Career Center

It takes a whole educator to teach the whole student. If you are excited by the prospect of living your professional life side-by-side other educators who are dedicated to the principles of holistic teaching and learning, if you are ready to be challenged and rewarded not just by delivering a robust curriculum but by helping to co-create the whole-student curriculum of the future, then Dunn School is looking for you.

The mission of Dunn School is to educate whole students to their fullest potential in preparation for a life of learning and responsible leadership in society. To accomplish our mission, we as students, teachers, staff, parents, trustees, and friends are committed to understanding and living by five core values: Emotional Wellness, Physical Readiness, Intellectual Growth, Social Responsibility, and Moral Courage.

Position Summary: 

Since 1973, Dunn has integrated and supported college-bound students with learning disabilities in a mainstream college-prep environment. Our Learning Strategies Program serves bright, motivated students in grades 6-12 with a constructive, practical and inspiring program that maximizes each student's success.  Students within the Learning Strategies Program enroll in the same college-preparatory classes as all other students. 

The Learning Strategies Program also includes a class called “Executive Group.”  Students in the Executive Group work closely with a Learning Specialist in a small group setting (5:1 maximum) to develop a growth mindset. This class is designed to teach and practice thinking skills linked to executive functions which include planning, organization, and time management, as well as work on active reading, writing and problem solving strategies.

Teachers at Dunn work in a collaborative, cooperative, student-centered academic environment. Dunn is a community of educators and learners that is deeply dedicated to Whole Student Education, and so you will be involved with many facets of the Dunn School boarding and day programs such as classroom teaching, coaching, advising, and residential life. As a full-time Learning Strategies teacher, you will be responsible for working with students in one-to-one instruction and may also lead a section of the Executive Groups. 

At Dunn School, teacher effectiveness and impact are measured and aligned to the Dunn School Characteristics of Professional Excellence (follow this link for more detail), The CPEs describe an educator who is committed to the following: Professional Growth, Collegiality/Community, Mission and Core Values, Student-Centered, Academic Excellence, Individualized Instruction.

Opportunities (Responsibilities)

• Teach and Advise 6 Learning Strategies Students (or 5 LS students and one section of Executive Group)
• Teach Enrichment classes (approximately three times per year)
• Teach 1 Mini-Term class (1 week)
• Coach 2 seasons of after-school athletics or activities
• Participate in our Residential Life Program
• Participate in the Dunn School Outdoor Education and Leadership Program
• Other opportunities and roles to be determined

Core Competencies

• Experience working with students who have learning differences in a 6th- through 12th-grade educational environment
• MA degree in special education or a closely related field
• Growth mindset, flexibility, comfort with quick pace of change and openness to collaboration and experimentation
• A breadth of knowledge of high-school curricula
• Excellent writing skills
• Demonstrated ability to integrate technology in content delivery/skill development
• Demonstrable commitment to professional growth, openness to feedback and improvement, modeling lifelong learning of practice as well as subject area
• A sense of humor, a commitment to teaching the whole student, and a desire to help guide adolescents in their journey from childhood to young adulthood

About Dunn School

Dunn is a community centered on educating the whole student. For us, whole student education is not just a meaningless phrase, instead it captures all of what we try to do at Dunn in and out of the classroom. We deliver on whole student education through the following learning outcomes that we call core values: Emotional Wellness, Physical Readiness, Intellectual Growth, Social Responsibility, and Moral Courage. 

Our curriculum, co-curricular programs, advisory, evaluative systems, and pedagogical approach are measured by our core values, and this is how we know whole student education is more than just a phrase.

Our school was founded in 1957 by a dynamic educator who embodied the spirit of our motto,  “Ne Tentes Aut Perfice,” essentially translating to mean “all or nothing.” —  a statement that reflects a special entrepreneurial spirit urging Dunn community members, adults and students alike to accomplish what they set out to do. Following in the traditions of our founder, Tony Dunn, our professional community members throughout the decades have helped build the community we have today–a vibrant community of kind learners who pride themselves on building lasting relationships with each other.

All this unfolds before the beautiful Santa Barbara County backdrop of Los Olivos, California, nestled in the picturesque mountains of the Santa Ynez Valley and within a stone’s throw of the Pacific Ocean. Outdoor opportunities abound, and what better way to experience them than from within such an encouraging and nurturing professional community?

Wages/Benefits

This is a full time, exempt (salaried) position, which is eligible for Dunn School’s full benefits package including: medical, dental, retirement, life and AD&D, and tuition remission. Salary is dependent upon experience.

How to Apply

Please apply using the link below:

Dunn School Employment Opportunities

Dunn is an Equal Opportunity Employer and seeks a diverse and broad spectrum of quali?ed candidates. Dunn's background screening process requires employees to undergo a social media check, satisfactory reference checks with prior and current employers, and a successful criminal background screening.