Job Description
Lower School (K or 1st Grade) Head Teacher 1.0 FTE (with benefits), $85,000 - $100,000 depending on experience
Peninsula School, a leader in progressive education since 1925, is a Preschool-8th grade school where children thrive and develop to their full promise as confident contributors in the world. At Peninsula, children learn about themselves and others, discover their passions, and grow intellectually in an inclusive community rich with choices, exploration, and play. In addition to intellectual development and social and emotional learning. Peninsula School has an explicit focus on educating for democracy, student choice and voice, and social justice. Peninsula School celebrated its centennial in 2025.
Head Teachers work closely together, sequencing and coordinating curriculum and miscellaneous logistics. All classroom teachers are responsible for teaching math, integrated social studies & English language arts with a focus on social/emotional development. Teachers are provided flexibility in their classrooms to enable them to best serve the needs and interests of their students while remaining true to the mission, values, and progressive pedagogy of the school.
General Responsibilities
• Support and promote Peninsula School’s mission and values
• Provide a progressive program for children using instructional methods and materials that are responsive & appropriate to the intellectual, social & emotional needs of students, that fosters their positive learning & personal growth
• Maintain a cooperative classroom environment that encourages problem solving, creativity, critical thinking, and intellectual curiosity
• Create and maintain a welcoming, safe, equitable and respectful learning environment that honors and values a diversity of learning, cultural, ethnic, racial and sexual identities and lived experiences of the student population
• Center student growth by managing and monitoring student learning
• Remain current on educational research, topics and progressive practices
• Participate in and contribute to the school’s process of continual reflection and evolution of its program
• Collaborate and communicate constructively with all other Peninsula School staff members
• Integrate culturally competent ways of thinking; incorporate anti-racist principles and practices into your daily teaching and learning approach
• Recognize and address the unique needs and varied learning styles of all children, ensuring each child’s progress in all areas
• Develop and implement teaching units that explore and examine multiple cultures, ethnicities, perspectives, lifestyles, lived experiences & identities
• Monitor student learning
• Build class community by fostering students’ social/emotional learning
Specific Duties and Responsibilities
Regularly adhere to the Peninsula School professional expectations and reflect on your engagement with our staff competencies.
Teaching and Learning Program:
• Serve as the head teacher who teaches math, English language arts, humanities with a focus on social/emotional development for students 5-7 years of age
• Recognize and address the unique needs and varied learning styles of all children, ensuring each child’s progress in all areas
• Develop and implement teaching units that explore and examine multiple cultures, ethnicities, perspectives, lifestyles, lived experiences and identities
• Deliver a math curriculum that that is age-appropriate and that aligns with the scope & sequence of the overall school program
• Deliver a structured literacy program that is age-appropriate and that aligns with the scope and sequence of the overall school program
• Monitor and document student learning with work samples
• Build class community by fostering students’ social/emotional learning
• All Peninsula LS Heads are to have completed Orton Gillingham Comprehensive Training before the beginning of the school year (Kindergarten - 4rd Grade)
• Organize and lead fall and spring school overnight(s) and/or camping trip(s) (does not include Preschool-1st grade teachers)
Collaboration:
• Provide guidance and oversight to Assistant/Associate Teachers under the direction of the Director of Instruction & Belonging to nurture and enrich children’s experiences. This includes: supporting learning, goal setting, monitoring students, scheduling planning/prep and support time, & providing feedback
• Support an open door policy for classrooms and meetings for teaching colleagues and program administrators, appropriate to role
• Participate in coaching conversations and peer-review on an as needed basis
• Share high level (month-by-month) program goals & objectives for students with Director of Instruction & Belonging by the first day of school
Communications with parents/caregivers:
• Prior to the start of the school year, connect with families and students to welcome them to the class and begin to get to know them (could include but is not limited to a home visit, phone call, zoom meeting, feedback form, etc.)
• Clearly articulate program and developmental goals to parents
• Clearly communicate student learning to students and parents
• Maintain open lines of communication with parents
• Post class schedule for families within one week of the beginning of school
• Communicate with families to share and preview classroom learning (newsletter, email, blog) on a bi-weekly basis
Reflect on Practice:
• Examine and evaluate classroom program and teaching regularly and adjust as needed
• Identify goals in 4 categories and work towards achieving them: dialogue with the Head of School and Director of Instruction and Belonging at least 2 times per year about your progress
• Identify a learning opportunity that will support your professionalism in your role at Peninsula School - submit a proposal and request to utilize the school's PD funds
• Participate in school committees as needed to support the work of the Strategic Plan.
Logistics:
• Be present on campus from 8:45-3:15 pm daily. School hours are 9am-3pm.
• Attend the full work week before school begins, our regular Tuesday staff meetings (until 5pm), in-service days, and other meetings as appropriate, according to individual classroom and student needs. Occasional weekend events required.
• Meet with parents for conferences formally two times a year and provide additional conferences & communication as required or requested
• Organize & facilitate group parent/caregivers meetings at least twice a year
• Attend (at least briefly) 2 of the 3 Big school community building and fundraising events organized by the “POP” People of Peninsula.
• Ensure that you are approving timecards, time off requests, and other compliance items as the direct supervisor of your AT.
Qualifications and Requirements
B.A. required. Passionate about working with children. Experience with and/or aptitude for working with students and skilled in building a close rapport with children. Ability to work with a diverse population. Embrace progressive education ideals. Caring, flexible, creative, organized, good judgment, sense of humor. Initial and continued criminal background clearance by DOJ and FBI and initial and continued tuberculosis clearance are required.
For the full job description and the link to our application, please visit the post on the Join Our Team page of our website (https://www.peninsulaschool.org/about-us/join-our-team) and send an employment application with a cover letter and resumé, to HR@peninsulaschool.org.
Peninsula School is an equal opportunity employer and we actively promote the principles
and practices of diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the school community. We
actively support equal opportunity for all people and encourage members of BIPOC
communities and LGBTQ+ candidates to apply. Our school is strongly committed to
learning about and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in all interactions and
programs. We offer competitive compensation and a progressive community dedicated
to learning and engaged citizenship. We encourage people of under-represented groups
to apply. For more information, please visit our website: www.peninsulaschool.org.