Career Center

Westtown School is seeking a full-time Spanish Teacher to join our World Languages Department beginning in late August, 2023. The Upper School Spanish position will involve teaching four classes each semester and participating fully in the residential and co-curricular life of the school. Responsibilities will consist of teaching classes, advising a small group of students, serving on two school committees, and involvement in the co-curricular program by coaching interscholastic sports, facilitating lifelong fitness programs such as yoga, or collaborative activities such as theater or service network. Faculty contribute to our residential program as either Dorm Parents or Dorm Affiliates. Both roles require a combination of a weekly duty night and scheduled weekend duties throughout the academic year. On-campus housing may be available for faculty who participate in the Upper School residential program, but is not guaranteed. 

As Westtown strives to fulfill our commitment to becoming an anti-bias, anti-racist (ABAR) school, we are seeking culturally competent educators with a demonstrated commitment to equity, justice, and belonging who are eager to engage in ongoing professional development in these areas. This will be evidenced in their approach to curriculum and pedagogy, their ability to foster and develop inclusive communities, and through their personal and professional interactions with diverse groups of students, families, faculty, and staff.

 Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Teaches four sections of Spanish, there is the potential that one of these sections will be for Middle School students
• Develops culturally competent and responsive lessons and learning activities that promote problem-solving, creative thinking, collaboration, and effective communication skills while encouraging risk-taking in learning;
• Actively involves students in the classroom through group work, project-based learning, exploration, questioning, discussion, and other cooperative teaching techniques;
• Helps students hone the essential human skills of critical thinking, communication, and empathy, and empowers them to draw out those skills in other people;
• Supports students’ social-emotional and identity development;
• Contributes to building and sustaining an inclusive community and a program that embodies diverse cultures and perspectives;
• Communicates effectively with all constituents – students, colleagues, administrators, and parents;
• Contributes to students’ development of Quaker values;
• Engages in decision-making aligned with Quaker process in service to the school community;
• Integrates technology seamlessly into teaching strategies and practices, including use of a learning management system; 
• Contributes to students’ development outside the classroom through co-curricular activities, student life, and residential life;
• Enthusiastically seeks out and participates in both school-sponsored and self-selected professional development opportunities to grow as an instructional leader and community member.

Opportunities

Westtown is eager to support employees in their personal and professional growth and development. All faculty and staff are encouraged to discuss their developmental needs with their supervisors and the Dean of Faculty and Innovation as they think about their long term growth in the life of the school. The school seeks to help employees stay current in their fields and advance in terms of their professional development through opportunities such as:

• Affinity groups for faculty and staff that speak to the diversity of identities and experiences
• Participation in a robust professional development program featuring internal and external facilitators and experts
• Partnership in a new faculty orientation and mentorship program
• Funding for professional organization memberships
• Sponsorship to attend and present at professional conferences, panels, and forums
• Financial assistance for employees seeking advanced degrees and coursework to support their professional growth 
• Sabbatical leave program to support the professional growth and personal renewal of teachers, after completing qualifying years of service  
• Tuition remission of 80% for two dependent children, upon enrollment 

Qualifications

• Fluency in Spanish and the ability to teach all levels of Spanish, emerging to advanced, in the target language;
• 3-5 years of relevant classroom teaching experience at the upper school level and an understanding of effective teaching for this developmental stage; 
• BA or BS required; advanced degree in Spanish or related subject preferred;
• Enthusiasm for full participation in the curricular, co-curricular, and residential duties required of a full-time Upper School faculty member;
• Strong speaking, writing, and listening skills;
• A demonstrated commitment to inclusive Quaker pedagogy based on cultural competence, commitment to social justice, and respect for all voices;
• Familiarity with Google products and the integration of a learning management system, Canvas, into best teaching practices;
• A strong affinity for the mission of Westtown School and an appreciation for Quaker values and how these inform community processes and interactions.

Westtown School is an independent, Quaker co-educational, pre-K to 12, college preparatory day and boarding school located in suburban West Chester, PA, approximately 30 miles from Philadelphia. Situated on a beautiful 600-acre campus, Westtown offers a program where our committed faculty and staff inspire and prepare our students to be stewards and leaders of a better world. 

Guided by the Quaker belief that there is that of God in all persons, Westtown School is a community of learners who value, and are themselves strengthened by, the rich diversity of its members. As a school, we seek to prepare students for living and leading in a diverse and complex world. As a community, we aspire to inclusivity and respect for all. To these ends, we welcome qualified students, faculty, staff, and trustees of any race, color, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, religion, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, family structure including marital or parental status, and socioeconomic status. Westtown School does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of these characteristics in any of its policies, procedures, or practices relating to admission, access to activities or programs, hiring, or other employment-related decisions. 

We strive towards every student, faculty, and staff member feeling a sense of belonging at Westtown and strongly encourage applications from educators of color, LGBTQ+ educators, and educators from communities that are historically underrepresented in independent schools. 

Interested, qualified candidates should send a cover letter, resume, and educational philosophy, including an outline of your professional development in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice to http://tiny.cc/westtown_careercenter and select “Show All Job Openings”.