TEACHERS AT AMS
Over the past 20 years, The Academy of Math & Science has been going above and beyond for families like yours, but we wouldn’t be able to achieve half the things we do without our amazing teachers.
Our teachers take pride in their work, are passionate about what they do, and lead their students by example because at AMS we believe that excellence follows excellence.
AMS teachers are highly motivated and fiercely dedicated educators who truly want to make a difference. The professionals we hire are some of the most intelligent and the most talented experts in their fields.
Our teachers are excited by change and growth, inspire innovative thinking, and work hard to produce amazing results for children.
“I continue to enjoy the challenges that the job presents. AMS has a wonderful staff that works arduously to meet the needs of their community. Teachers push students to accomplish their goals and discover untapped potential. We meet frequently to talk about what positive changes need to be made. The core belief that students are capable of learning remains true.” – AMS Teacher
Excellence Follows Excellence
Teachers play an integral part in helping our students achieve great things, and at AMS we look for exceptional teachers who show they are quick-learning, flexible, and intelligent individuals with a strong work ethic.
Teacher Assessments
AMS teachers must pass a reasoning/logic assessment. This test is designed to measure their ability to learn new things, identify problems, solve problems using abstract and concrete reasoning, and their ability to reason/use logic generally. AMS teachers must also pass subject-specific assessments related to their area of interest. For example, candidates applying to teach mathematics take an Elementary and Middle School Mathematics Assessment. In order to proceed to an interview, candidates must perform exceptionally on all evaluations.
Selection Process
We are selective about your child’s teachers, because we know you would be too. To ensure each new team member is a quality fit for AMS, all candidates are interviewed and scored for motivation, personality, values, technical competence, team skills, problem solving abilities, and prior evidence of success. Teachers are also required to conduct a sample lesson in alignment with AMS’s teacher evaluation worksheet. Through this process, AMS finds intelligent motivated candidates with values that mesh well with our increased instructional hours and rigorous instructional philosophy.
Highest Performing
We are among the highest performing Title I schools in Arizona. One of our campuses is the highest performing K-8 school with greater than 70% free or reduced lunch (FRL) in the state of Arizona — that’s out of 293 schools! At AMS we live by the motto, “Empowering great talent through great culture.” Here at AMS we put students first by offering extended instructional time and–for those who need it–additional intervention and free tutoring.
Fully Supported Staff
Each summer all teachers and paraprofessionals who are new to AMS participate in 3 weeks of training that covers AMS curriculum, resources, policies, and procedures. Phoenix-based teachers receive ongoing professional development training every Wednesday to ensure they are fully-equipped to help your child. Tucson-based teachers have several teacher workdays with professional development throughout the year.
Quality Teachers, Quality Learning
Teacher quality is an essential factor for student and school success. The Academies of Math & Science use a rigorous and highly selective teacher recruitment and selection process to ensure that all teachers are high-quality across a variety of metrics.
Getting Great Results
AMS is committed to hiring teachers who will strive to help students make the academic gains that make them “more likely to go to college and earn higher salaries as adults.” The New Teacher Project (TNTP) defines this kind of teachers as “irreplaceable.”
