Marshall, VA

Mountainside Montessori School is currently accepting applications for an AMI Toddler and Primary Guide.

Mountainside was established in 2003 and is an AMI, farm based program, Toddler through Adolescent. We offer a creative, supportive environment that integrates sustainable agriculture, environmental literacy, and free play in nature with a solid academic program.

Our school campus is located on a 10-acre farm in the historic town of Marshall, VA. Our classrooms are designed to incorporate both indoor and outdoor spaces and reflect our mission of environmental stewardship, sustainable agriculture, and free play in nature.

Located at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, we are surrounded by some of the most beautiful horse farms in the country, steeped in American history, and just one hour away from our nation’s capital.

Ideal candidates will have completed the AMI Toddler/Primary training or the equivalent. He/She will be motivated and flexible with a fun-loving nature and a strong desire to work with children and their families. He/She will also be passionate, dedicated and enthusiastic about fostering a life-long love of learning.

Please send cover letter and resume to:
Edel Kunkel
4206 Belvoir Rd. Marshall, VA 20115
[email protected]
www.mountainsidemontessori.com
Phone: (540) 253-5025

Greensboro, NC

Do you love working with adolescent students? In them do you see their power, potential, capabilities, and sparkle? In them do you see both struggle and a limitless capacity for greatness? If so, you might like hanging out with us.

We are a 250-student, 45-year-old, toddler-through-ninth-grade, independent school located in Greensboro, North Carolina. We are accredited by both the American Montessori Society and the Southern Association of Independent Schools, and our middle school program is 25 years old.

Building on an incredible base –– passionate faculty; field trips to New York City, Arizona, and Costa Rica; a student-driven schedule; a micro-economy run by students; a farm-to-fork program also managed by students in our commercial-grade teaching kitchen; and a 37-acre satellite campus where we spend a full week every six weeks on project-based learning, community building, and environmental education –– we are in the process of growing and enhancing our program even more.

We dream of being one of the best Montessori adolescent programs in the country for our students and the local community, and we have all the pieces in place. We just need one more dynamic, driven, and dream-filled educator to round out our Junior High team.

Our seventh, eighth, and ninth graders are grouped together in Junior High (technically, we call our program Junior High and not Middle School). We graduate students in both eighth and ninth grades. Relatively new, our ninth grade is an opportunity for outstanding students to further develop the skills and courage they need to unleash their full potential. The experience includes several unique capstone projects, honors-level classes that meet all North Carolina ninth grade requirements, and a student-planned and student-led international trip. We currently have 25 students in Junior High, and we imagine our ideal size being closer to 35 students.

​Our Junior High curriculum focuses on applied academics and experiential learning tailored specifically for adolescent-aged students. Our program is driven by a commitment to excellence in all that we do –– academically, socially, and programmatically. The curriculum reflects current adolescent development research; incorporates North Carolina state educational guidelines; and is based on Montessori principles such as multi-age classrooms, personalized learning, and project-based curriculum. As an independent school, we allow teachers to teach, and we are not constrained by antiquated educational models, nor cumbersome practices.

Our new teammate will be a 10-month, part-time teacher, working with the broader Upper School team and working closest with a small group of Junior High teachers who have expertise in history, science, and math. Growth potential towards a full-time position is possible.

The teacher should be prepared to work four hours per day, Monday through Friday, with roughly 2.75 contact hours with students in classroom responsibilities from 8:30 a.m. to 11:15 p.m. While Montessori experience is not required, Montessori value alignment is.

If not from Montessori, candidates should have taught adolescents in some kind of experiential, inquiry-based, project-based, constructivist, or similar student-centered learning approach. The ideal applicant should be a strong writer and reader, as they will lead our language arts curriculum, with a focus on high-quality composition, Socratic seminar, literature study, and the overall beauty of language.

The ideal applicant should have significant adolescent teaching experience and be ready to bring substantive contributions to our team. A commitment to inclusivity and a professional balance of collaborative flexibility and drive for excellence are also key. A master’s degree in a related field is preferred. Above all, in our new teammate we are looking for a good heart and a good mind.

Our School is a great place to be for students and adults, alike. If you are a committed and passionate educator with a love for nurturing and challenging adolescents, we want to meet you.

If you are from outside the Piedmont Triad area of North Carolina, you should know that Greensboro is a wonderful, medium-sized, and very affordable city that is just three hours from the beach and two hours from the mountains.
P.S. We also want a teammate with a great sense of humor and a willingness to work super hard; someone who is an attentive listener, self-aware, and open-minded. Bonus if you speak Spanish.

Oh, and someone who might drive one of our 18-passenger school buses.

P.P.S. While this position is part-time, if the absolute perfect fit for our team needs full-time employment, then we will consider this.

Contact Information for Applicants
If you are interested in joining our team, please email a
(1) cover letter,
(2) résumé,
(3) picture that somehow captures what you think is a critical part of the learning process,
(4) examples of exemplary written work from your current or former students, and
(5) a philosophy of education statement
to our director of human resources, Heather Goggin, at [email protected].

Greensboro, NC

Professional and personable … serious and silly … meticulous and magical … inspired and inspiring. If those four alliterative pairings fit you (and if you know the deep value of bringing your teachers chocolate at just the right moment), you might fit in pretty well at Greensboro Montessori School.

We are seeking a passionate and skilled Montessori leader to join our crew and to fill a newly created administration role of director of lower school.

Our School
We are a 250-student, toddler-through-ninth-grade, independent school located in Greensboro, North Carolina and are accredited by both the American Montessori Society and the Southern Association of Independent Schools. For 45 years, our deep commitment to Montessori pedagogy and program have allowed us to successfully help students unleash their full potential. Our main campus is 10-acres that includes three buildings, four permaculture gardens, multiple outside play spaces, an athletic field, gymnasium, commercial kitchen, and an acre of woods. And with a fantastic group of faculty and staff, very supportive and engaged families, a clear long-range plan, a 37-acre satellite environmental education campus, a strong financial portfolio, and a fantastic board of trustees, we are rock-solid and field-tested.

Our Lower School includes three Toddler rooms (13 students each), four Primary rooms (20 to 24 students each), and two Lower Elementary rooms (25 to 30 students each). After 30 years of service to our community, our associate head of school has announced their retirement, and we are transitioning to having a director of lower school (Toddler, Primary, Lower Elementary) and a director of upper school (Upper Elementary, Junior High), both of whom report directly to the head of school and advise them on running all parts of the school.

Pedagogical Pedigree
Our new director of lower school must have a deep commitment to and significant experience with Montessori philosophy. AMS credentialing and several years teaching experience in at least one of the Lower School divisions (Toddler, Primary, Lower Elementary) is a must. Additionally, they need to value and have direct experience with teaching to students’ different learning styles, being a champion for professional development, and building and maintaining strong parent partnerships.

Leadership Style
We seek a leader who believes in empowering faculty — in being a servant leader. We believe leadership is based on authenticity, humility, and connections, not power and control. We seek someone who is calm under pressure, who sees both the big picture and the hundreds of myriad details, who believes in our peace curriculum, and who finds joy in their work every day.

Our new director of lower school will be equally confident supporting faculty as managing difficult parent conversations as getting down on the ground and giving a lesson to a student. We want to feel comfortable asking this person for help, knowing that we won’t be judged and that we may gain some practical tips or insights derived from your many past Montessori experiences.

Needed Skills and Experiences
- Proven school leadership experience.
- Montessori-aligned pedagogy and philosophy of learning.
- At least five years Montessori teaching in in a lower school environment (Toddler, Primary, Elementary).
- MACTE or AMS credential in at least one of the three lower school divisions (Infant & Toddler, Early Childhood, or Elementary I).
- Experience cultivating a professional adult learning culture.
- Strong spoken, digital, and written communication and interpersonal skills.
- Impeccable attention to detail and organization, especially in terms of managing student outcomes, check-lists, and spiraling vertical curricula.
- Flexibility and the ability to listen deeply.
- Master’s degree in a relevant field.

Roles and Responsibilities
The director of lower school is a 12-month position and will be responsible for coordinating the 18-month to third grade curriculum and program, as well as the 20 to 25 faculty who teach within the divisions. Coordination will include internal and external communications, scheduling, parent partnership, student outcome and program assessment, bridge to the administration team, budget review, and being the face of our Lower School. Direct contact with students in various capacities will be part of the job, in addition to coaching and partnering with faculty and families. They will also support other members of administration, offering high-level oversight to our after-school and summer camp programs and working closely with our director of upper school.

Contact Information for Applicants
If you want to help us nurture and challenge our 18-month-olds through our third graders, and if you have the skills to lead an extremely talented and dedicated group of Montessori educators, we want to hear from you. If you are from outside the Piedmont Triad area of North Carolina, know that this state is a fantastic place to live and that Greensboro is a wonderful, very affordable, medium-sized city. Relocation support is available. We will share more about the interview process with applicants once they apply. The position ideally starts August 1, 2020, but we have some unique flexibility as to when the position could start.

Please email a (1) cover letter, (2) résumé, (3) single digital picture that captures what you think is a critical part of Montessori philosophy, and (4) your leadership statement to our director of human resources, ​Heather Goggin, at [email protected].

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