Join Our Team

 

This is an exciting opportunity to be a team member of a nimble, innovative school. We’re embracing a startup mentality and inviting teachers to have a significant impact on the design and success of the institution.

We are looking for teachers who…

  • Dream it.

    You celebrate the joy of learning, pairing expertise in your subject area with a passion for teaching bright and curious high school students. You’ll be an inspiration to our students – and be inspired by them in turn.

  • Think big.

    You’re an innovative thinker who keeps abreast of best practices in education – and you are curious about what’s around the corner. At The Downtown School, you’ll be redefining what an excellent high school education looks like for young people today.

  • Make connections.

    You’ll build on a world-class curriculum developed by faculty at Lakeside School and make it your own. You'll take an interdisciplinary and experiential approach, designing classroom experiences that make connections with the city to enhance learning.

  • Practice what they preach.

    You’ll be a model for our students, demonstrating what it looks like to be an active learner who can think critically and creatively, and communicate and interact effectively.

  • Learn and lead as a team.

    A lifelong learner, you’re ready to become a leader in the field of education. Through our distributed leadership model, you’ll grow your skill set and gain valuable experience in school administration.

  • Bring their full selves.

    You’ll be part of a collaborative team, composed of people from a variety of cultural, racial, and economic backgrounds. Our tight-knit community of motivated and engaged students and adults will learn and grow in a diverse and inclusive environment.

Compensation and benefits

The Downtown School provides a competitive compensation package and progressive health benefits programs designed to serve our diverse employee population.

  • Employer-paid medical/dental (based on FTE).

  • Medical subsidy for dependents.

  • Retirement with generous employer contribution.

  • Employer-paid life insurance and short-term and long-term disability insurance.

  • Employee assistance program.

  • Flexible spending accounts.

  • Paid holidays and vacation.

Teaching responsibilities

Teaching at The Downtown School includes responsibilities in three main areas:

Classroom instruction

  • Teach five sections with class sizes of approximately 20 students per class.

  • Team-teach a three-week interdisciplinary intensive course at the start and end of each academic year.

  • Develop an engaging online presence though our learning management system.

  • Provide academic support for students outside of class time, as needed.

  • Establish fair and thoughtful assessment and grading processes.

  • Write narrative comments for students during each grading period.

Curriculum development

  • Develop curriculum in your subject area and, in collaboration with colleagues, for interdisciplinary three-week intensive courses.

  • Develop partnerships with organizations and businesses around the city, with the goal of integrating those connections into the curriculum through off-campus experiences.

  • Engage in regular professional development.

School leadership

  • Report to the head of school and be an active member of a compact teaching team.

  • Execute leadership roles as assigned. Responsibilities will be assigned based on interest and skill sets and may include work in admissions, communication and marketing, development, technology, service learning, school culture, and risk and facilities management.

  • Advise a group of 15 to 20 students.

  • Attend faculty meetings as scheduled.

  • Actively participate in the life of the school community.

Open positions

Position details

Teacher contract year is Aug. 1 – July 31.

  • Contract year includes the following breaks: Two weeks in December; either one week in February or one week in April; approximately four weeks during the summer.

Non-discrimination policy

The Downtown School: A Lakeside School does not discriminate on any basis that is protected under federal, state or municipal law. This non-discrimination policy applies to all areas of student concern (such as admissions, educational policies, financial aid, and/or other school-administered programs) as well as to all areas of employment matters (such as hiring, compensation, evaluations, discipline, promotion, and termination). The Downtown School: A Lakeside School is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE).