Charlotte, North Carolina
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Los Angeles, California
Posted: 16-Feb-25
Location: Tampa, Florida
Type: Full Time
Salary: based on experience
Preferred Education:
Carrollwood Day School seeks a dynamic educator to join our Upper School English Language and Literature team beginning August 2025. The ideal candidate will have a strong fluency in English language and literature, be an eager collaborator, be passionate and confident teaching English and literature across the high school curriculum, and will easily form meaningful connections with students throughout their academic journey.
The Upper School English Department Chair position will also be open for the 2025-2026 school year and could be an additional possibility for an exceptional candidate.
Carrollwood Day School (http://www.carrollwooddayschool.org) is an innovative International Baccalaureate (IB) independent school located in North Tampa, FL. Since the inception of CDS in 1982, we have prided ourselves on being a community of learners. We have grown from a preschool into a comprehensive program serving more than 1200 students from age two through 12th grade. Carrollwood Day School stands out as a leader in its commitment to educate the whole child and is recognized nationally for its academic excellence and its school-wide emphasis on character development. Outside the classroom, our students are engaged in a multitude of athletics, arts, and extra-curricular programs. In short, we have PATRIOT PRIDE in everything we do at CDS.
The vision of Carrollwood Day School is to build a community prepared and inspired to better the world. As an IB World School, we cultivate principled entrepreneurial thinkers for a global society by enriching the mind, strengthening the character, and inspiring the passions of our community.
Carrollwood Day School embraces and celebrates the rich diversity of our students, employees, and families from all backgrounds. As an International Baccalaureate continuum school, CDS strives to create a supportive and inclusive learning environment where each person is valued. We work to intentionally develop cross-cultural competency and appreciation of differences within all constituents. We value the influence of a wide range of experiences and perspectives in our classrooms, relationships, and interactions as we prepare our students to contribute to a diverse and interconnected world.
Carrollwood Day School is one of only 36 independent schools in the United States to offer the full curriculum/continuum of IB programmes from early childhood through college prep (PYP, MYP, and DP). In 2019, CDS was honored to become one of only 15 U.S. schools to earn membership in the Cum Laude Society and also offer an International Baccalaureate education. In 2022, CDS was welcomed into the prestigious Round Square organization. In 2023, CDS was awarded the Florida and National School of Character Designation for the second time.
Understanding that a team of talented, supported, and growth-minded teachers is what leads to student success, the first pillar of our strategic plan is to become the destination school for exceptional educators in the Tampa Bay region. Want to join our team and better the world?
The Position of Upper School English Language and Literature Teacher:
As a cooperative member of the English Language and Literature Department and Upper School team, develop and teach English and literature classes to students from grades 9 through 12. Provide an educational atmosphere where students are inspired to fulfill their potential for intellectual and character growth.
Essential Job Responsibilities:
- Authentically support and advance the Mission of the School
- Teach 5 sections within the English Language and Literature curriculum, ensuring that taught content and skills align with the expectations of a rich, college prep curriculum and the expectations of the IB MYP & DP programs
- In collaboration with Department Chair, IB Coordinators, and colleagues, adapt material and methods to develop relevant sequential assignments and unit & lesson plans that guide and challenge students
- Establish and maintain student behavior standards needed to achieve a positive classroom environment; demonstrate strong classroom management skills to maintain a respectful learning environment that ensures high levels of learning for all students
- Model and foster a love of the study of the English language and literature
- Assess and document each student’s performance/progress both formally and informally to meet the School's standards and provide consistent and regular feedback to students and their parents through the school’s LMS, and report cards and comments
- Be an active member of the Language and Literature Department, the Upper School team, and the greater CDS community
- Encourage students to think independently and to express original ideas
- Partner and cooperate with learning specialists and counselors to identify and assess student needs and and help students solve learning, health, and attitude problems
- Serve as a faculty advisor to a group of students; utilize the established advisory program at CDS
- Participate in faculty committees and the sponsorship of student activities, occasionally including off-campus field trips and class trips
- Maintain subject matter expertise and professional competence by attending staff development programs, curriculum development meetings and through other professional development
- Incorporate 21st century skills into curriculum
- Model and foster non-discriminatory practices and a global mindset
- Serve as a mentor and advocate for your students and advisees; be available throughout the school day
- Be a role model of integrity and professionalism
- Sponsor a student club
- Be a team player; cheerfully participate in and/or assist with pick-up and drop-off, lunch duty, assemblies, field trips, open house, and other duties and routines regularly part of a K-12 independent school environment
- Maintain regular and punctual attendance requirements, including attending division and other School meetings, professional days, graduation, and other required events.
- Adhere to School policies as described in the Employee Handbook and other materials
Qualifications, Skills, and Attributes Needed for Success:
- Bachelor’s Degree required, preferably in English, English Education or related field
- Master’s Degree is strongly preferred
- Three years of successful teaching at the upper/high school level is strongly preferred
- Have or be willing to complete within one year, the Category One training with the IB; may be required to do training over the summer. CDS pays for the cost of the training.
- Strong English language and literature fluency
- Strong understanding of the academic, social, and emotional development of teenagers
- Strong collaborative skills and eagerness to work with colleagues
- Strong proficiency in the Google suite of products (docs, sheets, drive, classroom, etc.)
- Excellent verbal, written, and presentation communication skills in both Spanish and English
- Have an interest in engaging with the greater CDS community beyond the traditional school day
- A high degree of professionalism, collegiality, and personal conduct both in and outside of school
- Ability, willingness, and judgment to interact and communicate effectively and positively with all constituents in a school environment
- Comfortable with ambiguity and change inherent in a school environment; willingness to adapt and pivot as needed
- Enthusiasm and commitment to the vision and mission of the School
Compensation includes a comprehensive employee benefits package; CDS offers a competitive salary commensurate with background and experience.
Qualified candidates should send a resume/CV, a statement of interest, and salary expectations to Stephen Higgins, Head of Upper School: shiggins@cdspatriots.org.