Upper School EnglishTeacher

THE PARK SCHOOL OF BALTIMORE

UPPER SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER

FALL 2021

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 814 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 position will involve full-time teaching in Park’s Upper School English Department. Current projections suggest that the candidate we hire will teach four sections with two or three preparations (e.g., two sections of English 9 and two different electives; two sections of English 9, one of English 10, and one elective; or two sections of English 10 and two of the same elective). In addition to teaching, the faculty member will serve as an advisor to students and support co-curricular activities, such as clubs or athletics.

Qualifications:

We are looking for a candidate who:

• embraces the school’s progressive philosophy and teaching methods
• enjoys working with young people in both the classroom and a variety of other settings
• considers teaching young people their vocation
• remains curious about the world and continues to learn
• has a broad and deep background in the study of literature and writing
• has expertise in teaching writing as a process
• brings flexibility and creativity to the classroom
• values student input and enjoys discussing the “why” of something
• provides students with honest, encouraging, and timely feedback on their work
• can help the department continue to develop a curriculum that teaches multiple perspectives and can broaden the scope of current offerings
• has a demonstrated openness to supporting our anti-racist action plan
• holds at least a B.A.
• interest in working with student journalism is a plus

We welcome candidates without previous experience in independent schools.

Candidates who are from diverse backgrounds and/or who have experience in cultural competency work are strongly encouraged to apply.

Background Information:

Park’s philosophy statement is at the heart of the Upper School English curriculum. Because we believe that students “are capable and desirous of rational self-discipline,” we offer an elective system after ninth grade that allows them to pursue their interests. Because we believe that “the activity of learning is an expression of positive energies, fulfills natural impulse, and enriches life,” we seek to create an engaging classroom environment in which teachers and students work together to find meaning and to establish the highest standards for thinking, discussing, and writing.

Within our classrooms, we ask students to attend to their own words, to the words of others, and to the language of the texts in order to build understanding. They must be open to questions and willing to clarify their answers, look closely at words, and share interpretations.  We believe that with this shared responsibility, everyone has a stake in the conversation. Further, when students debate ideas or express disagreements, we encourage them to embrace the conversation and to persevere as they work toward resolutions. 

The English Department offers an elective curriculum that encompasses a wide variety of literary genres, periods, and themes. Recent offerings include Invisible Men, Etymology and Semantics, Imagining Race, The Interview, The Reading and Writing Classroom, Plucky Heroines, The Frontier, Shakespeare’s Comedies, The Art of the Essay, The Gothic Novel, Fiction Writing, Poetry Writing, Spanish Caribbean Literature, Ancient Greek Classics, Stories from Medicine, and Gender Trouble. We often team up with teachers from other departments to create interdisciplinary courses, such as Irish History and Literature or Lyrics in Literary and Cultural Contexts: Bob Dylan. 

We encourage candidates to go to the website to read our Program of Studies and Park’s Philosophy.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

Park salaries and benefits are highly competitive with those in other leading 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:

• Faculty and Curricular Advancement (FACA) Program: This program supports summer professional work by faculty on a distinctive scale. Established in 1989, FACA is supported by a $5.6 million endowment; currently, over 40% of all Park faculty participate in projects annually. Grants cover full salary and benefits for group or individual projects selected through a formal review process. Most grants are for four weeks; some are for shorter periods.
• Tuition Remission: Under current policy, faculty and staff 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 candidates, including faculty children, must meet Park’s standards for admission. (During the first two years of employment, faculty may apply for aid through the need-based financial assistance program.)

APPLICATION PROCESS: Send letter of interest, personal statement, and résumé. Please indicate whether you plan to attend any national recruitment forums. Please also indicate whether there are any special circumstances that will affect the timing of your search, availability for interviews, and decisions for the coming year.

Contact Person:                     Priscilla Morales, Associate Head of School

                                                The Park School

                                                2425 Old Court Road

                                                Baltimore, MD 21208                                    

                                                Telephone: (410) 339-4159

                                                Fax: (410) 339-4125

                                                [email protected]

The Park School is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or any physical or mental disability unrelated to a reasonable performance of any employee’s duties.