Career Center

Chinese American International School seeks an

Elementary Teaching Associate
Non-exempt, full-time position

English language position, no Chinese proficiency necessary

WELCOME!

Join the vibrant community at the Chinese American International School's Oak Campus as an English teaching associate. Become part of a team striving to be the world’s most innovative, inspiring, and influential Chinese English dual-language immersion school.

OUR IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate finds resonance with CAIS’s mission to Embrace Chinese, Become Our Best Selves, and Contribute to a Better World. As CAIS aims to empower independent, effective, and inspired learners, we look for a candidate who seeks to become proficient in student-centered pedagogy such as differentiation, use of assessment to inform teaching, and Workshop-based instruction. The candidate will enter an environment that values social emotional learning alongside academic challenge. Teaching Associates are mentored by and coordinate student learning with an experienced classroom lead teacher.

CAIS offers a dynamic dual culture setting in which faculty are immersed in a culture of language learners. We look for a candidate who will embrace CAIS’s work to create an equitable, inclusive environment where all faculty, students, and families are supported in their individual identities. We welcome all applicants who aim to actively support and participate in our diverse and inclusive community.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Position responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

• Develop a positive intellectual, emotional, and social environment within the classroom and a class community in which all children feel valued and a sense of belonging
• Encompass a positive discipline approach in guiding student behavior
• Work collaboratively and maintain standards of respect, courtesy, and mutual consideration with the school community, including students, staff, and parents
• In coordination with the lead teacher, plan and implement engaging learning experiences in alignment with the curriculum for individual, small and large group activities
• Assist in the daily operations of the classroom 
• Meet the varied needs of children in the classroom by scaffolding and extending classroom lessons
• Provide for the physical safety of children
• Support the daily operations of the school by assisting with arrival and drop-off
• Actively supervise students during lunch and/or recess times
• Attend required meetings
• Substitute for the teacher by independently leading the class
• Keep current in pedagogical thinking, strategies and techniques
• Demonstrate an affirming attitude toward the school, a willingness to receive feedback, and professional demeanor and integrity

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree strongly preferred
• Experience working with children
• Desire to develop as an educator
• Commitment to meeting the needs of individual learners and promoting social and emotional development
• Commitment to school mission, policies, and initiatives

VALUED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

We value, but do not require, the following attributes:

• Personal experience with second language acquisition
• Training or experience in elementary classrooms preferred
• College coursework in education

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

While performing the essential duties of this job, the employee is required to walk up and down stairs, sit, use fine motor skills, reach with hands and arms, balance, stoop, talk, and hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 35 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable differently abled individuals to perform the essential functions.

ABOUT CAIS

As the nation’s first Mandarin immersion Preschool through 8th grade school, CAIS embodies our mission by working continuously to maintain our role as a leader in immersion education. We are known as an ambitious school, and are implementing our multi-year vision to reimagine immersion, reimagine our culture of learning, reimagine our community connectedness, and reimagine our learning spaces. Our three campuses are currently located in the Hayes Valley neighborhood of San Francisco. In 2021 we purchased a 5.4 acre, 120,000 sq ft campus with top tier, theater, dance, arts, athletic, science, and tech facilities plus extensive outdoor space on 19th Avenue in San Francisco which will more than double our program space and allow all divisions to be together on one spectacular campus beginning in the 2024-2025 school year. For more information, visit https://www.cais.org/community/19th-avenue-campus/

COMPENSATION

CAIS has an established salary scale that recognizes experience and other qualifications including (but not limited to) education and training, leadership, and bilinguality. The salary range for this role is $20.38 to $25.66 per hour.

TO APPLY

CAIS’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is central to our mission. People of color and LGBTQ+ candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Email cover letter, resume, and list of references to w_qian@cais.org. In the subject line please indicate: “Elementary Teaching Associate.”  Please no calls.

CAIS as a Workplace

CAIS is dedicated to attracting, developing, rewarding and retaining world-class employees and ensuring that this is a great place to work. We put a high priority on advances in compensation, benefits, and work climate with a 2023–2024 benefits package and perks including:

Distinctively CAIS Benefits

• Down payment assistance for home purchase
• Commuter benefits provided (up to $300/month)
• Dynamic, dual culture setting valuing honest self assessment, thoughtful self reflection, intentional planning, and focused implementation

Financial Benefits

• CAIS contributes 5% of your earnings immediately in a 403(B) retirement plan (no contribution required on your part)
• Transparent salary benchmarked to the Bay Area’s competitive standards, including annual cost-of-living adjustments

Health Benefits

• CAIS pays 100% of the premium for medical, dental, vision, acupuncture, short-term disability and long-term disability, and life insurance for you (along with competitive rates for spouse and family coverage)
• Employer-funded Health Savings Account (HSA) and Pre-tax HSA employee contribution
• Pre-tax Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for medical and dependent care

Professional Development

• Support provided for conferences, workshops, and courses
• Introductory Chinese class for faculty/staff
• Membership in California Teacher Development Collaborative — https://catdc.org/

Vacation / Holiday / Paid Time Off

• Thanksgiving Break – 1 week
• Winter Break (December/January) – 2 weeks
• Winter Break (February) – 1 week
• Spring Break (April) – 1 week
• Summer Break – 9 weeks of summer from mid-June to mid-August
• Paid school holidays according to the school calendar
• Up to 2 additional days off for religious holidays
• Accrue 11.5 days of Sick Time annually
• Accrue 3 days of Personal Time annually

Quality of Life and Appreciation

• Monthly appreciation lunches
• Twice-yearly Faculty/Staff Appreciation Weeks
• Annual milestones luncheon
• Free tickets to annual dinner/dance gala
• Lunar New Year luncheon
• Birthday gift card

About Chinese American International School

As the nation’s first dual language Chinese and English Preschool through 8th grade school, CAIS embodies this mission by working continuously to maintain our role as a leader in immersion education. Our three campuses are currently located in the Hayes Valley neighborhood of San Francisco. We are thrilled to announce that we have purchased a campus on 19th Avenue in San Francisco which would more than double our program space and allow all divisions to be together on one spectacular campus. We anticipate moving all divisions to the new campus in the 2023-2024 school year. For more information, visit the Middle School Website and https://www.cais.org/about-us/employment.

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