Middle School Special Education; Integrated Co-Teaching

Brooklyn Urban Garden Charter School (BUGS), is a small, independent, progressive Middle School in South Slope/Windsor Terrace serving approximately 300 students of all abilities and backgrounds from across Brooklyn.

BUGS i s at the forefront of sustainability education, diverse-by-design and community-based schools movements. We feature a hands-on interdisciplinary education with a focus on real-world problem-solving and exploration of environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Our Middle School students (grades 6 to
8) are prepared for success in high school and to become critical thinkers, lifelong learners, and thoughtful designers of a more socially just and sustainable world.

We are excited to welcome talented educators who are inspired by our mission and inclusion model, passionate about serving middle school aged adolescents, and eager to join a dynamic professional learning community. If our mission aligns with yours, we hope you will submit your materials for consideration for the 2026 - 2027 school year.

At BUGS, we value and respect teachers as educators, professionals, and individuals. As a growing faculty and community, we offer many opportunities for innovation, professional growth, and teacher leadership. We feature a strong, supportive community of learners, an active parent-teacher organization, and a positive student and staff culture. Educators are supported in using project-based methodology and designing on-going fieldwork to enrich the units of study.

At BUGS, we actively strive to repair the detrimental effects of racism, discrimination and systems of oppression that affect our students, families, staff, community and larger society. We do this work personally and collectively through in-house professional development with our Inclusion and Culture Departments and in partnership with outside organizations.

We acknowledge that racism, discrimination and systems of oppression exist, and we are each a part of them and are affected by them - consciously and unconsciously. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are important, interdependent components of everyday life and are critical to the successful pursuit of our school vision and mission.

Inquiry-Based Study of the Science of Sustainability BUGS will be a middle school focused on the science of sustainability, which incorporates the natural sciences, math, economics, history, social sciences, and the humanities to examine the intersection of human and ecological systems.

Extended Time for Learning Longer blocks of class time, a longer school day and a longer school year will provide additional time to: maximize learning opportunities; implement innovative, cross-disciplinary approaches to curriculum, instruction, and assessment; and provide rigorous supports for ELLs, special education, and struggling students.

A Positive and Inclusive School Climate BUGS will create a safe, welcoming, and respectful school climate that supports equity and access for all learners. Through its advisory program, school-wide discipline program, positive behavior supports, and research-based interventions, BUGS will foster a college-bound, career-ready student body that respects and values the diversity of others in their community and around the world.

A Professional Learning Community A learning-focused, collaborative culture will be based on trust, shared instructional leadership, and mutual accountability. Daily common planning time and on-going professional development will enhance teachers‘ collective focus on student learning.

Authentic Assessments and Individualization Instruction is driven…