Kindergarten or Primary Unit Teacher
The Philadelphia School (TPS) is seeking a full-time Kindergarten or Primary Unit (Grades 1-2) Teacher for the 2024-2025 academic year. We are a Preschool - 8 progressive, independent school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with an enrollment of 410 students. Since our founding in 1972, The Philadelphia School has grown in size, complexity, and diversity. This growth has been rooted firmly in the progressive values with which our founders began: immersive learning, responsive pedagogy, and meaningful engagement with the world. The Philadelphia School seeks educators with a deep interest in social justice and a commitment to personal and professional growth.
Position Summary:
Taking into consideration potential internal staffing moves and best fit, the grade-level assignment of the chosen candidate will be determined based on experience and alignment with one of two teams, Kindergarten or Primary Unit. We seek flexible, creative educators with a focus on the developmental needs of early elementary students. Regardless of the assigned grade, we are looking for a teacher with strong interpersonal and communication skills grounded in the practices of progressive education. Given our weekly commitment to place-based education, experiences in environmental and outdoor education are a plus. All our teachers bring a rich range of interests and expertise to their work. We seek to hire someone who will bring their own set of complementary experiences and expertise to add depth and dimension to one of these teaching teams.
Kindergarten:
Our early childhood center was designed specifically for our youngest students. It has light-filled classrooms, direct access to a large, nature-based play yard, raised garden beds, a kitchen, studio space, and an adjacent multipurpose building. There are two lead teachers (co-teachers) and an associate teacher in each of two kindergarten classrooms, and the whole team plans together weekly. Our early childhood program is play and project based.
Primary Unit:
Our Primary program, in our vibrant, newly renovated 2501 Lombard building, remains committed to thematic integration across disciplines and the inclusion of play. It adds a targeted emphasis on explicit, daily instruction in math and literacy in new ways. There are two lead teachers (co-teachers) in each of 4 vertically grouped classrooms, each comprised of first and second graders. Children remain with the same teaching team over a two-year span. The teaching team of 8 teachers works closely together to align curriculum and instruction, planning together weekly.
Responsibilities:
- Collaborate with other teachers, the learning resource team, and specialists to meet the needs of diverse learners and to develop an engaging thematic curriculum
- Partner with co-teacher (and associate teacher in K) in working with 22-26 students
- Participate in planning and executing weekly off-campus outdoor days in fall and spring
- Build respectful and supportive relationships with students
- Deliver progressive and intentional instruction
- Develop strong home-school partnerships and communicate with families clearly, frequently, and with cultural sensitivity
- Participate in school wide initiatives
- Engage in ongoing professional development and growth
Qualifications:
- B.A. required. Preference given to those with a Master’s Degree in a related field of study and with lead teaching experience
- An orientation to progressive philosophy and teaching methods
- Strong command of child development, including social, emotional, and intellectual domains
- A commitment to create a warm, nurturing, and supportive classroom for young children
- Strong writing, editing and communication skills at both the student and parent levels
- Familiarity with some of our core resources and methodologies: Responsive Classroom, the Project Approach, Reading and Writing Workshop, Wilson Fundations, and Bridges to Mathematics
- Passion for working collaboratively to instill in children a lifelong love of learning
The Philadelphia School’s commitment to diversity: We welcome and celebrate diversity in our student body and in our faculty and are committed to providing an education for all our children that instills in them a respect, understanding and appreciation for the many races, cultures, religions, family structures, and ethnicities that make up our complex and diverse world. Candidates from diverse backgrounds and/or who have experience in cultural competency work are encouraged to apply.
Application Process:
Qualified candidates should apply through the application portal on our website at www.tpschool.org. Please upload the following:
- Letter of interest. Please include the grade level you prefer (Kindergarten or Primary Unit, Grades 1-2).
- Resume
- Statement of educational philosophy
Equal Employment Opportunity: The Philadelphia School provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
