Job Description

TITLE: Elementary ESOL Teacher (1 Year Only) - Ocean Avenue Elementary

Portland Public Schools seeks a skilled ESOL Teacher to join the team at Ocean Ave Elementary School for the 2026-2027 school year. ESOL Teachers in Portland Public Schools:

• Provide and support rigorous and appropriate English language instruction aligned with the WIDA English Language Proficiency & Standards and the Common Core to meet grade-level expectations for MLs/DLLs, including newcomers
• Collaborate with general education teachers to enhance acquisition of English in all language domains necessary to participate and make progress in general education content classes
• Provide ongoing staff development on language acquisition, acculturation, sheltered instruction, and effective practices in teaching MLs/DLLs
• Use school and student level data to inform instruction and programming supports for MLs/DLLs.

Our ESOL teachers are expected to be culturally responsive and effective communicators with students, parents, and staff.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

A successful candidate will also have:

• Extensive knowledge of, and experience with, the cultures and languages of our students and families
• Excellent interpersonal skills in order to collaborate effectively with all general education teachers and other educational support staff
• The ability to provide ongoing staff development and leadership as a specialist of language development
• Expertise in building relationships with multilingual families

EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree in applicable field of education from an accredited college or university
• Additional combinations of applicable education, training, and experience are welcome
• SIOP training and/or experience working with Multilingual Learners is preferred
• Portland Public Schools values linguistic diversity and believes that candidates who speak another language bring added value to the classroom, school, and district culture and diversity

REQUIRED CREDENTIALS:

• Maine State Teacher Certificate with Endorsement 660 (ESOL, PK-12) (more info)
• Maine State CHRC authorization (more info) **
  • **if you already have an active teacher certification, you do not need a separate CHRC as this clearance is tied to your teacher certification

PREFERRED CREDENTIALS:

• Maine State teaching certification with one of the following age-appropriate endorsements:
  • 081 Early Childhood Teacher (0-K)
  • 282 Students with Disabilities (0-K)
  • 020 General Elementary Teacher (K-6 or K-8)
• Fluency in language(s) other than English

EMPLOYMENT DETAILS:

• Schedule: School Year, Full Time (1.0 FTE)
• Assignment: 1 Year Only
• Reports to: School Principal
• Contract: Part of PEA union (see 2025-2028 CBA here)
• Salary: Based on education and experience, as outlined in CBA
• Benefits: Eligible for benefits as outlined here

ABOUT OCEAN AVE:

Ocean Avenue Elementary School is proud to be Maine's first International Baccalaureate IB WORLD SCHOOL offering the Primary Years Program (IB PYP). The IB PYP inquiry-driven learning model was adopted by Ocean Ave School as part of its school-improvement long-range plan, after input from teachers, parents and administrators. We are working with full commitment to build the program into the fabric of the curriculum school-wide with the six concept-based trans-disciplinary Units of Inquiry at each grade level. In addition, we are exploring and practicing "internationally-minded" character traits across the school community with the IB Learner Profile and IB attitudes. We were authorized as an IB World School offering the PYP in July 2016.

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Portland Public Schools is committed to maintaining a work and learning environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, pregnancy, gender, sexual orientation, marital/civil union status, ancestry, place of birth, age, citizenship status, veteran status, political affiliation or disability, as defined and required by state and federal laws.