Launch Expeditionary Learning Charter Schools

Middle School Science Teacher

Launch EL Charter School  |  Brooklyn, NY

About Launch

Launch EL Charter School serves middle and high school students from across Brooklyn, reflecting the vibrant diversity of our city. Rooted in the values of Crew, Excellence, and Equity, our mission is to prepare students in under-resourced communities to thrive in college and careers — through active learning experiences and powerful character development that develop learners, leaders, and changemakers.

Our model is built on EL Education's proven approach, and Launch has earned credentials in Mastery of Knowledge and Skills and Character — with High Quality Work in progress this year. Launch students consistently outperform NYS peers in both growth and achievement.

Our vision is to offer a world-class public education to students and families in Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights, and surrounding communities — one that opens doors to the most competitive universities and careers, and empowers students to lead fulfilling lives of choice and purpose. At Launch, we are committed to engaging, rigorous instruction and strong character. We support the growth of smart, good people.

Why Launch

At Launch, you will not be handed a script and left alone to figure it out. This is a school where the adults model the same habits of learning and reflection we ask of students. Our families are deeply engaged: 96% approve of what we are doing, and they will hold us to it. Our students are extraordinary. If you are looking for a place where the work is serious, the community is real, and your growth as a teacher is treated as non-negotiable, Launch is that place.

The Role

Launch EL Charter School is seeking a Middle School Science Teacher who believes that some of the best scientific thinking in Brooklyn is happening in the minds of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. At Launch, science is not confined to a textbook. Your students will investigate real questions connected to their communities, collect and analyze data, build and test arguments, and present their findings to audiences beyond the classroom. Past Launch science students have examined environmental justice issues in their own neighborhoods, conducted fieldwork, and produced public-facing work that reflects genuine scientific inquiry.

This role is built on EL Education's expedition-based model. You will design learning that is anchored in the Next Generation Science Standards, driven by student curiosity, and held to a high bar for quality. The ideal candidate brings strong content knowledge, a commitment to equitable instruction, and a genuine belief that every student can do meaningful, ambitious scientific work.

Who You Are

You bring more than content knowledge to this work. You believe deeply that all students are capable of greatness and you are willing to do the daily, detailed work that makes that belief real. You are the kind of teacher who does not just accept feedback but acts on it before the next lesson. You lead with care and hold high expectations at the same time.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate our Launch Habits of Responsibility:

• Integrity and Stewardship: You always work to do what is best and right for our community and inspire confidence in others through consistent honesty and care.
• Kindness and Collaboration: You make others feel like they belong through empathy and genuine care.
• Imagination and Spirit: You hold an unwavering belief that we can accomplish our goals, even when the work is hard.
• Dedication and Practice: You use each opportunity to support our mission and reflect on your actions with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Equity Commitment: You actively examine your own practice through an equity lens, name and address barriers that prevent students from thriving, and believe that creating an equitable classroom is ongoing, intentional work, not a checkbox.

What You Will Do

Instruction and Planning

• Develop and deliver standards-aligned science lessons using the Savvas curriculum as a core instructional resource, grounded in NGSS, to support the full range of learners in your classroom
• Design and facilitate expedition-based learning experiences where students investigate real-world scientific questions, gather and interpret evidence, and present findings to authentic audiences
• Provide explicit instruction in scientific writing across forms including lab reports, evidence-based arguments, and data analysis, building students' ability to communicate their thinking with precision, use evidence to support claims, and defend their reasoning in writing and in discussion
• Guide students through close reading of complex nonfiction science texts using transferable questioning strategies and nonfiction thinking jobs, connecting reading, writing, speaking, and listening through structured discussion
• Plan and lead hands-on lab experiences and interactive investigations that make scientific concepts concrete, build curiosity, and give students direct experience with the practices of real scientific inquiry
• Differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all learners, including students in ICT settings, students with IEPs, English Language Learners, and extension groups, using small group instruction, flexible grouping, and targeted intervention and enrichment
• Use data collected daily, weekly, and quarterly to track student progress, drive small group work, and adapt instruction before it is too late to matter

Classroom Community

• Establish consistent expectations and routines in a student-centered classroom that is organized, welcoming, and celebratory, using a restorative justice framework to build relationships, repair harm, and keep students connected to the community rather than removed from it
• Lead a Crew, EL Education's student advisory structure, serving as a consistent, trusted adult who guides a small group of students in their academic growth, character development, and sense of belonging

Collaboration and Growth

• Plan and analyze student work alongside colleagues in department and grade-level meetings, using data to ask hard questions and make better instructional decisions together
• Engage in quarterly coaching cycles built on an asset-based approach — you will be observed, given feedback, and supported to grow, with the expectation that your practice improves and students feel it
• Prepare students to lead their own Student-Led Conferences and Passages, putting student voice at the center of the learning community
• Build and sustain genuine relationships with students and families, communicating honestly and regularly about growth, challenges, and what students are capable of

Qualifications

• Unwavering commitment to equity, Launch's mission, and the EL Education model
• Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred
• Valid New York State Teaching Certification preferred
• Strong understanding of Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and experience designing inquiry-based science instruction
• Experience with project-based or expedition-based learning and a track record of students producing work that meets a high bar for quality
• Teaching experience in an urban setting preferred; middle school science experience preferred
• Documented success moving student achievement, with clear evidence of growth over time
• Comfort differentiating instruction across a range of learners including students with IEPs, ELLs, and advanced learners

Benefits and Compensation

Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision insurance; 401(k) and/or Roth IRA with employer match; flexible spending accounts (Health Care FSA, Dependent Care FSA, Transit); short- and long-term disability; Employee Assistance Program with mental health, family, and wellness support; professional development funding and ongoing coaching; parental leave; summer benefits.

Compensation: $65,000 - $115,000 annually, commensurate with experience. Salaries at Launch are set through a lens of equity and based on an individual's skills, education, and years of relevant experience.

Equal Opportunity Employment

Launch is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any individual or group for reasons of race, color, creed, sex, age, culture, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or mental or physical disability. We actively recruit, hire, and retain a diverse and inclusive staff because we believe our team should reflect the communities we serve.