Position:  Extended Term Substitute, Orchestra String Instrumental Music Teacher

Available October 2026 through December 2026

Visual & Performing Arts Department/Cambridge Street Upper School

Overview of Cambridge Public Schools:

Cambridge Public Schools, in partnership with our families and community, will provide all students with rigorous, joyful, and culturally responsive learning as well as the social, emotional, and academic support each student needs to achieve their goals and postsecondary success as engaged community members. CPS students and staff, as members of a learning organization engaged in continuous improvement, will demonstrate a growth mindset and embrace risk taking and innovation.

About 7,000 students choose Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) each year, and our diverse student enrollment continues to rise. Over 30% of CPS students speak a language other than English at home, and over 65 languages are spoken by our families. Among the most common are Spanish, Haitian Creole, Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, and Portuguese. Our schools proudly embrace this diversity.

The structure of our school system supports the developmental growth of students over time. Twelve cozy elementary schools feed into five “Upper School” programs, bringing together enough students to allow for greater choice and differentiation without sacrificing the safe feeling of a relatively small environment. The Upper Schools then feed into one high school, the eclectic and innovative Cambridge Rindge and Latin School.

The Opportunity:

The Department of Visual and Performing Arts  seeks a confident, creative, and compassionate Extended Term Substitute (ETS) Strings Orchestra teacher to enhance the vision for the strings and orchestra and music programs for Cambridge Street Upper School (6-8).

The ETS Strings and Orchestra Instrumental Teacher will teach 6th, 7th, and 8th graders to play the violin, viola, and cello, working collaboratively with the band director at the school, as well as the other music and theater teachers. The ETS Strings and Orchestra Instrumental Teacher will also co-teach the adaptive instrumental music program for students with special needs as part of the SCALE program. The SCALE program is a substantially separate program where students develop social, communication, academic, and life skills. The music team will be responsible for developing school ensembles, presenting concerts, and distributing and collecting school-owned instruments. In addition to advanced instrumental proficiency, the candidate must possess classroom management skills, use appropriate authentic assessment strategies to monitor student progress, have the ability to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of diverse learners, and employ pedagogical methods that motivate students to pursue instrumental study. The selected candidate must be computer literate, organized, able to responsibly meet professional obligations, willing to participate in school, district, and state level music performances, contribute to department and school-wide curricular projects and other initiatives, and be able to steward the careful use of supplies, equipment, and teaching resources.

Key Responsibilities:

• Teach strings and orchestra music to grades 6-8. You will lead both ensembles and pull out classes.

• Co-teach an instrumental music program in a substantially-separate setting with adaptations for students with special needs.

• Implement a rigorous and balanced standards-based music curriculum including knowledge of vocal development

• Ability to teach recorder, performance and chorus

• Employ pedagogical methods that motivate students to pursue instrumental study

• Differentiate instruction to meet the needs of diverse learners

• Demonstrate flexibility and compassion, while maintaining high expectations for student achievement

• Demonstrate strong classroom management skills

• Employ instructional methods that motivate students to continue to pursue study in the music community

• Collaborate with school faculty to develop interdisciplinary curriculum and work with challenging students

• Organize and participate in school, district, state and community level music performances

• Contribute to departmental and school wide curriculum projects and other initiatives

• Steward the careful use of supplies, equipment, and teaching resources

Your Skill Set:

As the incoming ETS Strings and Orchestra Instrumental  teacher, you will possess many, though perhaps not all, of the following characteristics and qualifications:

• You have experience designing and teaching engaging music curricula, leveraging culturally responsive pedagogy that recognizes the importance of including students’ cultural references and learning needs in all aspects of learning.

• You have a strong commitment to social justice and equity

• You possess a high degree of comfort working with colleagues to build and refine engaging, standards based learning experiences that are responsive to the needs and interests of the communities you serve.

• You believe in the power of reflection and are open to feedback and support

• You bring a collaborative disposition, eager to partner with classroom teachers, VPA staff, and other team members in the district on behalf of our students and families.

• You possess excellent classroom management skills and use appropriate authentic assessment strategies to monitor student progress.

• You are able to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of diverse learners and adjust practice to meet the needs of all students.

• You possess strong organizational skills, setting up structures that allow you to manage your own work effectively and position colleagues for success.

• Bachelor’s degree required.

How to Join Our Team:

Apply online at www.cpsd.us. Please upload a resume and thoughtful cover letter, outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position and stating how you heard about this opportunity.

At the Cambridge Public Schools, we are committed to cultivating an environment where diverse perspectives and backgrounds are embraced, acknowledging that a team reflecting diversity of race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, and veteran status allows us to serve our communities better. To that end, we welcome and encourage applicants to bring their authentic selves when considering employment opportunities within our school district.