Upper School (grades 7-8) Math/Science Teacher (Windsor, Colorado)

Do you want to grow your career in An American Classical Education, helping students to live responsible, courageous and virtuous lives? Ascent Classical Academy of Northern Colorado in Windsor, Colorado is hiring an Upper School math and science teacher to begin in the 2023-2024 school year. The successful candidate will teach middle school grades, anticipated to be 3 science classes and two math (algebra-level) classes.

At Ascent Classical Academies, teachers create their own lessons within the framework set by our content-rich curriculum, in collaboration with colleagues and in partnership with Hillsdale College's Barney Charter School Initiative. Ascent Classical Academies are dedicated to the intellectual and moral betterment of our students and encourage teachers to take their own moral and intellectual improvement seriously as part of a supportive and excellence-driven culture.
Through mathematics, the teacher guides learners to confront the abstract and engage in the uniquely human capacity for purely rational thought. Logic and reason in every discipline owe their structure to mathematical principles. In helping students discover these principles, the young mind is shaped into a powerful tool of reason. Robust training in mathematics prepares students to test possible truths against established principles, and even discover new truths by building on the work of those who have come before.

Science is one of the most tangible ways for our students to experience wonder in the classroom. Students learn how to observe the universe and investigate the phenomena they observe. They practice critical questioning and reasoning through collecting data, building inferences, testing hypotheses, and applying theories and principles already discovered. In a classical classroom, biology, chemistry, and physics are valued as means of understanding and marveling at nature. In tandem with our virtue of wonder, our students are shaped by science into thoughtful human beings who examine, question, and integrate prior knowledge into their encounter with the unknown. It is our hope that our students find within the study of science a miniature portrait of the power of human reason when applied to the natural world.

Desired Start Date: August 1, 2023

Compensation Range and Particulars: $41,000 to $55,000 annually. While student contact and professional development days amount to approximately 190 days per year, Ascent Classical Academy teachers are dedicated to year-round development of their craft, while enjoying additional time off in the summer. Depending on funding and enrollment, performance pay may also be available.

Schedule and Classification: Full-Time Exempt

Benefits Available:

• Competitive compensation package including performance pay and stipends available
• Employee-only coverage for group medical, dental, and vision plan; dependent coverage available
• Health savings account with employer contributions
• Short- and long-term disability and life insurance plans
• Retirement investment account with employer match
• Employee Assistance Plan
• Free employee benefit and healthcare guidance through HealthJoy
• Paid time off for a wide array of health reasons for employees and dependents, consistent with the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act
• Paid leave for qualifying events under the Family Medical Leave Act
• Robust teacher training including several weeks of on-site training

About Ascent Classical Academies

Ascent Classical Academies partners with a network of classical charter schools based in Colorado delivering a content-rich curriculum in the liberal arts and sciences, with underlying principles in the Western tradition of the study of history, literature, philosophy, and fine arts. Our American Classical Education includes, among other things, the study of Latin; a rich examination of American literary, moral, philosophical, political, and historical tradition; and a school culture centered upon moral virtue, respect, discipline, and studiousness among students and faculty alike. Ascent Classical Academy charter schools currently serve approximately 2,000 students in K-12 campuses located in the Denver, Fort Collins,  and Grand Junction areas of Colorado, with significant expansion planned throughout Colorado, the Carolinas, and beyond.

See Ascent Classical Academy of Northern Colorado and Ascent Classical Academy of Douglas County to learn more about our existing schools.

Qualified candidates will have a strong background in the subject matter, demonstrate high moral character and embrace the virtues of a democratic society. The successful candidate will also foster professional friendships with faculty and staff, seek collaborative relationships with parents, and mentor students in the pursuit of their own flourishing.

Minimum Job Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree or higher
• For co-curricular subjects (art, music, physical education), teachers with a bachelor’s degree in the subject taught are preferred, or at a minimum 36 hours of higher education credit in the subject area of instruction. (In some cases, a passing grade in a content exam will suffice.)
• Eligibility to work in the United States
• After offer is accepted, satisfactory background check as required by state law and Colorado Department of Education
• Dedication to the value of a rigorous liberal arts education
• Loyalty to the school and ACA’s mission and vision
• Commitment to model moral character in line with the school’s core virtues and the pursuit of the Good, True, and Beautiful
• Adherence to all ACA policies, including but not limited to the Employee Handbook, Family Handbook, and all applicable school and board policies.

Ascent Classical Academy Charter Schools receive waivers from typical teacher licensing requirements. Thus, a teaching license is neither required nor preferred. Even with a bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject taught, general education grammar school teachers may be required to take state-required elementary education content exams in math, reading, social studies, and/or science within six months of beginning employment. Additionally, Ascent will assist K-3 teachers to meet the requirements of the Colorado READ Act, either through the Colorado Department of Education’s free training course or during Ascent’s pre-service training courses in explicit phonics. Successfully meeting these requirements includes a stipend payment.