Choir and Theater Teacher – Basalt Middle School (5th-8th grades)

Choir and Theater Teacher – Basalt Middle School (5th-8th grades)

The Roaring Fork School District is searching for a creative, innovative, and enthusiastic full-time Choir/Theater teacher for the 2024/2025 school year and beyond. This position will begin in August, 2024.

Basalt Middle School is beyond excited to build a choir and theater program for students in grades 5 through 8. While Basalt Middle and High Schools currently have a thriving Band program with over 300 participating students in grades 5-12, we firmly believe that a well-rounded arts education includes instrumental, vocal, and theatrical experiences.

There is already a well-funded Choir/Theater Booster organization in place, as well as an active Band Booster organization, and the Basalt community is extremely supportive of the arts.

 Full benefits included. Candidates must be highly qualified and possess or be eligible to obtain a CDE Certified Teaching License.

Assigned Responsibilities:

• Conduct engaging and intentionally-planned daily choir rehearsals and theater classes
• Present performances of high musical and theatrical quality for the school and community, including choir concerts, straight plays, and musical theater works
• Program music and theater works of high quality in a variety of genres that will push students to grow as musicians/actors and also allow for assured success
• Collaborate with other Basalt fine arts teachers to ensure continuity in enrollment and curriculum from elementary through middle and high school
• In collaboration with other Basalt and/or Roaring Fork School District music teachers, design/select and use planned sequences of instruction for the development of vocal and dramatic technique and music literacy so students acquire the prerequisite skills for the succeeding levels of instruction
• Manage the Choir Boosters organization and work closely with the Choir Booster leadership team

An ideal candidate for this position will have:

• Bachelor’s degree (at a minimum) in music education (particularly in the vocal music track) or in theater education (with significant choral music experience). Masters degree preferred.
• Excellent ability to connect with students and develop strong, positive student-teacher relationships built on mutual trust, respect, and high expectations
• High levels of energy and enthusiasm, so as to instill a love of music/theater and performance in BMS students
• Exceptional organizational and communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to both recruit and retain students in a performing arts program
• Flexibility, with a keen sense of humor
• Proven success as an ensemble conductor at both the middle and high school level
• Comfort and experience in both music/theater performance and education settings
• Desire to cultivate a musical and theatrical culture within a school
• Desire to build a choir and theater program into the high school grades
• Highly functional piano skills
• Experience working within musical theater settings and capability to lead a pit orchestra, coach singers in the cast, and/or play within a pit orchestra
• Ability to assume leadership role amongst music and theater students, parents, teachers, and school administrators

The teacher selected for this position will lead the Basalt spring musical production as director, music director, producer, or choreographer, or in a combination of the above roles, each paid as an additional stipend.

About Basalt Middle School, Basalt High School, and the Town of Basalt

 Basalt Middle School has been repeatedly recognized with the Colorado Governor’s Distinguished Improvement Award for outstanding student growth and is a four time School to Watch designated by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform and recognized nationally for our Growth Mindset school culture. BMS’s mission is “to ensure that EVERY student develops the enduring knowledge, skills and character to thrive and contribute in a changing world: Work Hard, Be Kind, Achieve.”  BMS serves a diverse and multilingual student population of 420 5th- through 8th-grade students and seeks teaching candidates who hold students to high academic standards and understand the importance of character education in middle schools.

Basalt High School is a four-year public school accredited by the State of Colorado with around 450 students in grades 9-12.  BHS takes great pride in its diverse student body and the students’ academic, artistic, and athletic achievements. BHS offers Advanced Placement courses and concurrent enrollment classes with Colorado Mountain College.  All BHS students participate in the school’s dynamic Experiential Education program, and more than 50% of BHS students participate in extracurricular activities.

 BMS and BHS are part of the Roaring Fork School District, located on the Western Slope of Colorado, 180 miles west of Denver and 20 miles east of the mountain resort town of Aspen.  The RFSD serves about 5,200 students in the Roaring Fork Valley including the communities of Basalt, Carbondale, and Glenwood Springs, as well as unincorporated areas of Garfield, Eagle, and Pitkin Counties.

The town of Basalt is a historic and vibrant mountain community located in the heart of the Roaring Fork Valley at the confluence of the Frying Pan and Roaring Fork Rivers.  The natural beauty of the area provides a wealth of recreational activities, including world-class skiing, fishing, golfing, biking, hiking, and camping. The tourist area has attracted new families with varied cultural backgrounds, and our community has grown increasingly diverse over the past decade.  Basalt has one Elementary School, one Middle School and one High School.

 FLSA Status:             Exempt

Pay Range : $54,000 to $82,320**Based on education and years of experience

 **Annual salary noted above is based on an 8 hour day (FTE 1) and full days worked calendar. Any position that is less than a full FTE/8 hours per day or late start will be prorated accordingly.
ABOUT RFSD

 The Roaring Fork School District (RFSD) offers full district paid employee health benefits as well as voluntary vision, dental, and dependent coverage.  Other benefits include: paid leave, CO PERA (pension plan) enrollment with district contribution, TSA options, Employee Assistance and Wellness Programs.

With 13 schools and 5,600 students, the Roaring Fork School District is located in the culturally vibrant and naturally stunning Roaring Fork Valley serving the communities of Glenwood Springs, Carbondale, and Basalt. The Roaring Fork Schools believe that teachers are our most important asset, and our teachers enjoy a true teacher voice in decision-making; clear and collaborative leadership; small class sizes (average – 21); a highly competitive and progressive salary schedule; access to our affordable housing program; and a culture of self-care and well-being. We believe diversity is a strength, and our staff makes a real difference for our students who come from different ethnicities, cultures, and socio-economic backgrounds.

Why Work for Roaring Fork Schools? Mary says it all! Check us out at: https://youtu.be/nYEsuFVucJ8