Address
Form of workThe Primary School is creating a new school model that brings together all of the adults in a child's life, including parents, educators, and medical and mental health providers, starting from a very early age. We recognize the entrenched racism that exists within our public systems and the unjust impact this has had on families of color. Our aim is that children and families most impacted by systemic poverty and racism receive the multidisciplinary support they deserve to be well, learn, and thrive.
Long-term, we hope to create a game-changing school model that can be replicated across the country. As we continue to learn and grow, we plan to share what we've learned and pursue policy and systems change on a local, state, and national level. We are supported by a growing coalition of philanthropic partners, as well as public funding where available.
Our approach has three defining characteristics:
- We start early. We start working with children as young as 18 months and provide full-time school starting at age three to reach them at a critical stage in development.
- We partner with parents. We believe that when parents thrive, children thrive, so we support the wellness and growth of parents alongside the growth of their children.
- We integrate services. Our unique model unites health care and education, building a multi-disciplinary team and holistic system of care around a child's full needs.
In 2016, we opened our flagship school in East Palo Alto, California, with our first class of four year olds. We have grown to serve over 400 children and their families through a birth to three program, parent wellness program, full-day preschool, and elementary school, which will grow through eighth grade. In 2021, we opened our second site in the East Bay.
ABOUT OUR EAST PALO ALTO SITEWe are continuing to grow our East Palo Alto site and are excited to launch 7th grade for the 2024-2025 school year. In our school program, we currently serve students across two preschool grades (3 and 4 year olds) and kindergarten through sixth h grade. Integrated into our program are the other core components of our model including our parent program - partnering closely with parents throughout their child's development and providing wellness programming for caregivers; our birth to 3 program - coordinating early developmental screenings and intervention services; and our medical home partnerships - working with existing health care providers in the community to coordinate care for children.
ABOUT THE ROLEThe Middle School Social Studies Teacher reports to the Upper School Dean and is responsible for planning and delivering rigorous, relevant instruction in Social Studies. The Social Studies teacher will partner closely with the other Middle School teachers to further develop and curate a comprehensive, effective, and cohesive Middle School program. The teaching load consists of two sections of 6th grade Social Studies and two sections of 7th grade Social Studies, as well as a student advisory. Note: This position will teach 6th and 7th grade for only one year. In the 2025-26 school year, the teaching load will shift to 7th and 8th grade Social Studies.
Upper Middle School teachers are tone setters for the school and are responsible for high quality instruction, culture building within and across classrooms, and strengthening home-school connections through deep engagement with families. As a teacher at The Primary School, this individual will also serve as an advisor, facilitate an enrichment activity, and participate in various student and community activities and professional development. Additional responsibilities include active involvement in collaborative teacher meetings, supervisory duties, and accompanying students on an annual outdoor education trip.
RESPONSIBILITIES- Annual, weekly, and daily instructional planning in Social Studies tailored to the needs of each child
- Instructional delivery in large group, small group, and individualized formats
- Regular assessment and analysis of quantitative and qualitative student data with the goal of tailoring responsive instruction and support
- Collaboration with other Middle School teachers to align on grade wide procedures, best practices, parent communication, develop lessons and units and jointly problem-solve to best support students.
- Annual, weekly, and daily SOUL advisory planning tailored to the needs of each child
- Active participation in pioneering and implementation of the TPS model, particularly the new upper grades, through research, curriculum development, engagement with school and organizational leadership, and focused professional development
- Partnership with special education teachers, behavioral support staff and related service providers to provide personalized supports for students with special needs
- Regular meetings with and outreach to families, including daily documentation and notes
- Proactive collaboration and frequent engagement with The Primary School Parent Coaches and staff, and external health practitioners and partners
- Participation in reflection and coaching, both 1:1 with an Instructional Coach and in group context with colleagues
- Partnering with families and facilitate ongoing opportunities for family engagement
- You have a Bachelor's degree in related field
- You have a minimum of 3 years of experience as a classroom teacher (ideally within two grades of your desired position) and hold deep and diverse instructional competence
- Your work demonstrates a practice of creating transformative classroom culture for all kids. You are committed to social justice and take proactive steps to build an equitable classroom practice
- You enthusiastically utilize data to understand what a student needs and to personalize instruction accordingly
- You have a parent- and family-centered mindset
- You recognize the multidimensional needs of children and families, because in your own way, you've been trying to weave education, health, and family support services together for your students
- You are unafraid of diversity and engage confidently across differences.
- You are kind, humble, and collaborative
- Expertise and background in teaching humanities or Social Studies
- Single subject credential in Social Sciences
- Master's Degree
- You speak fluent Spanish
- You have ties to the East Palo Alto Community
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk, hear, and communicate with both adults and children. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is moderate to high.
COMPENSATIONAnnual salary range begins at $73,000-$101,725. Compensation is commensurate with qualifications and experience, plus excellent health benefits (health, dental, and vision), 401k retirement plan, flexible spending account (FSA), dependent care FSA, and generous paid time off, including a competitive paid parental leave benefit. TPS will cover 93% of the total premium cost for individual team members in our HMO and PPO plans, and 95% for individual team members in our HDHP plan. TPS also covers 50% of enrolled partners and/or dependents' costs on all three of our medical plans (HMO,PPO, HDHP).
To ensure fair and equitable compensation for all of our employees, The Primary School has a no-negotiation policy on all offers extended. Final offers are determined using role descriptions, job market data, internal parity, and semi-annual benchmarking. We hope that this policy, paired with ongoing transparency in our compensation process, will make TPS a more fair, inclusive, and diverse culture. HOW TO APPLYTPS values diversity; people of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Please complete the online application and submit your most recent resume. These short-answer questions are designed to replace a cover letter, so take your time with them and copy in your answers from a separate document. If you feel that the questions do not accurately capture what you have to offer The Primary School, you are also welcome to attach a cover letter. Applications are being reviewed on a rolling basis so we encourage you to submit yours soon. We look forward to reading your application!
The Primary School provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.The Primary School complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the organization has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
