POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT: HISTORY TEACHER

Saint Ann’s School, an independent, non-sectarian day school enrolling 1085 students in pre-kindergarten through high school, seeks the rare combination of a passionate teacher and learned history scholar who is thrilled to share that passion with students ranging from grades 4-12, and who is excited to teach in a flexible, creative environment. 

ABOUT SAINT ANN’S SCHOOL

Saint Ann’s is among the largest and most selective independent schools in New York City, known for the breadth and depth of its curriculum in academic disciplines and the visual and performing arts. Since its founding in 1965, Saint Ann’s has embraced a commitment to education for its own sake, oriented to the capacities of each individual student, free of the encumbrances of formal grading, prizes, and rankings. The lives of our graduates speak powerfully to the potential of an education based on these principles to ignite a love of learning and sustain creative energy in every field of endeavor. We accomplish this by bringing together talented teachers with creative and motivated students. Seeking to create a community rooted in trust and equity, we invite each other to take risks, pursue knowledge, and celebrate growth. Recently, Saint Ann’s has made a commitment to centering anti-racism in the life of the school.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Teachers at Saint Ann’s must be committed to working with students from a wide variety of backgrounds, meeting the individual needs of students, and investing in the school’s ongoing work around issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Academic classes at Saint Ann’s meet four times per week, and teachers teach four classes, generally two high school classes and two middle school classes. Teachers have minimal duties outside of teaching: we do not act as advisors, we do not coach sports (unless we elect to), we do not advise publications (again, unless we elect to). Our expectation is that teachers will spend their non-teaching hours preparing for their classes and pursuing their academic and extra-curricular interests. 

We do not give grades.  Instead, twice a year, teachers write full-page reports on each student’s progress. Reports are a holistic description of a student’s work over the course of the semester and include anecdotes, descriptions of a child’s progress with a particular skill and the development of their understanding of the subject material. Report writing is intrinsic to how we understand our students, and teachers find it more rewarding and satisfying than giving grades. 

History Curriculum

Each grade from fourth through tenth follows a general theme or timeframe. Fourth grade is an introduction to history and in fifth grade the focus is on New York City. history. Sixth grade history begins the world history sequence of the next four years with an examination of prehistory and ancient civilizations around the world. By the end of 9th grade, this takes the students well into the 20th century. Tenth grade is  U.S. history. Starting in eleventh grade, students can choose from a variety of electives. Recent offerings have included “Childhood in America,” “The History of Midwifery,” “Black Activism,” “Premodern East Asia” and “Democracy and Dictatorship.”

Teachers at Saint Ann’s enjoy a great deal of freedom in the classroom, and  at Saint Ann’s, teachers are encouraged to introduce their own scholarly interests to their students within the broad parameters of the curriculum. At the same time, we are a collegial department: faculty members are encouraged to collaborate and share their curricular ideas. 

PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS

•  Bachelor’s degree

• Experience working with children (this may be teaching, but we also take seriously any job in which a candidate was charged with caring for children)

• Superb planning and organizational skills

• A passion for history—we are particularly interested in candidates with expertise in African history 

• Ability and desire to work with children and adults of diverse backgrounds

• Interest in working with gifted children and children with learning differences

• Desire to investigate and discuss how a history curriculum is (and should be) designed

• Superb writing skills

• Ability to work independently combined with a willingness to respond to feedback

• Ability to listen carefully and respond thoughtfully to children of a variety of ages

• A strong desire to teach both middle and high school students

Please note that the School has a mandatory Covid-19 vaccination policy, which requires that all employees be fully vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination. Additional information about this requirement may be found on the Employment page of the School’s website.

COMPENSATION

This is a full-time faculty position with a base salary range of $60,000-$100,000, commensurate with education and experience.

TO APPLY

 
Please submit a resume and cover letter that speaks directly to the school’s mission (more information is available at our website, www.saintannsny.org) to [email protected] Candidates who identify as members of historically underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. Anticipated start date of mid-august. Position opened until filled. 

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY

Saint Ann’s School admits students of any race, color, religion, creed, gender, disability, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation or any other category protected by applicable federal, state or local law, to all the rights privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, gender (which includes a person’s actual or perceived sex, as well as gender identity and expression), age, marital status, disability, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, familial status, predisposing genetic characteristics, actual or perceived domestic violence victim status, unemployment status, caregiver status or any other category protected by applicable federal, state or local law, in carrying on its educational activities or in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, employment policies, financial aid programs, and athletic and other school administered programs.