NEW BEDFORD – Alma del Mar will offer a new incentive to top teaching talent next fall in an effort to attract, develop and retain great educators for the high-performing urban charter public school.
Educators who have earned the title of Master Teacher at Alma’s Ottiwell Campus will be offered a four-day work week, without a reduction in pay, beginning in the second quarter of the 2020-2021 school year. This more flexible workweek will provide a way to sustain veteran, Master Teachers for the long term.
“The long-term impacts of our high-performing teachers, including their positive impacts beyond the classroom, are outsized,” said Will Gardner, Executive Director of Alma del Mar. “Alma’s model is built around the idea that our teachers are smart, creative problem-solvers. This differentiates us from schools and charter networks that have tried to solve for teacher turnover by essentially ‘teacher-proofing’ their models.”
Master Teachers who take advantage of the four-day work week model will be paired with Associate Teachers, a position held by more novice educators who receive real-time training in the classrooms they support every day. Alma will continue to invest in these high-capacity Associate Teachers by giving them the opportunity to lead a classroom on the fifth day, while the Master Teacher is out.
The Master Teacher position was created several years ago in order to provide a way for talented teachers to move forward in their career while continuing to stay in the classroom full time. Master Teachers at Alma often mentor newer teachers, lead professional development and share best practices.
Alma is currently hiring teachers, across grade levels and content areas, for the 2020-2021 school year. Visit www.almadelmar.org/join-our-team/working-at-alma to learn more.
About Alma del Mar Charter Schools:
Alma del Mar Charter Schools operates two charter public schools in New Bedford. The schools are tuition-free. Alma’s mission is to put every one of our scholars on the path to college and to challenge them to be service-minded leaders. We achieve this mission by providing a demanding and supportive education to every scholar who walks through our doors. Alma features a longer school day, a longer school year, high expectations for all scholars, and outstanding teachers from across the country. We currently serve 650 scholars across two campuses.