Middle School Science Teacher

Founded in 2019 by two longtime educators, was created to reimagine the middle school experience for students, families and staff. We’re built to disrupt the NYC education system by offering a much-needed alternative for families searching for an elevated, personalized, diverse education experience for their children. We know kids and families deserve more than what is often offered in the public school system but understand that private school can be unapproachable. At BKI we fill that gap – not with the rigor or traditional structure that has become the norm – but with care. We take an approach to learning that engages each individual student’s curiosity, creativity, and humanity because we care to do things differently.

The Opportunity

We are currently looking for experienced educators to join our team in the 2025 - 2026 school year in the science department. As a teacher at Brooklyn Independent you’ll support BKI’s mission by…

• Bringing an inclusive lens to your content and ensuring it comes alive for every student through curriculum development, lesson planning and lesson revising.
• Teaching two - three hours of your subject and leading students through learning activities focused on partner/group work and student voice.
• Working one-on-one with your coach and various teams (ex. grade level and department) to learn and unlearn best practices around participation, engagement and critical thinking.
• Using restorative classroom practices to build community, foster a safe learning environment, and support students’ abilities to independently repair and restore relationships.

As a start-up school, every staff member plays an integral role in shaping our community and culture. We believe that experiences beyond our core subjects are just as crucial as humanities, math and science. As a teacher at BKI, you will support our culture work by running a morning and afternoon advisory, facilitating community building during Circle, running an elective of your choice and contributing to our Friday Field Learning.

Who You Are

Our ideal candidates have an unwavering commitment to equity work in the education space and the pursuit of student achievement and growth. Beyond that, you are a:

Curriculum Developer: No lesson is ever “finished” for you. You always find ways to adjust, improve or make lessons more rigorous, interesting and meaningful for students. You are a planner and feel excited about the entire scope of curriculum building. From unit plans to individual lessons, you relish the opportunity to be creative and build learning experiences that reach every student.

Bar Raiser:You strive for personal excellence and know that consistency, follow through and attention to detail are an essential part of success for you and your students. You set a high bar for yourself and your students, but balance this drive with grace, compassion and a lot of joy. You take pride in serving as a model in your community and believe that commitment can be seen in actions more than words.

Relationship Enthusiast: Relationships are an integral part of your professional life. You build community in your classroom, on your team and with families. People might say that this comes naturally to you, but you understand that this is very intentional work that is more than just being a “people person.” You acknowledge, value, and celebrate the identities and contributions of your community in all their forms and actively work to repair relationships when conflict occurs.

Lifelong Learner: You always seek to improve personally and professionally. You are open to interrogating your own practices and mindsets and lead with curiosity in all your interactions. You believe that it is less about being “right” but about “doing right.” You are open to learning from all members of a school community - including your students and families.

Strong Teammate: You recognize the interdependence of a team and realize that trust is demonstrating commitment, openness to feedback and accountability to each of your teammates. You are nimble enough to handle a startup school environment and can take initiative when needed. When the need to be flexible or adapt arises, it does not interfere with your ability to be successful and stay positive.

Required Qualifications

• 3+ years teaching experience required; preference given to candidates with middle school experience
• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree and certification strongly preferred
• Confidence in lesson planning and curriculum development; strong knowledge of the current state standards for your subject and ability to translate standards into learning objectives
• Data driven educator with experience assessing student learning and developing plans to address student needs on a daily, weekly and quarterly basis without the use of standardized exams
• Self-starter mentality with strong organizational skills, time-task management and work-ethic (your drive is based on your passion/commitment and not on what you are told to do)
• Skilled in G-Suite/Microsoft Office and comfortable with learning new educational technology platforms, apps and software
• Committed to family partnership through frequent phone calls, emails, texts and teacher-led meetings
• Understanding of differentiation and leveled supports both academically and behaviorally; comfort with designing and implementing individual student plans
• Commitment to professional growth and active participation in professional development/1:1 coaching focused on academic achievement, social emotional development, and social justice

Interview Process

We want our candidates to KNOW us when they join the team. That is why our interview process is more extensive but it means we can both say “YES!” with confidence:

• Phone screening (30 minutes)
• School Visit (1 hour)
• Video Submission/Performance task (1 hour)
• In-person Interview (4 hours)
• Demo Lesson
• Observation of Classes
• Interview
• Student and/or Teacher Conversations
• Interview Follow Up and References (30 minutes)
• Board Member and/or Family Committee Chat (30 minutes)

Compensation

The starting compensation for this role is between $60,000 to $100,000. The starting pay will depend on various factors that may include but are not limited to professional experience, education, training and certifications.

Equity Statement

Brooklyn Independent is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building a culturally diverse faculty and staff. BKI does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran, or military status. We are committed to the inclusion of all qualified individuals in the hiring process. If you require reasonable accommodation(s) to participate in the application or interview process, please contact us.

How to Apply

Please complete a short questionnaire and submit a resume on our website - https://www.bkindependent.org/careers