Government OPT Jobs in Connecticut

INTRODUCTION

The State of Connecticut, Department of Correction (DOC) Unified School District #1 is seeking an enthusiastic Science Teacher, State School Teacher (12 Months)(35 Hour).

ABOUT THE JOB

Please note: We do not currently accept DSAP Certifications or any other short or long term permits. All Endorsements must be active Initial, Provisional, or Professional. Click here to confirm you possess the appropriate license and that it is up-to-date.

Incumbents in this class must meet the State Board of Education requirements to receive an initial educator certificate for External Diploma Program/Noncredited Mandated Programs (107). Secondary certified candidates will also need to meet the requirements to receive an initial educator certificate for High School Credit Diploma Program (106). Selected candidate will have six (6) months from their hire date to obtain the applicable endorsement.

Candidates must have a strong background in teaching Science courses.

Eligible candidates to teach Science must have one of the following CT Teaching Endorsement:

- Biology, Grades 4-12 (030)
- Chemistry, Grades 4-12 (031)
- Earth Science, Grades 4-12 (033)
- General Science, Grades 4-12 (034)
- Physics, Grades 4-12 (032)

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU:

We take part in a competitive benefits plan which includes:
- Visit our State Employee Benefits Overview page!
- Option to maintain State of Connecticut Teacher Retirement Plan or enroll in the State Employee Retirement System;
- Tuition reimbursement;
- Eligibility to apply for Federal Student Loan Forgiveness Program meaning you may be eligible to have qualifying student loans forgiven after 10 years of service. Click here for more information;
- A variety of medical and dental plans;
- Participation in a hybrid retirement plan which provides a retirement benefit, that may include retiree health insurance;
- Sick and personal leave;
- Five (5) weeks of scheduled vacation time;
- Annual $1,000 lump sum payment.

In addition, the State puts an emphasis on:
- Providing limitless opportunities;
- Hiring for diversity and fresh perspectives;
- Performing meaningful work;
- Encouraging a healthy work/life balance!

POSITION HIGHLIGHTS:

- Unified School District (USD) #1 follows a 12-month school calendar.
- First shift, Monday – Friday (Example 7:30-3:00 pm with a 30-minute unpaid lunch).
- Full time, 35 hours per week.

Candidates new to the State of Connecticut will start on ‘Step one’ of the pay plan, in the tier that their highest level of education corresponds to. Salary details derived from the P-3B T1-T4 35 Hour Pay Plan are outlined below:
- B.A. Degree $72,275.00
- M.A. Degree $75,900.00
- Sixth Year $81,208.00

Note: Selected candidates may be required to present a lesson plan in front of students in one of our Correctional Facilities as part of the interview process. Candidates selected for hire are required to attend a fourteen (14) week training at the CTDOC Training Academy. More details can be found in the 'Selection Plan' of this job bulletin.

About us:

The Connecticut Department of Correction is a diverse agency with a wide variety of employees from Correction Officers, to Educators, to Managers and Skilled Professionals. We value differences that make us stronger as a team and support our mission statement.

The Connecticut Department of Correction (DOC) is the agency responsible for corrections in the U.S. State of Connecticut. The agency operates 13 correctional facilities. It has its headquarters in Wethersfield. The DOC protects public safety by ensuring offenders serve their sentences of imprisonments in facilities that are safe, human, and provide re-entry programming.

The State of Connecticut, Department of Correction is a unified system; all sentenced and un-sentenced offenders are supervised by the DOC. The Department also provides supervision for offenders on parole, community release, and other discretionary release programs.

OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT:

USD #1 is dedicated to providing quality educational programs for incarcerated individuals. Students are offered academic knowledge, vocational competencies, and life skills integrated with technology in a positive environment to foster lifelong learning, multicultural awareness, and a successful social transition. USD #1 offers an array of academic programming, including:
- K-12 High School Program
- Adult Basic Education (ABE)
- General Education Development (GED)
- Credit Diploma Program (CDP)
- English Second Language (ESL)/ Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
- A wide variety of Career-Technical Education (CTE) programs.

Our USD #1 motto is defined by the Latin phrase on the District's seal. The phrase, "Non Sum Qualis Eram," translates into English, as "I am not what I once was." The hope is that returning citizens will be provided with some of the core tools required to change their path in life through education.

YOUR ROLE:

The Connecticut Department of Correction Unified School District #1 is dedicated to providing quality educational programs for incarcerated individuals. Academic knowledge, vocational competencies, and life skills integrated with technology are offered to students in a positive environment to foster lifelong learning, multicultural awareness, and a successful transition to society.

As a State School Teacher with the DOC, you will be responsible for:
- Prioritizing safety and security as it pertains to staff, victims, citizens, and offenders;
- Teaching early intervention, elementary, secondary, special subject, and/or special education curricula;
- Developing educational plans for individuals and groups;
- Setting short and long term goals and evaluating student progress;
- Participating in planning team meetings and case review conferences to assess student behavior;
- Holding conferences with parents or officials concerned with student performance;
- Relating to professionals in ancillary educational roles;
- Maintaining student records and writing reports;
- Modeling positive teaching practices.

We are seeking a candidate who possesses:

- An understanding of the different types of learning styles of students and being able to teach to their ability levels.
- The ability to work with a variety of different disciplines throughout the day.
- Working knowledge of classroom routines and disciplines.
- Outstanding personal and interpersonal skills.
- The ability to follow the class schedule as provided by the school administration with the understanding that it may change unexpectedly.

SELECTION PLAN

FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING:

Check out our Applicant Tips on How to Apply! Need more resources? Visit our Applicant Toolkit for additional support throughout the recruitment process.

BEFORE YOU APPLY:

- Meet Minimum Qualifications: Ensure you meet the Minimum Qualifications listed on the job opening by the job closing date. You must specify your qualifications on your application. The minimum experience and training requirements listed must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
- Educational Credits: List your earned credits and degrees from accredited institutions accurately on your application. To receive educational credits towards qualification, the institution must be accredited. If the institution of higher learning is located outside of the U.S., you are responsible for providing documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service which specializes in determining foreign education equivalencies to the contact listed below.
- Resume Policy: Per Public Act 21-69, resumes are not accepted during the initial application process. As the recruitment process progresses, candidates may be required to submit additional documentation to support their qualification(s) for this position. This documentation may include: a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the request and discretion of the hiring agency.
- Preferred Shift/Location: Select all location(s) and shift(s) you are willing to work on your application. Failure to do so may result in not being considered for vacancies in that specific location or shift.
- Timely Submission: All application materials must be received by the job posting deadline. You will be unable to make revisions once you officially submit your application to the State. Late submissions are rarely accepted, with exceptions only for documented events that incapacitate individuals during the entire duration of the job posting. Request exceptions by emailing DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.
- Salary Calculations: For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other.
- Note: The only way to apply to this posting is via the ‘Apply’ or ‘Apply Online’ buttons on the official State of Connecticut Online Employment Center job posting.

AFTER YOU APPLY:

- Some email providers may experience delays or issues delivering messages. To avoid missing important updates—such as referral questionnaires or interview scheduling links—please check your Personal Status Board regularly.
- For added convenience, you can also enable text (SMS) notifications. To do this, log in to your Personal Status Board and select “Update My Contact Information.”
- Referral Questions: This posting may require completion of additional Referral Questions (RQs), which must be completed by the questionnaire’s expiration date. If requested, RQs can be accessed via an email sent to you after the job close date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section).
- Prepare For An Interview: Interviews are limited to those whose experience and training are most aligned with the role. To prepare, review this helpful Interview Preparation Guide to make the best impression!
- Stay connected! Log in daily to your JobAps Personal Status Board to track your status and check email (including spam/junk folders) for updates and tasks.
- The immediate vacancy is listed above; however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
- Note: This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion, and merit employment rules. Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State employees, available at www.ct.gov/ethics.
- This employer may participate in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I9 information to confirm work authorization.

QUESTIONS? WE’RE HERE TO HELP:

Due to high volume, we are unable to confirm receipt or provide status updates directly. For recruitment updates, please check your Personal Status Board and review our Frequently Asked Questions. If you have additional questions about the recruitment process, reach out to Rachel Allsop at rachel.allsop@ct.gov.

Join the State of Connecticut and take your next career step with confidence!

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In a state institution, facility or region within a state unified school district this class teaches appropriate early intervention, elementary, secondary, special subjects and/or special education curricula to individuals enrolled in departmental education programs.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

- Teaches early intervention, elementary, secondary, special subject and/or special education curricula;
- Develops educational plans for individuals and groups material level to students ability;
- Sets short and long term goals and evaluates progress of students;
- Participates in planning team meetings and case review conferences assessing student behavior;
- Relates to professionals in ancillary educational roles;
- Maintains student records and writes reports;
- May hold conferences with parents or officials concerned with student's performance;
- Performs related work as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

- Knowledge of
- the philosophy and methods of education and teaching;
- the principles and practices of education for special needs population;
- student program needs and goal setting;
- Ability to
- motivate students;
- communicate at the appropriate level;
- establish cooperative relationships with those contacted in work;
- prepare written reports.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Possession of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

- Experience with teaching a diverse group of people.
- Experience working in a correctional institution setting.
- Experience teaching groups of people with differing levels of education.
- The following State of CT teaching Endorsements:
- Biology, Grades 4-12 (030)
- Chemistry, Grades 4-12 (031)
- Earth Science, Grades 4-12 (033)
- General Science, Grades 4-12 (034)
- Physics, Grades 4-12 (032)

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

- Employment in this class is conditional upon possession of a valid Connecticut State Board of Education teaching certificate appropriate to the teaching assignment.
- Incumbents in this class may be required to possess and retain a current Connecticut Motor Vehicle operator's license.

CHARACTER REQUIREMENTS

In addition to the checking of references and of facts stated in the application, a thorough background investigation of each candidate may be made prior to appointment.