Lower School Teacher

At Children's Day School, what you learn and who you become are equally important.

Children's Day School (CDS) is a welcoming community in the big city, a farm and garden among urban streets, an advocate for change and uplifting progressive values, an independent school with down-to-earth values, and an institution that is always asking how we can do this better.

We strive for balance so students become both academically successful and grounded. They leave CDS confident, with the humility to listen and the resolve to speak up for what they see as right.

CDS is a co-educational preschool through eighth grade school serving over 450 students in the Mission Dolores neighborhood of San Francisco with two campuses, two sheep, and lovely people.

To learn more about CDS, visit our website at www.cds-sf.org.

Job Summary

Lower School Teachers at CDS work as a co-teacher in their classroom. In this partnership, teachers work together to implement curriculum and best support the needs of the learners in the class. Lower School Teachers also work as part of a grade level team to ensure the continuous development of grade-level curriculum in alignment with the school's mission and core learning beliefs. Lower School Teachers root their practice in inquiry at CDS. Students will develop agency over their own learning and teachers will help to facilitate the integration of topics and concepts throughout the curriculum to best develop skills as competent learners through the years.

Our Lower School Teachers engage in rigorous discussion and developments that align to the initiatives and goals of the school and division. They bring a critical lens to discussions and are collaborative and solutions-orientated. Our Lower School Teachers are proactive in their approach to learners, families, and team dynamics. Collaboration is key in our co-teaching model so robust communication skills, curiosity, and a dedication to building a productive team are essential.

Primary Responsibilities

Essential Practices of a CDS Educator

CDS Educators have identified and aligned on these five essential teaching practices to guide instruction and learning in the classroom. Applications should excel in using these practices and be able to apply them to curriculum and unit design across all content areas they are responsible for.

Classroom Leader and Curriculum Thought Partner

Co-Lead the development and implementation of grade-level curriculum so that it is both accessible to a diverse population of students and meets the intended learning goals of the division.
Provide a hands-on, inquiry-based learning with an integrated approach to creatively embed concepts and themes into the curriculum.
Work alongside a partner teacher and grade-level teaching team to plan and develop curriculum and learning opportunities for students. This can occur through frequent and open communication as well as planned weekly collaboration meetings.
Manage collaborative learning groups and demonstrate effective and proactive differentiation strategies to meet the needs of a diverse learning population.
Provides coaching and feedback to a diverse population of students with conferences and with individualized support for learners.
Nurture a culture of social justice, inclusion, and action in the classroom through the curriculum, conversations, and community-based learning.
Develop and implement formative and summative learning assessments and approaches that will consistently and continuously provide a basis for giving students feedback and reporting student progress.
Design purposeful assessments and performance tasks to best understand student learning track progress and student's development of competencies and share learning goals throughout projects.
Keep track of assessment data and critically analyze data collected to understand student learning, and be able to adapt instructional practice using assessment data collected throughout the school year.
Facilitate the social, emotional, and academic growth of students.
Demonstrate and model cultural competence; proactively address mistakes and misunderstandings with curiosity and a learner stance; continue ongoing learning about how racism, stereotypes, and bias continue to shape children's lives and experiences.
Co-lead and provide parent education opportunities, including Back to School Night, weekly classroom blogs, family conferences, and learning celebrations.
Manage the day-to-day operations of the classroom and keep curriculum documentation up to date.
Ensure timely communication with parents/guardians through calls, emails, classroom blogs, and conferences.
Pursue professional development that is aligned with professional goals and school-wide initiatives to model and practice continued learning.

Division Wide Collaboration

Partner with the Lower School Division Head, Grade Level Team, Learning Specialists, and Counselors to advocate for student learning and well-being.
Partner with the Lower School Division Head, Director of Curriculum and Innovation, Team Leads, and other leaders on campus to set goals, respond to feedback, and focus on professional growth and development.
Attend weekly division meetings, grade level team meetings, and as needed meetings with families to update or check in on student progress and development.
Support the division with lunch duties, recess coverage, and various other division wide student supervision needs.
Build strong collaborative partnerships with specialist teachers to integrate curriculum and support student learning inside and outside of the classroom.

Whole School - CDS Team

Engage actively in the CDS professional learning community by forwarding schoolwide initiatives and strategic priorities.
Partner with admissions and advancement as needed to promote the CDS program and mission.
Find opportunities to lead and contribute by joining committees, leading affinity groups, and collaborating with colleagues to sustain our commitment to innovation and ongoing learning

Position Requirements

BS/BA (required)
Demonstrated successful experience with inquiry-based models of elementary teaching.
Demonstrated experience with curriculum development and/or oversight.
Acumen in 21st-century learning skills and issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Demonstrated knowledge, skills, and habits within whole child learning practices - a focus on core academics and SEL development.
Strong communication skills and solutions-oriented mindset.
Proficiency in the use of technology, Google Workspace, and managing multiple platforms for the purpose of organization and curriculum implementation.

Schedule

The new school year starts with planning and development in August with meetings beginning the week of August 11th.
The first day of school starts on August 27th.
You are expected to work from Monday - Friday from 7:45 am-3:45 pm.
Division Meetings take place on Wednesdays from 3:45 pm-5:00 pm.

Compensation

Annual salary is $59,805 - $131,264. Salary is based on qualifications and experience. Excellent benefits are offered including medical, dental, and vision insurance, paid time off, tuition remission, education reimbursement and professional development, and an employer-paid retirement plan.

CDS is an equal opportunity employer. Our community is diverse in many ways, inclusive of race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender spectrum, age, ability, and more. We welcome and value the same in our faculty and staff.

Clearance Requirements

TB Assessment
Live Scan background check
Eligible to work in the U.S. / E-Verify

Contact Information

http://careers.cds-sf.org/

Please inquire directly about grade level placement opportunities.

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