ABOUT US

The 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 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, building on the generous support of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

Our approach has three defining characteristics:

• We start early. We start working with children as young as 12 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 our Early Family Foundations program, parent wellness program, full-day preschool, and elementary/middle school, which will grow through eighth grade. In 2021, we opened our second site in the East Bay.

ABOUT OUR EAST PALO ALTO SITE

We are continuing to grow our East Palo Alto site and are excited to launch 7th grade for our 2024-2025 school year. In our school program, we currently serve over 400 students across two preschool grades (3 and 4 year olds) and kindergarten through sixth 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 Early Family Foundations 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 ROLE

This teacher will help create and manage a school makerspace where students participate in engaging in a variety of hands-on making, tinkering, and engineering projects. This teacher will join our Enrichment Teaching team. Enrichment teachers take a personal passion (like PE, art, music, or yoga) and use developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive ways to share that passion with our preschool and elementary aged students. Enrichment Teachers work alongside General Education Teachers to weave their specialty area into the general education curriculum in order to support a coherent learning experience for students. Enrichment Teachers uphold our commitment to Soul work: building strong relationships with students, allowing time and space for moments of self-regulation, and providing opportunities for reflection. While Enrichment Teachers spend the majority of their time directly instructing students in their specialty area, they also have whole school commitments that support our school’s functioning.

The Makerspace STEAM Teacher reports to the Manager of School Programs. This position follows the instructional calendar.

Job Type: Full-time

Work Location: In-person

 

Responsibilities

• Weekly and daily lesson planning tailored for students across elementary school (K-8) that are aligned with the next generation science standards (NGSS).
• Integrate Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math 
• Instructional delivery in a whole class format and small group instruction 
• Ongoing collaboration with grade level teams to create enriching, positive, joyful classroom climate
• Leads the management of the MakerSpace, coordinating and maintaining inventory of tools, equipment, material and software.
• Ability to jointly problem solve around student-specific or classroom-wide challenges
• Participation in reflection and Soul coaching, both 1:1 with the School Principal or designee and in group context with colleagues
• Integrate school priorities into your specialty area, whenever appropriate (e.g. health or soul initiatives)
• Support recess and enrichment coverage through thoughtful, child-centered activities for both preschool and elementary aged students
• Participate in school-wide events such as Community Night, Back to School Breakfast, etc.
• Model a learning environment that celebrates diversity, practices equity, and promotes joy
• Build a learning environment in which every member of the community is safe, respected and can learn

 

QUALIFICATIONS

• You have an Associate’s degree or are in pursuit of a college degree
• Two or more years teaching experience (preferably in your specialty area or within elementary school)
• Deep knowledge and passion for your specialty area
• 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 have a deep commitment to all students
• You get that starting a new school and organization is no easy task and are not scared - in fact, you’re energized - by the idea of deeply commiting to bringing The Primary School to life.
• You have a parent- and family-centered mindset

A Plus If

• You have a degree in your specialty area
• You speak fluent Spanish
• You have ties to the East Palo Alto community 
• You have a passion for building relationships with community partners to support your specialty area
• You are familiar with Design Thinking, the Maker movement and tinkering.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

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. 

COMPENSATION

Annual salary range begins a $68,640; compensation is commensurate with qualifications and experience, plus excellent health benefits (medical, 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). Please note that in order to be considered for this position, you must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. We are unable to offer sponsorship. 

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. Our goal is  that this policy, paired with ongoing transparency in our compensation process, will make TPS a more fair, inclusive, and diverse workplace. 

HOW TO APPLY

TPS values diversity (please see our commitment to DEI); 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.