Aboriginal Academic Success Teacher Job Description

Position Description:

The Aboriginal Academic Success teacher will have a strong understanding of cultural safety and humility, inclusion practices and supports, social-emotional learning and strategies, trauma-informed practice, and possess an ability to build strong connections with students and families.

This is a specialized teaching position that combines Indigenous ways of knowing with academic and graduation pathway supports for Aboriginal students. Working independently and in collaboration with staff in schools, the Aboriginal Academic Success Teacher will design, facilitate, and implement learning opportunities that are aligned with the goal areas of the Aboriginal Education Department and the Indigenous Education Council priorities in School District No. 8 (Kootenay Lake). This position synthesizes a strong understanding of Aboriginal pedagogy and culture within a wide range of instructional areas.

Reporting to the Director of Indigenous Education & Learning Services, the Aboriginal Academic Success teacher will work as part of the larger Aboriginal Education team in School District No. 8 and will attend Aboriginal Education department staff meetings to collaborate, share reflections, grow strengths, and stay current on district initiatives. They will also carry out other related duties to support district Aboriginal Education programming in the district as assigned by the Director of Indigenous Education & Learning Services. All work within this position is designed to enhance Aboriginal student success and sense of belonging at schools in SD8.

Under the direction of the Director of Indigenous Education & Learning Services and the supervision of the school principal, the Aboriginal Academic Success teacher’s responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

· Designing academic supports;

· relationship building, communication and engagement with families;

· liaising and planning academic supports with school-based staff;

· designing and implementing opportunities for career and post-secondary learning experiences;

· monitoring academic and graduation pathway progress;

· participating in and contributing to student support planning meetings;

· encouraging and holding high expectations for Aboriginal students;

· participating in Indigenous graduation honourings;

· leading meetings with Aboriginal students and families to build support plans;

· collaborating with other Aboriginal Education department staff members in the district to design and implement other district learning opportunities as required;

· designing and implementing Ktunaxa, syilx, Secwepemc and Metis cultural learning opportunities for the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation and National Indigenous Peoples Day;

· monitoring and supporting Aboriginal student attendance;

· participating in Grade 12 academic reviews;

· connecting families with Jordan’s Principle application information and resources;

· planning and delivering food equity programs for Aboriginal students that promote healthy traditional food;

· working in small groups as well as in full classrooms in a classroom embedded model to provide supplemental teaching for students needing this additional support;

· monitoring a range of data and designing instructional interventions when needed: attendance, passing/failing of academic courses, graduation planning, and career/post-secondary planning;

· supporting Nominal Roll students according to the terms of the Local Education Agreement;

· creating, communicating, and implementing follow-up plans to support graduation; and

· fulfilling all MoECC audit requirements for Indigenous Education Targeted Funds.

This work is guided by Section 1 and Section 86 (1), 87.001 – 87.005 of the School Act; the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) and Action Plan; the British Columbia Tripartite Education Agreement (BCTEA); the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada ; and the Draft Principles that Guide the Province of British Columbia’s Relationship with Indigenous People.

This is reflected in both the district Aboriginal Education goals, which reflect the priorities of the Indigenous Education Council, as well as local education agreements that outline the delivery of educational programs and services to Nominal Roll students.

Required Qualifications:

• Valid teaching certificate recognized by the BC Ministry of Education and Child Care;

• exemplary teaching record within an Indigenous context;

• a university teaching major or its equivalent which is directly related to the position in question: specialized advanced relevant university-level graduate coursework/traditional teachings that demonstrate Indigenous methodology in literacy/numeracy, Indigenous ways of knowing and being, traditional language, Indigenous cultural healing, and/or Indigenous studies; and

• possession of a current valid Class 5 BC Driver’s license.

Required Abilities:

• Extensive demonstrated knowledge of Indigenous ways of knowing and being;
• ability to work independently as well as with a team; and
• exemplary demonstrated leadership, interpersonal, project management, and organizational skills.

Competencies:

• Cultural humility
• Highly collaborative
• Critical and analytical
• Inquiry mindset
• Independent and initiative driven
• High-level integrity and professionalism
• Problem solving skills

In addition, the following experiences are preferred:

• Indigenous ways of knowing and being as a lived experience
• Living and learning in and from Indigenous community-based teachings
• Indigenous humility/cultural learning
• Connection to Indigenous Elder teachings

Assignments will be reviewed by the district on an annual basis for the following school year.

For more information, please contact Laury Carriere, Director of Instruction-Indigenous Education and Learning Services, at laury.carriere@sd8.bc.ca .

School District 8 supports equity hiring for Indigenous applicants.

SD8 serves families in a spectacular, biodiverse region that includes a portion of the West and East Kootenays in southeastern B.C. Its six families of schools are situated across 15,000 square kilometers of rivers, valleys, lakes, and three mountain ranges, connected by two main municipalities—the Town of Creston and the City of Nelson—with the villages of Slocan, Kaslo, Salmo and many smaller, rural communities dotted in between. Our district is a great place to live, to work, and for children to learn and thrive.

The School Board Office is located in Nelson, B.C. Our schools are dispersed geographically and range in size and composition:

• 13 elementary schools
• 1 middle school
• 1 K-10 school
• 4 secondary schools
• 2 K-12 schools
• online learning and blended programs
• an extensive array of program options, including Aboriginal Education, Late French Immersion, Outdoor Programs, and a strong International Program.

Salary Range; $68,589 - $114,833 per year, in accordance with the current SD8–Kootenay Lake / KLTF Collective Agreement. Placement on the salary grid is based on qualifications and years of teaching experience as evaluated by the BC Teacher Qualification Service (TQS).

Applicants must be certified in British Columbia with a Professional Teaching Certificate, or be eligible for certification by the start date of the assignment. Only applications submitted on Make a Future will be considered. While the District encourages all applications, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

*If you are experiencing any technical issues with your application process to contact Make A Future's customer service line as HR cannot upload or assist with these types of issues. We also cannot accept documents via email such as cover letters/resumes/transcripts/teaching reports via email as they do need to be part of the employee's Make a Future profile.