to principles of democracy and social justice, we are particularly interested in candidates with proven commitment and success working in a diverse, multicultural setting.

The person fulfilling this role is a full member of the faculty reporting directly to the Director of Curriculum and Instruction.

Application

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and the names of three references to Beth Vaccaro, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, via email at b.vaccaro@cpsphilly.org.