Monthly Archives: February 2020

Music & Performance Instructor Sought for Deeply Creative Students

Eagle Rock School & Professional Development Center (PDC) is seeking a music & performance instructional specialist who can help high school students committed to engaging themselves in their own education build confidence and express themselves — sometimes before an audience — through music and performance.

In addition to leading our school’s music program, our next Music & Performance Instructional Specialist will be asked to deliver innovative curriculum and oversee student theatrical performances. Specifically, we’re searching for someone with a number of advanced skills, including vocal technique; piano (the ability to play contemporary and popular music, improvise over chord changes and read written music); music theory and ear training; American contemporary and popular music performance; teach voice, piano, guitar, bass, and drums; as well as direct a theater production team.

Our best candidates for this unique opening will also have a basic understanding of technical theater (lighting design, sound design, set construction, props, and costumes); be able to teach non-Western music (knowledge of Latin music and ability to speak Spanish is a plus); and be able to instruct students on basic digital music and sound recording software.

Specific duties and responsibilities include:

Class Spotlight: Sports Conditioning

This trimester, six Eagle Rock students are enrolled in a 10-week class named Sports Conditioning. Instructed by Human Performance Center Adjunct Instructor Christ Iafrati and our 2019/2020 Public Allies Teaching Fellow In Science & Math Chelsea Ehret, this class focuses on helping students develop and implement their own individualized workout plans. They’re also learning the physiology behind athletic conditioning and nutrition.

Successfully completing this 10-week class qualifies students for a ‘Creating Healthy Life Choices’ Power Standard. (For more on Power Standards, please read The Role of Power Standards in this Trimester’s Class Offerings.) That’s because this class combines content from biology, physical education, and statistics, it additionally qualifies students to receive additional experience and points required for graduation.

As an interdisciplinary class, students split time between the Aikido Dojo — located within our on-campus Human Performance Center (HPC) for the fitness component — and on the HPC stage for the traditional classroom component.

In the Dojo, students work out using weight machines, cardio equipment, and the Aikido mats. During these times, they’re engage in a variety of workouts that are meaningful to them, such as high-intensity interval training, yoga, Pilates, and resistance training.

Additionally, students have routine times where they Continue reading…

Eagle Rock School is Searching for a Math Instructional Specialist

If you possess a bachelor’ or master’s degree in mathematics, math education, or a related field, and you have a sincere interest in teaching math concepts and skills to high school students who have a history of not doing well in traditional schools — but who have recently committed themselves to becoming engaged in their own education — we might have a teaching position that is right up your algebraic alley.

Eagle Rock is a full-service not-for-profit educational reform organization that operates a year-round residential high school in Estes Park, Colo., and offers professional development services at school and community sites around the United States. In short, we’re committed to making high school a more engaging and inclusive experience and we’re noted for hiring instructors who work together in order to provide relevant learning experiences for our students.

To get a clearer picture of what we’re all about, it might help to visit our website — EaglerockSchool.org — where you’ll discover that our approach to learning isn’t limited to the traditional school day, nor do our mathematic experiences always take place in a traditional classroom environment.

Our progressive education model is based on an inherent trust of students. And to be honest, Eagle Rock doesn’t appeal to all teachers. For instance, if you think students need to be “taught math lessons,” we’re probably not your best option. Truth is, we’re looking for a math instructor who has Continue reading…

Eagle Rock Now Recruiting Next Cohort of Public Allies Fellows

Today’s post focuses on our search for candidates that will comprise the 2020/2021 cohort of fellows in the Public Allies Eagle Rock program. If you’re unfamiliar with the program, Public Allies Fellowship at Eagle Rock is a residential, community-based service opportunity for individuals who are passionate about alternative approaches to teaching and learning, as well as social justice, youth development and empowerment, and re-engaging high-school students in their own education.

The program — now in its 19th year — allows 13 individuals to serve as fellows in the broad categories of teaching, student services, or professional development (see below more information on each position).  Fellows help build our capacity to better serve our students and our national mission of supporting high school student re-engagement.

Public Allies Fellows Eagle Rock

Additionally, while living and working at Eagle Rock, fellows participate in a rigorous leadership development program, on-going training and community-building activities, and design and deliver team service projects, all of which help individual cohort members grow as leaders.

2020/2021 Fellowship Openings

Applicants for our next cohort of fellows — which runs from Sept. 2020 through Aug. 2021 — offers opportunities for 13 paid positions within three categories. These include: Continue reading…

Milestone Democratic School Highlights Our Latest PDC Work

It’s a brand new trimester here at Eagle Rock School and Professional Development Center, and that means a brand new and very busy schedule for our Professional Development Center (PDC) staffers as they crisscross the nation, meeting with administrators and teachers at more than a dozen school districts and youth service organizations.

Today’s post covers our PDC’s engagement agenda for our 80th trimester, all with the objective of facilitating student engagement through school improvement events for organizations across the nation. The idea is to help create healthy, high-functioning learning environments.

And, in order to accomplish this aim, we have the hardworking staff from our Professional Development Center, including PDC Director Sarah Bertucci, Associate Director Dan Condon, and Professional Development Associate Anastacia Galloway Reed.

A highlight of our work this trimester is Milestone Democratic School — a Fitchburg, Wisconsin, charter school that opens in August of 2020. This independent, tuition-free school serves students ages 12 through 20 by placing them at the center of the conversation about how education should be designed and supported. By empowering their students to assist in decision-making when it comes to the teaching and learning that takes place in this school, Milestone is squarely focused on creating a school  that inspires and engages students.

Milestone’s planning team will visit us here in Estes Park in March, where Dan Condon will work the group on approaches to values-based learning, proficiency/competency-based assessment, and student-directed project-based learning.

Milestone is envisioned as a school that is equitable, inclusive and welcoming to all, including those with disabilities, migrant students, English learners, and students facing poverty. Many of Milestones student will eventually serve on the school’s Design Team in order to ensure the organization’s vision of a free and open environment to anyone willing to learn.

In the meantime, while we prepare for the team at Milestone to arrive here for their March 16-18 retreat, below is an update focused on all of our current professional development engagements. If you’d like to enquire about engaging with our PDC for a project at your school or organization, please use the  Continue reading…