This is a salaried, exempt full-time position 40 hours per week, 10 months per year. Compensation for this position is competitive and commensurate with starting annualized salary for experienced applicants ranging from $68,000 to $80,000. Full-time employees of MCS are eligible for comprehensive health and wellness benefits, 403b retirement plan matching and paid time off (PTO).
Founded in 1965, the Montessori Center School of Santa Barbara (MCS) is an independent school and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a rich history of preparing students ages 18 months through 6th grade for academic excellence using the world renowned Montessori Method. An American Montessori Society member school, MCS fosters independent, self-motivated, confident, life-long learners, who will become positive forces to care for and transform our world. The school is located on a beautiful garden campus in Goleta, California.
About the Opportunity
As we prepare to expand our upper elementary program in the 2024-25 school year, MCS is looking for an experienced and credentialed Montessori upper elementary teacher. This is an opportunity to work with our wildly talented and committed staffulty and dynamic and kind students as you lead a classroom of 22 to 24 students through the upper elementary component of their Montessori learning journey.
Overseeing an assistant teacher, and working in a highly collaborative manner with the whole elementary team, you will carefully curate a welcoming and resource-rich environment and will deliver a high-fidelity Montessori learning experience for our students each day, nurturing their independence, curiosity and love of learning and preparing them to become positive forces to transform our world.
Roles & Responsibilities
The Upper Elementary Lead Teacher will perform the following duties:
Classroom Environment
Design and maintain a well-resourced, welcoming and orderly Montessori upper elementary environment that nurtures a high quality, developmentally appropriate academic program.
Build strong relationships with each of your students and help nurture a keen sense of equity, inclusion and belonging for every student in your classroom.
Blend robust opportunities for age-appropriate social-emotional learning into daily lessons and activities ensuring that students are building the social-emotional and executive functioning skills necessary to navigate and thrive throughout their day to day lives – both in and beyond the classroom.
Oversee students’ progression through the curriculum, partnering with the school’s Student Support Services team to ensure that each learner has access to a well-designed program that best meets their unique learning style and need.
Observation & Record-keeping
Conduct child observations regularly, documenting these through the school’s shared online record-keeping and learning management system.
Utilize child observations and your data and records to inform daily choices regarding each child’s support and program.
Family Engagement
Work to engage each parent/caregiver as an authentic partner in each student’s educational journey.
Utilizing school-wide protocols, share data and updates routinely with families regarding their children’s academic and social development.
Be responsive, receptive and welcoming of parent/caregiver inquiries and feedback.
Share weekly classroom updates with families, host family gatherings (potlucks, etc.) and classroom visitations, and be each of your students’ families’ go-to person in the school.
Participate in the life of the school community by supporting annual events including occasional weekend commitments (e.g The Montessori Journey, the fall harvest festival, annual benefit auction, etc.).
Outdoor Environmental Science Education
Support the upper elementary program’s burgeoning outdoor education programs by serving as a trip chaperone, championing our approach and bringing in outside guests, programs and opportunities to build up the program.
Teamwork
Embody MCS’s core values in your daily interactions with children, families and staffulty.
Seek out and embrace opportunities for collaboration with colleagues across the school.
Qualifications
Successful candidates for this role will evidence the following qualifications:
Experience & Professional Qualifications
A bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university
A Montessori (MACTE) upper elementary teaching credential (preferred) or a willingness to obtain your credential
Experience working in a Montessori upper elementary classroom (3+ years preferred)
Excellent written and oral English communication skills
Mindsets
Commitment to MCS’ mission, vision and core values
Demonstrated capacity to collaborate effectively as a member of a results-oriented, high-performing team
Passion for serving children of all learning styles and abilities
Commitment to living out principles of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging
Sound professional judgment and decision-making skills
Capacity to share and receive and implement feedback with grace and agility
High level of emotional intelligence, integrity and humor
High level of personal organization, planning and follow-through
Physical Requirements
Duties performed typically in school settings to include:
Physical stamina to work with school-aged children.
Frequent walking, kneeling, standing, stooping, sitting on the ground, and occasional lifting, up to approximately 50 pounds.
Must be able to grasp and feel the attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature and texture.
Able to move as needed to ensure the safety of the children. Other physical activities may be required.
Vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels; visual acuity is required for preparing and analyzing written or computer information, determining the accuracy, neatness and thoroughness of work, and observing general surroundings and activities; the worker is subject to inside and outside environmental conditions, noise and hazards.
Daily personal and close contact with children to provide classroom management and learning environment support is required.
Must be able and available to work overnight trips including the annual week-long science education sleep-away trip and the spring overnight wilderness backpacking trip.
Regular in-person contact with parents, faculty and staff members is required.
These physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to perform successfully the essential functions of this job. MCS is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. In keeping with this commitment, MCS will take steps to assure that people with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations.
All MCS employees must clear a DOJ/FBI background check (LiveScan), must provide a negative TB test, must know the school emergency procedures, and must perform other duties not specifically stated as directed by the Head of School.
