Position: Junior School Coordinator (0.5) + Junior School Teacher (0.5)
Start Date: August 25, 2025

Urban Academy staff, students and families are connected through learning, inspired by community, and empowered to contribute as we work toward our vision of truly educating for tomorrow. We value creativity, collaboration, global citizenship, technology, the outdoors and the arts as means through which we can offer excellence in education. A gender-inclusive JK–12 independent school, we are located in a beautiful facility in New Westminster, across the street from Braid Street Skytrain Station. 

At Urban Academy, we seek faculty and staff who are aligned with our values of belonging, future-focused education, changemaking and entrepreneurial spirit. Urban Academy is distinguished by extraordinary teachers who provide a collaborative, inquiry-based, and student-centred approach to teaching. Through the Urban Academy educational program, students develop critical thinking, creative thinking, and problem-solving skills in a technology-rich learning environment. 

Urban Academy teachers inspire students. They are actively engaged in planning, implementing and assessing student learning. They are confident in curriculum development and demonstrate an approach to teaching that is reflective of the way in which young people learn. They optimize the resources available to students. They support all learners with diverse strategies and approaches and bring innovative solutions to learning challenges experienced by students. 

The students, members of your department, colleagues, and parents describe our teachers as approachable, available, knowledgeable, genuine, supportive and connected to our community. Urban Academy teachers understand the importance of parents as partners by maintaining open and collaborative relationships with the parent community. 

As lifelong learners, Urban Academy teachers demonstrate a commitment to actively seek professional development, to continuously reflect on their practice and to collaborate with colleagues to maximize student learning. Urban Academy teachers participate actively in the life of the school. 

In addition to spending an engaging day with students who are genuinely interested in learning, thinking and playing, teachers are provided with dedicated work time as part of their daily schedule to plan and work collaboratively with others. 

If this description of our teachers sounds like you, Urban Academy is currently inviting dedicated, team-oriented teachers to apply for our Junior School Coordinator and Teacher role. 

Responsibilities of the Junior School Coordinator:
The primary focus of this role will be to lead, guide, model and support all Junior School staff in their curriculum planning, implementation, assessment, and reporting.

Leading Teaching and Learning:
– Ensure that all requirements of the BC Ministry of Education in the implementation of the program are adhered to.
– Assist the Junior School Principal in ensuring that new staff receive orientation in current curriculum delivery.
– Lead regular meetings with the teaching staff to ensure that all teaching and learning practices align with UA’s transdisciplinary, inquiry-based and concept-based approach.
– Establish and maintain a record of completed planners and reflections.
– Oversee curriculum mapping, updating Junior School’s program of inquiry, and scope and sequence documentation for stand-alone subjects.
– Lead the process of developing and reviewing the school’s scope and sequence documents
– Facilitate collaboratively planned summative and formative assessments and rubrics in order to streamline assessment practices.
– Ensure proper documentation of planning and assessment, and other student records across the Junior School.
– Prepare students for the transition from Junior School to Middle School.

Leading People:
– Promote and model the values and expectations of the UA mission, vision and educational philosophy, as well as maintain high expectations for all students and staff.
– Serve as an Instructional Coach to support the UA teacher evaluation system, ensuring a focus on continuous improvement of teaching and learning within the School.
– Ensure discretion and respect for confidentiality in all professional activities.
– Maintain open communication with and between different divisions of the school, instructional coaches and Middle and Senior Associate Principals
– Support staff in maintaining strong ongoing home/school communication, through letters or meetings with parents, ensuring that parents are kept consistently informed.

Responsibilities of every Urban Academy teacher:

– Planning, implementation and assessment: Bring a student-centred, inquiry-based, and collaborative approach to the delivery of the BC curriculum, utilizing competency-based assessment and instruction as well as strong formative and summative assessment strategies. 
– Collaboration: Work collaboratively with teachers to plan, develop, and implement an extraordinary learning experience for each student 
– Pluralism: Demonstrate commitment to culturally sustaining teaching practices: infuse diverse voices and perspectives in the planning and delivery of learning experiences, including Indigenous, local, and global world views. Knowledge of differentiated learning approaches and current practices in Inclusive Education. 
– SEL: Build relationships with students, teachers and staff across the school community. Create a caring and inclusive classroom culture that supports the students’ academic, social and emotional development. 
– Student Life: Be an active and positive participant in the co-curricular program.
– Communication: Communicate consistently and professionally with students, parents, faculty and other stakeholders about student needs and growth. 
– Continuous Growth: Practice professionalism through ongoing professional development, reflection, and continuous improvement. 

Qualifications and requirements:
– Essential: BC Ministry of Education Certificate or Independent School Certification qualification criteria. Please indicate your TRB # on your application (L or J followed by 6 digits). 
– A comprehensive understanding of current educational practices outlined in the BC Ministry of Education documents.
Prior K-3 teaching experience, preferably multiple grades
– Excellent interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving skills. 
– Superior EQ skills in self-awareness, self-management, social agility, impact and influence.
– Strong knowledge of educational IT applications and assistive technologies

Preferred qualifications, experiences, and dispositions: 
– Experience teaching/leading transdisciplinary or interdisciplinary frameworks
– Experience leading/ developing ELA frameworks based on Science of Reading Research.
– Prior experience in instructional leadership and coaching.

Please visit our website (www.urbanacademy.ca) to learn more about UA’s wonderful school life and see if this is the type of environment that you feel you could thrive in and contribute to. At Urban Academy, we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce by ensuring a barrier-free work environment. We welcome applications from all qualified job seekers, from BIPOC (black, Indigenous, and people of colour), persons with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQ (persons of all sexual orientations and genders). If you are an applicant with a disability, we will work with you to make reasonable workplace accommodations you may need for your best work performance. 

Urban Academy provides:
– Competitive Compensation at a salary range of $65,979.00 to $113,101.00, inclusive of vacation pay and commensurate with years of teaching experience.
– An additional stipend up to $10,000 is available for the Coordinator position based on experience in instructional leadership and coaching.
– Open and collaborative culture
– Comprehensive benefits package
– Matching RRSP program
– Personalized professional development plans
– Newly built, inspiring campus setting
– Innovative and progressive approach to teaching
– Low student/teacher ratios

Urban Academy offers a comprehensive total compensation package, including health benefits and an RRSP program.

Please email your cover letter and resumé to [email protected]. This posting will remain open until the position is filled. Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, as applications will be reviewed as they arrive. We thank all candidates for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.