Lower School Lead Teacher - First Grade

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 co-teacher in their classroom. Each grade level classroom has two lead teachers working together, and we have two classrooms per grade level. With two lead teachers in each classroom, teachers work together to implement the curriculum and best support the needs of the learners in the class. Lower School Teachers also work as part of their grade level team to ensure the continuous development of grade-level curriculum in alignment with the school’s mission and core learning beliefs. 

This opening is for either a first or second grade class. Grade level placement will be determined in collaboration with the division director. If you are interested in a different grade level position as well, please mention that in your cover letter. The primary job duties for the position are set below, but include other duties assigned by the employee’s supervisor or manager.

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. Applicants should excel in applying these practices and be able to integrate them into curriculum and unit design across all content areas for which they are responsible.

Classroom Leader and Curriculum Thought Partner 
● Collaborate with teaching partner to 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 experience with an integrated approach to embed concepts and themes into the curriculum creatively.
● Manage regular small group work and demonstrate effective and proactive differentiation strategies to meet the needs of learners.
● Provides coaching and feedback to a diverse student population through a culture of social justice, inclusion, and action in the classroom, utilizing 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 understand student learning and track progress and students’ development of school wide competencies.
● Keep track of assessment data and critically analyze the collected data to understand student learning, and adapt instructional practice accordingly.
● 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 and assessment data up to date.
● Ensure timely communication with parents/guardians through calls, emails, classroom blogs, and conferences.
● Pursue professional development that aligns with professional goals and school wide initiatives to model and practice continued learning.
● Attend weekly grade level team meetings and semi weekly collaborative meetings with student support team and administration. 

Division Wide Collaboration

• Partner with the Lower School Division Head, Grade Level Team, Learning Specialists, and Counselors to support student learning and well being.
• Partner with the Lower School Division Head, Director of Curriculum and Innovation, Team Leads, instructional coach 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, collaboration 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 the curriculum and support student learning both inside and outside the classroom. 

Whole School - CDS Team 

• Engage actively in the CDS professional learning community by supporting schoolwide initiatives and strategic priorities.
• Partner with Admissions and Advancement as needed to promote the CDS program and its 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 and Preferences 

• BS/BA (required)
• Teaching credential/Minimum three years classroom teaching experience preferred
• Successful experience with inquiry-based models of elementary teaching.
• Experience with curriculum development and/or oversight.
• Cultural competency and the ability to support issues of social justice work in the classroom.
• Have knowledge and skills to facilitate whole child learning practices - a focus on core academics and SEL development in a diverse population.
• Utilize strong communication skills and a solutions-oriented mindset.
• Proficiency in the use of technology, Google Suite, and managing multiple platforms for organization and curriculum implementation. 

Schedule

• The new school year begins with planning and development in August, with meetings scheduled to start the week of August 10th.
• The first day of school starts on August 26th.
• Work hours are: Monday to Friday, 7:45 am - 3:45 pm.
• Mandatory Division Meetings take place on Wednesdays from 3:45 pm to 5:00 pm

The annual salary range is $60,552 to $132,905. Salary is based on salary scale of education and teaching 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 Test/Risk Assessment
• Live Scan background check
• Eligible to work in the US

Contact Information 

http://careers.cds-sf.org/ 

Please inquire directly about grade level placement opportunities.