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 Mission 

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.

The Position

The Park School is seeking a 5th Grade Classroom Teacher for Fall 2022. The position involves responsibility for all academic subject areas within an integrated curriculum based on a year-long theme study of medieval cultures. The position also involves active collaboration with the two other classroom teachers and with special area teachers in coordinating programs. Reporting to parents and involving parents in their children’s education are additional key responsibilities. All Lower School teachers share in covering routine duties, attend weekly faculty meetings and other meetings as needed.

Qualifications

Quality of mind, passion for teaching, and commitment to the education of lower school children are essential. The ability to work collaboratively within a grade level team and to communicate effectively with parents are also necessary. 

Additional qualifications include:

• Orientation to progressive philosophy and teaching methods
• Formal training in lower school education (M.A. or M.A.T. preferred)
• Classroom experience at the lower school level (3+ years); upper elementary experience strongly preferred
• Demonstrated strength in teaching mathematics both for conceptual understanding and skills mastery; experience working with TERC Investigations math program is a plus
• Demonstrated strength in teaching literacy skills through literature and process writing
• Experience in teaching inquiry-based science a strong plus
• Experience in teaching an integrated, theme-centered curriculum a strong plus
• Experience in curriculum development a strong plus
• Candidates from diverse backgrounds and/or who have experience in cultural competency work are strongly encouraged to apply

Context

Park’s Lower School is committed to progressive principles of education. Respect for children and confidence in their natural capacity to learn—and to enjoy learning—are key. The program at all grade levels centers on experiential learning within an integrated curriculum. Our approach emphasizes open-ended inquiry and problem-solving, collaborative projects, and exposure to a wide range of learning activities and materials, anchored by a focus on essential understandings and attention to basic skills. 

The faculty role is a fully professional one: in addition to taking full responsibility for students’ learning in core subject areas and their emotional growth, classroom teachers individually and collectively are the creators of the curriculum. They engage in ongoing development and review, both as grade level teams and in cross-grade-level and division-wide initiatives. Faculty are also strongly involved in divisional and school-wide diversity initiatives.

The Lower School at Park includes grades Pre-Kindergarten-Fifth, with an enrollment of 275+ students and 40+ faculty. Support personnel include a Lower School Principal, Assistant Principal, two Learning Resource Teachers, and a Lower School Counselor. There are three sections of fifth grade; each classroom teacher is responsible for one section of 15-18 students. Special area teachers provide instruction in Art, Music, Physical Education, Spanish, Library, and Technology. 

Salaries and Benefits

Park salaries 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:

Tuition Remission

Under current policy, employees who have been employed at Park full-time for two years are eligible to receive full tuition remission for their children who attend Park. All applicants, including employee children, must meet Park’s standards for admission. During the first two years of employment, employees can apply for support through the need-based financial assistance program.

Faculty & Curricular Advancement (FACA) Program

 A $5.6 million endowed program, established in 1989, supports summer professional development work by faculty. This program provides compensation for work on group or individual projects. Approximately 40% of Park faculty participate in FACA projects each summer. Projects are selected through a formal, competitive review process.

Application Process

Due to the large volume of incoming resumes, we cannot accept phone calls. Interested candidates are asked to send a letter of interest, personal statement, resume and list of references via email or US mail. 

Contact Person

Priscilla Morales
Associate Head of School
The Park School of Baltimore
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.