After School Arts for Learning Academy (ASALA) Site Director

About Arts for Learning Maryland
Arts for Learning Maryland (formerly Young Audiences of Maryland) is devoted to enriching the lives and education of Maryland’s youth through educational and culturally diverse arts programs. Through Arts for Learning, professional teaching artists from all disciplines partner with educators, schools, and school districts to provide — on average — over 560,000 hours of learning in, through, and about the arts to more than 155,000 Maryland students annually.

Arts for Learning is a mission-driven organization that values community, innovation, and passion. The staff, board, and teaching artists have a shared commitment to advance equity in the field of education by working tirelessly to generate opportunities for students to imagine, create, and realize their full potential through the arts.

About the After School Arts for Learning Academy (ASALA)
Baltimore City Schools’ After School Arts for Learning Academy (ASALA) program, operated by Arts for Learning Maryland (A4L), offers students an opportunity to imagine, create, and express who they are through the arts. This is an action-packed, four-day-a-week, three-hour-per-day program that introduces students to a wide variety of art forms—from illustration and spoken word to percussion, drama, and dance—and gives students a chance to work alongside other students from across the city and be taught by professional artists. Daily literacy and math classes are co-planned by a teacher and professional teaching artist, allowing students to experience reading, writing, and math like never before…through the arts! Arts for Learning will host five program sites throughout the City. Each site will host up to 156 students, and teachers and artists will work with groups of up to 26 students.

Mission, Core Values, and Anti-racist Practices:

The mission of the After School Arts for Learning Academy (ASALA) is to provide students with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend time learning from the best teachers and teaching artists our state has to offer. Through a dynamic, creative, and supportive environment, students will explore math and literacy in a unique arts-integrated environment that allows them to develop socially and emotionally, expands their personal creative process, and introduces them to many different art forms taught by professional artists.

We…

• believe unwaveringly that ALL students can achieve high standards in and through the arts;
• provide opportunities for students to develop powerfully articulate voices through art forms and honor their creative processes along the way;
• create safe, brave, inclusive learning environments for students to grow, make mistakes, and contribute to the community;
• collaborate and reflect by learning from and with each other at every step of the process, cultivating positive relationships between all ages;
• encourage the development of critical thinking, problem solving, inquiry, imagination, and creativity, and provide multiple ways for students to demonstrate knowledge and mastery;
• learn about, honor, and leverage the cultural knowledge, experiences, and frames of reference of our students and community to make learning more relevant and effective;
• ensure that our students are known, loved, supported, celebrated, and valued;
• create inclusive environments where all students’ unique gifts and talents are discovered and cultivated, and where students’ identities (racial, cultural, social, gender, etc.) are reflected all around them and matter through acknowledgement and affirmation;
• examine biases and understand the concepts of institutional and structural racism and its impact on policies and practices, especially related to the administration of public education;
• have a passion for students: an ability to build meaningful relationships and a desire to “go above and beyond” to create homeplaces where Black joy is cultivated and thrives and;
• commit to seeing families as partners in education and communicating with them regularly.

Job Description:
The After School Arts for Learning Academy (ASALA) Site Director is a part-time, non-exempt position that reports to the ASALA Director. This position promotes and supports the overall vision and mission of the program. The Site Director is expected to be responsible for all aspects of the program and its operations and to provide leadership and oversight of the site, which includes, but is not limited to, overseeing student engagement and achievement, daily attendance, climate and culture, scheduling, supervision of staff and building operations, all health and safety protocols, and emergency procedures.

Responsibilities Include:

• Ensure that the philosophy and core values of ASALA are central to the school culture and visible throughout the site.
• Collaborate with site support, student support specialists, and school principals as needed to ensure that schedules, site protocols, and tracking methods are devised, implemented, and shared with Arts for Learning staff.
• Provide direct supervision and oversight of all site-based staff, including site support, student support specialist, classroom teachers, teaching artists, paraeducators, AIC coaches, PE coach, lead special educator, IEP chair, and contract staff.
• Model and require that all staff engage in practices that promote high performance, ethical behavior, collegiality, and teamwork.
• Devise (in collaboration with site support and student support specialist) a behavior management manual and other policies for the site.
• Collaborate with and provide support for various partnerships and external stakeholders.
• Conduct weekly 30-minute meetings/training with staff.
• Ensure all artists/teachers submit written weekly lesson plans for all classes. Review and discuss with teachers and artists so that they are prepared to substitute and support an arts-integrated lesson or arts exploration in the case of an absence.
• Serve as a substitute in classrooms and monitor recess when needed.
• Ensure that snacks and dinners have been prepared by cafeteria staff and distributed daily.
• Supervise students during late dismissal.
• Provide oversight of the daily operations and implementation of the ASALA instructional program to ensure that all students have access to unique, relevant, challenging, and fun learning experiences.
• Build relationships with students, staff, and families of diverse backgrounds and create a positive, supportive community within the site.
• Ensure that parents/guardians of absent students are called weekly to promote high rates of daily attendance.
• Respond to inquiries from parents/guardians and the community in a timely and professional manner.
• Facilitate planning and implementation of family and student engagement events throughout the program.
• Lead site in the preparation and planning of the final student culminating showcase. This may include collecting photos and samples of student work and supporting the design and creation of the ASALA yearbook.
• Monitor student attendance data.
• Ensure arts integration/co-teaching planning occurs and keep records of time spent.
• Attend required training and meetings as directed by Arts for Learning Maryland.
• Work cross-functionally with Arts for Learning Maryland and Baltimore City Schools stakeholders (The Office of Summer and Extended Learning) to ensure smooth operation of the site, including teaching and learning
• Complete at least one 35-minute artist/teacher pair lesson observation (math and literacy), and one 35-minute arts exploration lesson observation for teaching artists.
• Provide written feedback to artists and teachers and provide Arts for Learning Maryland with a copy.
• Submit verbal and written reports as required, including completing incident reports.
• Monitor clocking in and out procedures. Input and modify staff clock in and out entries as needed.
• Distribute, monitor, track, and enter student assessments and survey data.
• Ensure that staff have completed an end-of-year feedback form.
• Act as a positive role model for students.

Qualifications:

While no one candidate will possess every quality outlined for this position, the successful candidate will fit many of the following professional qualifications and personal attributes:

• A current teaching or administrative certification is required.
• Proven success in leading educational initiatives, building positive school cultures, and motivating and supporting staff.
• A commitment to our program by reporting to the site regularly to ensure that staff and students are well supported.
• An ability to create inclusive environments where all students’ unique gifts and talents are discovered and cultivated and where students’ identities (racial, cultural, social, gender, etc.) are acknowledged, affirmed, and reflected around them.
• A strong desire to fully integrate into a non-traditional learning environment where flexibility is strongly valued and where new and innovative ideas are not only cultivated but expected from all staff.
• Experience utilizing restorative practices when conflict arises with staff and/or students.
• Excellent personnel management and leadership experience, including organizational skills, punctuality, ability to meet deadlines, and timely and effective communication.
• Share best practices, strategies, and pedagogies that will help teachers and teaching artists support students in times of crisis.
• Strong collaboration and leadership skills.
• An ability to examine biases and an understanding of the concepts of institutional and structural racism and its impact on policies and practices, especially related to the administration of public education.
• Ability to have critical conversations and provide feedback to teachers, teaching artists, staff, parents/guardians, and students when necessary.
• A commitment to seeing families as partners in education and communicating with them regularly.
• A willingness to use either the school office landline or their personal cell phone (number blocking is acceptable) to contact parents and guardians as needed.
• Understanding and appreciation of arts integration with a strong interest (with experience preferred) in arts integration and collaborative planning and reflection.
• A passion for students: an ability to build meaningful relationships and a desire to “go above and beyond” to ensure each student’s success.

Required Dates, Times, and Working Hours:

To be considered for employment, staff must be able to commit to attending all training and program days listed below.

Professional Development and Training Dates (Paid):

• All staff are required to attend Professional Development (PD) on Sept 23, 24, 25 & 26 from 4-7 PM. PD will be held in person at a host site.
• Prior to PD week, staff will be expected to complete up to 10 hours of asynchronous training.
• During the program, all staff will complete 12 hours of race equity training.

Program Dates and Details (subject to change based on site):

• The program will begin for students on September 30th, 2024, and run through June 5th, 2025, for most sites (Pimlico is projected to start in November)
  • The program will run for 131 days.
  • The program will operate Monday-Thursday from 2:30-6:45 PM (program times could alter depending on site).
• All staff will be required to be on-site on September 26 (without students) to prepare for the start of the program.
• Staff will be expected to come for in-person collaborative planning on the first Friday of each month, from 4-7 PM
• Site director hours are Monday-Thursday from 2:30-6:45 PM (times subject to change based on site but 4 hours per day is the requirement) and arrive 30 minutes prior to the program start time.
• One 30-minute staff meeting per week.
• 2 hours of planning time per week.

Time Off:

Grant- and special-funded staff, hired for short-term assignments, internships, and as temporary project-based staff, are not eligible to accrue paid time off, however Sick and Safe leave is available to these employees. Sick and Safe Leave is accrued at a rate of one hour for every thirty hours worked and begins accruing on day one of employment. Employees may use the leave in increments of 1 hour or greater. Employees will be paid at their current regular rate for each accrued Sick and Safe Leave hour used.

Safe and Sick Leave can be used for the following purposes:

• To care for or treat the employee’s mental or physical illness, injury, or condition;
• To obtain preventative medical care for the employee or the employee’s family member;
• To care for a family member* with a mental or physical illness, injury, or condition;
• For maternity or paternity leave; or
• Due to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking committed against the employee or the employee’s family member and the leave is being used: (i) to obtain medical or mental health attention; (ii) to obtain services from a victim services organization; (iii) for legal services or proceedings; or (iv) because the employee has temporarily relocated as a result of the domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

*Please note, a “family member” includes a spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, or legal guardian.

Safe and Sick Leave should not be used for the following purposes:

• Personal vacations or trips;
• Completing work remotely;
• Make up for tardiness unrelated to sickness;
• Other situations not included in the previous section.

Staff members will not be paid out for sick leave time that they don’t use. ASALA HQ and Site Admin staff reserve the right to request to see documentation upon suspicion of leave abuse and after a staff member has used up all of the allotted Sick and Safe time for their respective position.

Employees who have questions about Sick and Safe Leave, including (i) their eligibility for Sick and Safe Leave; (ii) when Sick and Safe Leave may be used; and (iii) the amount of available Sick and Safe Leave should promptly contact the People Operations Department ([email protected])

Compensation:

• The After School Arts for Learning Academy (ASALA) Site Director position is a part-time, non-exempt, temporary position and is not eligible for employee benefits.
• This position is paid an hourly rate of $53.18/hr.

To Apply:
For consideration, please apply on our website, https://artsforlearningmd.org/. Please do not send applications that include headshots or photos of yourself. No phone calls or recruiters, please. All employees will be subject to a federal and state background check in accordance with state and federal law.

Arts for Learning Maryland is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to cultivating a diverse workforce and equitable workplace. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, national origin, veteran status, and disability. All qualified applications will be given equal opportunity.