2024/2025 Lead Kitchen Teacher, Edible Schoolyard New Orleans (July Start)

Description

About FirstLine Schools

In 1998, FirstLine Schools started the first charter school in New Orleans. FirstLine now operates several PreK-8th grade schools.  Our mission is to create and inspire great, open admissions public schools in New Orleans. 

Our faculty is a diverse and talented group dedicated to our students' success and to their own growth as teachers.  Our schools are led by leaders who hold themselves accountable for student achievement and teacher development.

Position Summary:

The Lead Kitchen Teacher designs, plans, and conducts kitchen classes for 5-8th grade students. They lead and support the development of the kitchen teaching team. This includes curricular development and lesson planning, managing and mentoring teaching kitchen staff and volunteers, planning and delivering on special events for the school community, and overseeing the systems development and maintenance of a productive teaching kitchen. 

This position holds the responsibility of building partnerships with Edible Schoolyard (ESYNOLA) teachers, academic teachers, school leadership, and other school staff in order to problem solve, collaborate, and deepen partnerships and opportunities for program fidelity and integration in the larger school community.  

Position Responsibilities:

Classroom Instruction, Curriculum Development, and Special Events

• Design and conduct daily garden classes that incorporate: social and emotional learning principles, life science and horticultural concepts, sensory/experiential activities, and therapeutic goals inherent to the ESYNOLA's mission and values
• Commitment to results for students through the focus of lessons that achieve: on task behavior, a community of learners, essential content, intentional cognitive engagement, and strategies that provide consistent evidence of students' learning
• Utilize existing curriculum and develop lessons that include academic parallels to grade level expectations as well as creative experiential based learning methods for various age groups
• Collaborate with special educators to support ALL students needs and learning in the kitchen 
• Plans and leads Edible Experiences for students with themes such as Watermelon and Citrus Week and opportunities to collaborate with academic teachers and school events
• Models respect and curiosity for learning, and encourages students' interests and talents
• Develops and leads special "Edible Experiences" for students, including events such as the annual Iron Chef competition, Market to Table field trip/cooking event, and others
• Collaborates with garden team to enhance and evolve lessons

Kitchen Management and Culinary Integration

• Oversees all kitchen staff, interns, and volunteers, and ensures they have all the tools and information necessary to be a successful part of the kitchen team 
• Manages co-teacher or Corps team member
• Remains engaged and knowledgeable about seasonal produce and coordinates with the site gardener/garden teachers to integrate garden harvest into kitchen lessons
• Maintains an up-to-date kitchen inventory (cleaning products, equipment, pantry items, etc.), and ensures that necessary items are purchased and stocked
• Maintains all kitchen equipment in working order; communicates with facilities staff about needed repairs/maintenance
• Codes and manages purchasing, with a mind to yearly kitchen budget
• Handwashes many dishes throughout the day 
• Ensures that they, and kitchen team, have an up-to-date knowledge of food safety and service standards (ESYNOLA will provide access to and require completion of ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification)
• Deep investment in students' physical safety; a commitment to knowing and teaching them the safety steps and protocol for knife and tool use

Communication, Professional Development and ESY Cultural & Wellness Integration 

• Maintains an approach of consistent, collaborative team leadership that integrates team ideas and expertise, identifies ways to support the teaching and professional development of teammates, and provides feedback
• Develops and maintains strong relationships with FirstLine teachers and administrators in an effort to integrate academics into the ESY classroom as well as grow the ESY program in coordination with the wider school mission and school culture 
• Invests in relationships with students and their families to create a partnership of learning 
• Creates and submits class lesson plans for each kitchen class two weeks in advance
• Commits to weekly professional learning time with whole ESYNOLA team and the strategies of focus
• Stays informed of school events and activities; is an active presence in the school community and attends school all-staff meetings and trainings as appropriate
• Onboards class volunteers, ensures an engaging and rewarding experience for volunteers, and manages volunteer schedules 
• Helps create and implement community events, such as Family Food Night, held after school and occasionally on Saturdays, in addition to the annual program fundraiser event An Edible Evening

Requirements

Position Requirements:

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in education, horticulture, environmental science, or a related field is required
• Culinary experience required
• Experience teaching elementary or middle school aged students is required
• Some lesson planning experience required
• Experience working in a public/public charter school preferred
• Ability to work with frequent interruptions and to simultaneously supervise a variety of tasks is required
• Willingness to smell, taste and ability to determine the quality of raw food is required
• Willingness to work occasional weekends/special events when needed is required
• Working knowledge of basic computer programs including Word and Google applications is required
• Believe in every child's ability to achieve in a rigorous college or career prep curriculum
• Enthusiasm to work with the school and ESYNOLA director to expand the school program
• Collaborate effectively with a range of stakeholders 
• Share a commitment to creating great schools in New Orleans
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Model the FirstLine Commitments 

We Keep Learning

We Work Together

We are Helpful

We are Safekeepers of our Community

We Share Joy

We Show Results 

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to stand, reach, and bend.  Mobility of arms to reach, dexterity of hands to grasp and manipulate large and small objects
• Ability to stand and kneel for long periods, ability to lift, push and/or pull objects, which may be approximately 50 pounds
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be required to sit, walk, stand, talk, and hear. 
• Ability to stand, reach, and bend. Mobility of arms to reach, dexterity of hands to grasp and manipulate large and small objects

Physical Requirements:

•  Must be able to perform all required job functions with reasonable accommodations, if necessary. 

Lead Kitchen Teacherreports to: Program Director, ESY

How to Apply: Please apply online via: https://firstlineschools.org/careers/

Lead teacher salaries are paid in accordance with the Lead Teacher pay scale which ranges from $48,000 -$74,155 depending on years of experience with yearly performance based impact bonus opportunities. 

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. FirstLine Schools offers a robust benefits package with a generous 403b plan. 

FirstLine Schools provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.