Advisory Teacher - Minnesota Connections Academy

School Summary:

Minnesota Connections Academy (MNCA) is a tuition-free, online charter school for students in grades K-12 throughout Minnesota. MNCA’s program is operated through a contract with Connections Academy, LLC, to provide the educational program and other services. Connections Academy, a division of Connections Education, is accredited by AdvancED, and MNCA is accredited by the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement.

Minnesota Connections Academy strives to create an inclusive environment that welcomes and values the diversity of the people we serve. We foster fairness, equity, and inclusion to create a workplace environment where everyone is treated with respect and dignity.

Position Summary and Responsibilities:

Working from your home or from our office in St. Paul, Minnesota, certified Teachers will manage instructional programs. Through use of the telephone, Internet and various curriculum tools they will consult regularly with learning coaches and students to ensure that each child successfully completes his/her instructional program. The Advisory Teacher will monitor student progress and collaborate with counselors, teachers and administrators to guide student success.

The Advisory Teacher will be responsible for the successful completion of the following tasks:

• Advise students and families related to academics, career planning and graduation;
• Assist students and parents with the secondary school course selection process according to specific state credit and graduation requirements and student needs and interests. An integral part of this process is assisting students and parents to develop a Four-Year Plan for meeting graduation requirements;
• Advise students with issues related to dropping courses and changing schedules, seeking support as needed, while ensuring that the school’s course selection and drop policies are adhered to;
• Work with the administrative assistants to obtain school records from the student’s previous school (where applicable) and forwarding student records when appropriate;
• Implement programs for students and families related to interpersonal adjustment issues;
• Work with school teams to identify and help families access school and community resources;
• Participate in the development of crisis prevention and management plans for the school and serve as a key member of the Student Support Team (SST);
• Identify and track students who are “at risk” or “in crisis”; Act as the main point of contact for these students and families, communicating regularly with them;
• Oversee and maintain the Personal Learning Plan (PLP) for each student;
• Implement efforts to secure complete and accurate records for Connections Academy students;
• Support families through the school withdrawal process, assisting with data collection regarding withdrawal;
• Report and refer critical incidents that jeopardize student well-being as obligated by law, administrative regulations, or ethical standards. Stay abreast of all state regulations relating to incident reporting and documentation;
• Assist teachers when students enroll mid-semester, making sure that teachers receive guidance on integrating the students into their coursework, and ensuring that previous grades, credits, and evaluations are handled appropriately;
• Communicate with the Curriculum Team to ensure that curriculum offerings meet state requirements;
• Support professional development activities for teachers and school staff members;
• Assume teaching and grading duties as necessary including teaching middle school elective courses; and
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Minnesota teacher certification in a secondary content area and/or counseling license
• Strong technology skills (especially with Microsoft Office products)
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
• Customer focused approach
• Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills
• High degree of flexibility
• Team player with demonstrated leadership skills
• Demonstrated ability to work well in fast-paced environment
• Willingness to travel on occasion for marketing and state testing events (may require occasional overnight travel)
• Ability to work remotely, if necessary.
• Ability to work some occasional evening hours, as needed to support some families.
• Must be able to use a personal electronic device and an email address for two-step authentication.