Upper School French Teacher
THE POSITION
We are seeking a full-time French teacher for the Upper School beginning in fall 2023. Responsibilities include teaching four sections of French. Native or near-native fluency is essential, as well as experience in teaching French at the Upper School level. We expect candidates to be familiar with and have an awareness of French-speaking regions and communities.
The Upper School modern language department’s approach to teaching emphasizes oral communication, cultural awareness, and student-centered activities. We seek a teacher willing to grow, keep up with best practices, and collaborate with the department to enhance our curriculum.
Devoted to intellectual inquiry, a collaborative spirit of learning, and an appreciation for the diversity of human experience, The Park School of Baltimore is a community founded on positive expectations of our students and respect for individual differences.
We cultivate children’s innate curiosity by nurturing their interests and engaging them as active participants in their own education.
We support young people in becoming confident questioners and responsible citizens of the world.
The Park School is a non-sectarian, independent, coeducational day school of 845 students from Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12. Founded in 1912 as one of the early progressive schools, The Park School continues to practice a distinct educational philosophy. The core values today, as in 1912, are a belief in children’s capacity to love learning, to grow academically and emotionally when inspired by highly qualified, caring teachers, and to develop self-discipline, confidence, and creative problem-solving skills through deep exploration and constant challenge. At every grade level, from Pre-Kindergarten through Upper School, Park actively encourages questioning and conversation as essential elements of the learning process. The school philosophy emphasizes a belief in positive expectations and expects that students, as they mature, will take increasing responsibility for their own learning.
Qualifications
- Native/near-native fluency in French.
- Knowledge of French-speaking cultures, preferably from experience(s) living abroad.
- Teaching experience at the Upper School level and a commitment to working with this age group.
- Demonstrated ability to work with students from diverse backgrounds and learning styles.
- Familiarity with a culture-driven approach and communicative teaching methods.
- Knowledge and application of varied and creative teaching methods in the spirit of progressive education.
- Personal skills necessary to work collaboratively with colleagues in a school-wide department.
- Openness to other duties as needed is a plus.
- Openness to cultural competency work.
- Openness to progressive education and pedagogy.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The modern language faculty functions as a school-wide department, with periodic meetings for faculty from all three divisions. The primary objectives of the modern language department are for students to gain an awareness and understanding of the culture(s) of the countries where the language is spoken and for them to speak and understand the language well enough to communicate with a native speaker. This priority is not at the expense of developing other communicative skills.
At Park, all Lower School students study Spanish beginning in Pre-Kindergarten. Students choose to continue Spanish or begin French in sixth grade; in the Upper School students also have the option to choose Mandarin.
SALARY AND BENEFITS
Park’s salary and benefits are highly competitive with those in other leading area independent schools. For new appointments, salaries reflect experience and training equated to Park’s scales. In addition to normal retirement and health benefits, the school offers the following distinctive programs:
- Faculty and Curricular Advancement (FACA) Program: This program supports summer professional work by faculty on a distinctive scale. Established in 1989, FACA is supported by a $5.6 million endowment; currently, over 40% of all Park faculty participate in projects annually. Grants cover full salary and benefits for group or individual projects selected through a formal review process.
- Tuition Remission: Under current policy, employees who have been at Park full-time for two years are eligible to receive full tuition remission for their children who attend Park. All candidates, including employee children, must meet Park’s standards for admission. (During the first two years of employment, faculty may apply for aid through the need-based tuition assistance program.)
APPLICATION PROCESS
Due to the large volume of incoming résumés, we cannot accept phone calls. Send a letter of interest, personal statement, and résumé. Please indicate whether you plan to attend any national recruitment forums. Please also indicate whether there are any special circumstances that will affect the timing of your search, availability for interviews, and decisions for the coming year.
CONTACT
Priscilla Morales, Associate Head of School
The Park School
2425 Old Court Road
Baltimore, MD 21208
academicresources@parkschool.net
The Park School of Baltimore does not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, ancestry, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or any physical or mental disability unrelated to a reasonable performance of an employee’s duties.
COVID-19
Please note: Park School currently requires proof of COVID-19 vaccination, subject to legally required exemptions, as a condition of employment.