FAQs for Teachers - Mastery Charter Schools

FAQs
Mastery Schools of Camden
Staff Recruitment Fact Sheet
1. Will Mastery hire current district teachers and leaders who are interested in staying at the school?
Yes. While no positions are guaranteed, we are sincerely interested in having dedicated district
instructional staff join us.
We are extremely excited to be offering a $2500 one-time bonus to existing teachers from Molina,
McGraw, and East Camden Middle who choose to stay at their schools, interview with and ultimately
join Mastery. After speaking with many families and staff, we confirmed what we already knew – that
there are caring, incredible teachers at each school. Please consider Mastery as an employment
option.
2. Will Mastery hire current paraprofessional and administrative staff? How about current
maintenance, janitorial, and security staff?
While no positions are guaranteed, we are sincerely interested in having dedicated district
paraprofessional support and administrative staff join us. Mastery will contract with the district for
maintenance, janitorial, food service, and security staff – so as currently is the case, the district will
determine which staff are placed at the school. Finally, please note that in comparison to the district,
Mastery typically hires more instructional staff and less support and administrative personnel.
3. How do I learn more?
We would love to connect with you! If you would like to speak with a recruitment team member to
learn more about Mastery employment opportunities, please call us at 215.866.9000 ext. 1007.
Alternatively, you can email us at Recruitment@masterynj.org and our team will set up a convenient
time to talk with you.
4. How do I apply?
You can sign up for an interview by emailing a copy of your resume and desired position with the
subject line ‘Mastery Camden Interview’ to Recruitment@masterynj.org and we will schedule you for
an interview. We have a two-step process – the first step is an interview and the second is a
demonstration lesson. Offers are made on a rolling basis. We expect all offers will be made by June 1,
2015.
5. What makes Mastery schools different?
Our schools are organized around a common vision: “Mastery schools are joyful, authentic
communities where students learn how to think critically and act independently so they are truly
prepared for post-secondary success.” Our work is rooted in an unwavering belief that our students
can achieve at the highest levels. To fulfill our vision, we recognize that we must attend to the whole
child – we value personal as well as academic skills, and we match our high expectations for students
with high levels of support. Our program is comprised of four interlocking systems:
•
Curriculum, Instruction, and Teacher Development: Mastery integrates a Common-Core
aligned curriculum with specific instructional strategies and robust teacher support so that
teachers can deliver engaging, rigorous instruction.
•
School Culture: Mastery’s school culture systems support joyful school communities that
nurture students’ sense of belonging and the development of their independence and personal
responsibility. Mastery believes a positive school community – based on genuine relationships
between teachers and students and rooted in a belief in students’ ability to achieve at the
highest levels – is the foundation of a successful school.
•
Assessment & Data: Mastery has built a comprehensive data tracking and reporting system
that enables staff to focus on the areas of greatest student need and drive results.
•
Student Support: To ensure all students succeed, Mastery has developed a comprehensive
safety net to support students in overcoming their academic and emotional challenges.
6. What will I be paid as a Mastery employee?
If hired, Mastery will at least match your current salary. Mastery has a performance-based pay system.
Two of Mastery’s values are “Open Doors” and “The High Road” which means we strive to have a
transparent and fair system. Our performance pay system has four teacher categories, each with a
specific advancement criteria and salary range. Teachers move through the categories based on their
performance. Because the system is performance based, some folks make more and some make less,
but on average our teachers make more than they would at the district for their years of experience.
For teachers, performance is based on student growth, instructional quality (observations), student
survey feedback, and Mastery values. Below is our teacher salary scale:
2015-16 NJ Teacher Salary Scales
Performance Category
Min
Associate
$ 48,000
Sr Associate
$ 60,000
Teachers
Advanced
$ 69,250
Master
$ 79,250
Max
$ 58,250
$ 68,000
$ 78,250
$ 90,000
All other staff positions are similarly organized – with performance categories (also published) and
advancement criteria specific to the responsibilities of the role. The advancement criterion typically
has three components: annual goals, work performance, and Mastery values.
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7. As a Teacher, what type of training will I receive upon joining Mastery?
Mastery is recognized as a national leader for training and supporting teachers. We believe well
trained and supported teachers make great schools. We provide more professional development than
traditional districts. Every Wednesday, the school day ends early for teacher planning and professional
development. We also have instructional and subject-based coaches who support teachers in adopting
common core aligned instructional strategies. Finally, we see lesson planning as an important part of
teacher development. Typically, teachers plan collaboratively with peers and school leaders on a
weekly and daily basis.
8. Is the calendar & school day different for staff?
We begin our school year for instructional staff in the second week of August, allowing two or three
weeks of training and preparation before students arrive the last week of August. The school year
typically ends in the 3rd week of June. Because Mastery has more professional development days, the
school year is longer for teachers but the actual number of student school days is just a few days more
than the district. Staff work an eight hour work day. The school day for students is approximately
8am-3:20pm. On Wednesdays, the school day ends at about 1:45pm for students, which allows
teachers to have 2 hours of planning and PD time.
9. What does the benefits package include? Retirement and pension plans?
We expect that our benefits program is similar to the district’s and includes medical insurance, dental,
vision, flexible spending accounts, disability, life insurance and voluntary benefits, tuition
reimbursement, and paid time off. All regular, full-time employees and their spouses/domestic
partners and dependents are eligible to participate in Mastery’s full benefits plans. Employees may
select medical coverage under our HMO or POS Plans. The State of New Jersey requires an employee
contribution to the medical and dental plans, which are paid through employee payroll deductions. Life
and Disability and Employee Assistance Program benefits are 100% paid by Mastery. Other voluntary
benefits are available at nominal cost. Mastery also offers a selection of voluntary benefits in which
part-time employees (working 20 hours or more per week) may enroll. These include voluntary life and
disability, vision, and flexible spending accounts. *See Mastery’s benefits brochure for more
information.
Mastery offers the same mandated pension programs offered by other NJ school districts: Teacher’s
Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF), Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) and Defined
Contribution Retirement Plan (DCRP). All “certificated” teaching staff will be enrolled in TPAF. Noncertified staff will be enrolled in PERS, and part-time employees who earn at least $5,000/annually and
work less than 32 hours per week will be enrolled in DCRP. Enrollment in the pension plans will include
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mandated employee contributions to the plan each school year. Employees may also elect to
participate in Mastery’s supplemental 403b offerings for additional retirement savings. Mastery also
provides access to financial advisory services through Excel Retirement.
10. Will I remain in the union? If not, how do personnel issues get handled?
Mastery staff are not part of a collective bargaining unit. Mastery takes pride in being a values-based
community – we nurture honest and direct feedback because we believe that’s how problems get
solved quickly and kids get served best. Mastery has robust HR procedures to ensure that employees
are treated fairly and transparently. For example, employees that are struggling in their role must be
warned and provided opportunities to improve before any action is taken. Each school also has a
School Management Committee that works closely with school leaders to ensure transparency and
effective problem-solving. Mastery has been recognized as a “Top Workplace” for 6 years in a row by
the Philadelphia Inquirer (based on a region-wide employee survey).
11. Is there tenure?
Teaching staff can acquire tenure at Mastery after five consecutive academic years as an “effective”
teacher (“effective” is the NJ DOE term – essentially meaning a teacher meets expectations per our
teacher evaluation system). Time accrued, or tenure acquired, in the Camden School District system
does not transfer or count towards Mastery’s system for tenure purposes. The five year tenure clock
begins the first full year of Mastery employment.
12. Are there promotion and growth opportunities within Mastery?
As Mastery continues to grow, there will be opportunities for growth within the organization. Mastery
has an Apprentice School Leader (ASL) Program. The ASL Program is a highly selective one-year
residency for future Mastery leaders to grow and learn as they prepare to be a School Leader or
Assistant School Leader.
13. Do Mastery teachers stay? What’s the turnover rate?
Mastery teachers do stay – our annual turnover rate is about 12% and has been dropping every year.
Teaching is both the best job in the world and one of the toughest. So, working at Mastery can be
intense – because we are so focused on student achievement. We also believe in building a joyful and
supportive community – and making sure the copier works!
14. What if I have more questions?
Do not hesitate to contact us. For additional questions regarding Mastery’s employment practices,
policies, and/or benefits, contact our Talent Team at hr@masterycharter.org.
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