Gateway Preparatory Academy anticipates serving students with a wide range of needs and abilities. Academy teachers will be trained to identify specific needs, gifted students, and problem areas for students. To support the Academy's commitment to reading, writing, and second language acquisition, the Academy will require teachers that are dedicated to increased time on developing these skills.

The Academy will comply with all applicable state and federal laws in staffing. In addition, the Academy will hire special education qualified teachers to ensure that the needs of disabled or struggling students are met.

The following list provides an example of the Academy's required teacher qualifications:

Educational Qualifications

• Teachers will be required to have a bachelor's degree or in special circumstances board approved equivalent experience and mastery in their field.
• Teachers will be required to have a current Utah State teaching credential or be willing and able to meet State Board requirements for alternative certification or authorization.
• Teachers will be required to meet the additional licensure requirements for the specific courses and classes they will teach at the school in accordance with the requirements outlined in R277-520.
• Teachers will be required to continue to educate themselves in the subject matters taught at the Gateway Preparatory Academy
• Teachers will agree to participate in Gateway Preparatory Academy's regular in-service program.

Instructional Skills

• Teachers must understand and have the ability to develop lesson plans that meet the Utah State core curriculum;
• Teachers must adopt and implement the teaching philosophy, mission statement, and special emphasis of Gateway Preparatory Academy;
• Teachers must demonstrate the ability to complete the following tasks:
  • Develop and implement strategies to meet the needs of students using a variety of teaching strategies;
  • Instruct students in academic subjects, using a variety of techniques, including competency based instruction, in order to reinforce learning and to meet students' varying needs and interests;
  • Confer with other staff members to plan and schedule lessons promoting learning that align with the approved curricula;
  • Establish clear objectives for all competencies, lessons, and projects, and clearly communicate those objectives to students;
  • Establish clear objectives for all competencies, lessons, units, and projects, and implement those objectives in the classroom;
  • Organize and supervise games and other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, and social development;
  • Plan and supervise class projects, field trips, visits by guest speakers, or other experiential activities, and guide students in learning from those activities;
  • Prepare competencies, objectives and outlines for courses of study, following curriculum guidelines or requirements of the USOE and the Academy.
  • Administer standardized ability and achievement tests, and interpret results to determine students' strengths and areas of need.

Management/Leadership Skills

• Maintain accurate and complete student records, and prepare reports on children and activities as required by law and Academy policy;
• Establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies/procedures to maintain order among the students for which they are responsible;
• The ability to monitor teacher assistants to ensure that they understand the school curriculum and can teach it in the teacher's absence;
• Prepare for assigned classes, and show written evidence of preparation upon request from immediate supervisors;
• Supervise, evaluate, and plan assignments for teacher assistants and volunteers;
• Attend staff meetings, and serve on committees as required by the Academy;

• Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, and teacher training workshops in order to maintain and improve professional competence;
• Use computer software and other appropriate technological tools for student-tracking and student-teaching;
• Demonstrate consistent respect for students and parents;
• The ability to mentor students in their personal learning progression.

Personal Skills

• Work with parents or guardians, teachers, counselors, and administrators in order to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems.
• The ability to communicate effectively and respectfully with parents, administrators and other teachers and staff members.
• Collaborate with other teachers and administrators in the development, evaluation, and revision of school programs.

No Child Left Behind qualified Teachers

Teachers who do not qualify under "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) and R277-510 will be encouraged to do what is necessary to achieve that status. The Academy will keep an ongoing record of the teachers who are qualified and provide resources on an individual teacher basis to assist them in qualifying.

As an incentive, Teachers who are qualified under NCLB and R277-510, or who meet qualification criteria established by the Academy Board, may receive an annual financial bonus in an amount to be determined by the Academy Board.

Paraprofessionals, Substitutes, Aids, Student and Intern Teachers

Qualification standards for paraprofessionals and substitute teachers will be as those listed above for teachers, but with less complete prior experience required and exceptions to the listed standards allowed. Academy standards for paraprofessionals and substitute teachers will comply with R277-508 and R277-524 respectively.

All paraprofessionals, student teachers, interns and aids will work under the supervision of a qualified Academy teacher.

Student teachers and interns will be accepted from board approved teacher preparation institutions and comply with R277-509.

Instructional and classroom aids will be encouraged to fulfill Academy requirements for teachers and paraprofessionals. Aids will be given assistance by the Academy to further their education and help them achieve the requirements for official licensure

Unsupervised Time with Students

Any individual who will have unsupervised time with students, including teachers, aides, Academy Board Members, Academy Staff, parent volunteers, coaches, advisors, etc..., will be required to submit to a standard criminal background check. Copies of the Background check forms and the results will be stored in the Academy office under the supervision of the Academy office secretary. One of the Duties of the Academy office secretary or their assistants will be to monitor visitors to the Academy in order to ensure that all visitors wear a prominent visitor's badge unless they have a background check form on file in the office. At the beginning of each Academy term, the office secretary will review the background check files in order to keep them current and provide a summary report to the principal of the status of the files.