Career Center

Full-Time, 12-month employee, benefits-eligible

Start Date: July 2023

Paideia is a pre-K-12 college preparatory school of over 1,000 students in the Emory University area of Atlanta. Paideia was started in 1971 by a small group of parents who wanted a school that educated children with respect for their individuality. The school was founded on the idea that children have different interests and learning styles, and that they progress at different rates. The ancient Greek word Paideia conveys the concept of a child’s total education: intellectual, artistic, and social. After many years and considerable growth in size and programs, Paideia remains true to the ideas that inspired it and brought it into existence. Today, Paideia is one of the leading progressive schools in the southeast.  

Paideia is more than a school for children; it is a community for families. Paideia was founded by a group of parents and continues to encourage and support the active involvement of all parents in the life of the school. Parents assist on campus or play leadership roles in a variety of ways. The involvement of parents is in three main ways:

• assisting with classes or activities their children are involved in. Roles vary with the ages of children,
• involved in planning school community events such as Grandparents & Special Friends  day, Annual BBQ, Auction, 
• and involvement in parent interest groups or affiliation such as the Black Parents Organization (BPO) and over 15+ parent groups that help support in all areas of the school.

For more information about our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, our focus on both social and emotional learning with rigorous academic offerings and opportunities for extra curricular learning, please visit our website at www.paideiaschool.org

Primary responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Manage Assistant Director of Parent Involvement and their specific responsibilities
• Manage the day-to-day operation of the Parent Involvement Office
• Recruit parents to fill leadership and volunteer positions including class parents, committees and event chairs. Host parent meetings to encourage parent involvement
• Oversee all parent committees on campus 
• Create wide reaching relationships with parents at all levels of the school
• Work collaboratively with the events coordinator and overseeing volunteer management and parent involvement in school wide events such BBQ, Grandparents & Special Friends Day, and the Auction
• Lead and coordinate Art Visions, a holiday community art sale, the annual Thanksgiving Feast, and cross-age relay during field day with parent leadership and volunteers
• Lead and coordinate the Pi-wear committee of parent volunteers in new artwork and sales for Paideia gear
• Work closely with the Head of School to develop and implement strategies to promote parent engagement
• Work closely with level principals to identify areas of need for parent support throughout the year. Coordinate with them on identifying and selecting classroom parents throughout the school and their involvement with the classrooms
• Identify classroom parents ( volunteers who help support classroom activities) and work with them about planning back to school events, supporting individual classroom activities, and class gifts
• Collaborate with trustee liaison to continue to strengthen parent involvement and community building throughout all levels of the school
• Lead Pi Council - a committee of parent volunteers and the parent involvement trustee liaison to help organize and plan for the calendar year, identify areas of growth, and feedback to increase parent involvement on campus
• Collaborate with the director of admission & enrollment management to create the family buddy system - matching all new families with current families and students. In the elementary and junior high, organize small events with buddy families in August to help welcome new families and their children
• Collaborate with the director of diversity, equity, & inclusion to implement and support parent affinity groups, identify chair or co-chair leadership, and help facilitate any events or celebrations on campus
• Coordinate with the assistant director of parent involvement on attending school wide events
• Oversee and manage department budget and expenses
• Other duties as assigned

This position will include close collaboration with the head of school, level principals, director of admissions, and director of development. 

Requirements:

Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree.  Applicants should also have at least 5 years of experience working with non-profit organizations or independent schools as either a volunteer or in leadership positions. 

Application Notes:

Salary is commensurate with education and experience. A benefits package is offered for benefits-eligible positions. The Paideia School is an equal opportunity employer.

As a condition of employment, all employees hired after August 19, 2021 are required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and able to provide proof of such vaccination.

Interested applicants should submit a resume, cover letter and contact information for three professional references via our online application.

About The Paideia School

Paideia is a K-12 college preparatory school of 999 students in the Emory University area of Atlanta; the elementary school enrolls 333 students. The elementary program includes twelve full-day, self-contained classrooms grades K-6. There are two teachers in each class of twenty-six to twenty-eight children. Teachers work together as lead teacher and assistant or as two co-lead teachers. Other than classes with specialists including art, music, physical education, and library, children remain with their own teachers throughout the day. We believe the constellation of relative strengths and weaknesses among any group of students can differ widely; teachers decide when and how to offer extra help, when and where to augment a task to provide extra challenge, and when and why to take a step back to allow a child to process information. Social development is an integral part of a child’s maturation. Teachers help children learn how to work together cooperatively and effectively.

Connections working at The Paideia School