Junior Kindergarten Head Teacher
About Grace
Grace Church School is a JK–12, co-ed independent school located on two campuses in downtown New York City. An Episcopal school, welcoming children of all faiths and of none, Grace believes in the inherent, precious dignity of every individual and seeks to provide an outstanding education worthy of our common humanity.
Grace is a school of big ideas. Our structured curriculum promotes academic excellence through a pedagogy of joy: an approach that reflects our belief that stress isn’t the fuel of academic achievement but that joy is, and that students learn best when motivated by delight, wonder, curiosity, and purpose. We work hard to nurture a culture of dignity and belonging, believing that the strength and diversity of the school enhances every aspect of our program, and we seek to foster in each student skills of intellectual excellence and habits of ethical virtue. Grounded in tradition, the school remains ever open to innovation, looking to the best research on the science of learning and the craft of teaching to advance the timeless values and aspirations of our mission.
About the Position
Grace is seeking a capable and collaborative individual to join our teaching team for the 2024/2025 school year. Reporting to the Head of Early Childhood, Early Childhood Head Teachers collaborate with grade level and divisional colleagues, specialists, and administrators to deliver instruction that is responsive to the needs of individual students and grounded in best practices. Qualified candidates will display strong classroom management skills, a proven commitment to professional growth, and a willingness to partner with families in a mutually supportive relationship. In addition, ideal candidates must demonstrate an ability to bring joy and energy to their daily interactions with children as well as the cultural competency needed to work and communicate effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Candidates should also possess a positive attitude and outlook along with flexibility.
Responsibilities & Qualifications
Our early childhood teachers cultivate a warm and welcoming classroom community to foster a positive and productive learning environment. This involves differentiating instruction to support both group and individual learning needs, providing extra support and enrichment as necessary, and implementing responsive, equitable, and positive classroom management strategies. The teacher must develop, plan, and teach all disciplines related to the homeroom curriculum in collaboration with their associate teacher. Preferred qualifications include training and experience with Responsive Classroom (or similar) strategy-based literacy and math instruction methods such as Bridges in Mathematics, Heggerty, and Sounds in Motion. Collaboration with specialty teachers, math and reading specialists for curriculum planning is essential. Teachers plan field trips to enrich the curriculum, and perform assigned tasks as needed.
Additionally, the teacher should be able to identify and respond to individual students' academic and social-emotional needs in collaboration with the Head of Early Childhood and the JK-4 School Counselor. Maintaining accurate records of student progress, parent communication, lessons, and intervention effectiveness is crucial. Competence in antiracist pedagogy is important, as is utilizing technology appropriately for teaching and lesson planning. Effective communication with families through various channels like meetings, phone calls, emails, and parent-teacher conferences is required.
Other responsibilities include writing report cards twice a year to communicate the holistic development of each child in language, math, social studies, and social-emotional domains. Collaborating with grade-level team members and the Head of Early Childhood on weekly schedules and lessons ensures consistency across classrooms. Guiding, training, mentoring, and supporting Junior Kindergarten Associate Teachers is part of the role.
Compensation
This is a full-time faculty position with an expected base salary of $68,000–$155,040 commensurate with education and experience on the faculty salary scale.
Grace Church School is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe that equity and inclusion are not only hallmarks of a just society, but also virtues essential to sound learning. Our commitment to antiracism, equity, and belonging calls on all faculty members to promote a culture of dignity and belonging for everyone at Grace by recognizing and honoring the unique gifts of its students, families, faculty, and staff. We encourage applications from candidates with broad and diverse backgrounds and from individuals of all races, nationalities, identities, and beliefs.