Job Announcement

February 2026

Position: Elementary Classroom Teacher, 2nd - 4th grade

Application Window: Apply by April 10, 2026 or until position is filled

Qualifications: Salmonberry Community School is seeking a caring, fun, mature teacher with experience teaching elementary grades.  The ideal applicant would hold a MA or higher and have at least 3 years of experience as a lead teacher with children under age 12 in a school or similar environment. Particular expertise in teaching literacy is valued.  The candidate should have solid knowledge and/or experience in progressive or holistic education.  Excellent communication skills are essential, as are strong organizational skills and an ability to coalesce a classroom community of students and parents.  The ideal candidate should also model a willingness to learn and an excitement to grow as a member of the highly collaborative faculty team.

Duties: This is a lead teaching position.  Duties include all aspects of curriculum development and implementation, assessment, communication, classroom design, and classroom management for 10-15 students ages 7-10. The teacher must engage all learners in a wide span of skill levels and learning styles and incorporate a holistic approach to learning.  They must embody an ethic of care in all aspects of the work.  A full or part-time teaching assistant will be provided, depending on enrollment and classroom needs.

Approach to Teaching: The candidate should be excited to develop a program that emphasizes:

- excellent and balanced academics and an ability to integrate purchased curriculum and self-designed activities

- differentiated instruction, tailoring experiences to a range of interests and learning styles

- student choice, cultivating autonomy and self-direction in students

- cooperative and collaborative learning

- experiential and hands-on learning including field trips

- integrated arts

- focus on SEL as an integral component to the program

- mindfulness and centering curriculum

- cultivating a beautiful and rich learning environment

- effective strategies in outdoor ed, nature-based, project-based and community-based education

- developmentally appropriate practices including teaching justice and equity curriculum

- inspiring curiosity, engagement, wonder and awe

- emergent and thematic integrated curriculum

Dates: Position begins on or about August 24, 2026, and will follow Salmonberry’s academic calendar.  The position may be renewed on a yearly basis.  The expected commitment is a minimum of three years.

Hours: This is a salaried position. Student contact hours are 8:45-3:05 M-F.  Expected work week is 40 hrs.  This includes required staff meetings once/week as well as special events, festivals and field trips.

Compensation: This is a full-time position for a traditional academic calendar year.  Salary is $45,000 - $65,000, depending on experience, and includes 10 paid leave days.  Additional summer work is also available outside of this contracted position. Teachers receive full medical benefits including 100% premium payments on a silver level health plan. Optional employer matched contributions to retirement account..

How to Apply:  Please familiarize yourself with the information on the Salmonberry School website.  Send  resume and letter of interest to Paul Freedman at info@salmonberryschool.org  We will reply within 72 hours.

About Salmonberry Community School and Orcas Island: Established in 2001, Salmonberry School is a small independent school on Orcas Island in north Puget Sound. The school follows a holistic pedagogy in its three multi-age classrooms. It includes a progressive approach to teaching and learning including project-based, nature-based and experiential curriculum. Salmonberry strongly believes in the efficacy of relationship-based teaching and learning, embodied in very low student:teacher ratios, and three year placements for students within a teaching team.  Orcas Island has a population of 6,000 year-round residents and is located 2 hours north of Seattle and a 1 hour ferry ride from Anacortes, WA. It is a beautiful natural environment with a strong sense of community.

Statement of non-discrimination: Salmonberry School is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its hiring practices on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, religion or religious creed, disability or handicap, sex or gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, military or veteran status,  or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Kind, clear, calm, and fun energy, with deep commitment to heart-centered teaching

Excellent communication skills

BA required, MA/MEd preferred, WA State teaching license preferred

3 years lead teaching experience preferred

Knowledge of and practice in progressive/holistic approaches (could include familiarity with Waldorf, Montessori, Reggio Emelia and Quaker education)

Desire to continue professional development 

About Salmonberry Community School

Salmonberry School is a Holistic Education school. We see children as natural learners and honor that principle. We recognize that children come to the classroom with many gifts, multiple intelligences and languages, full potential, uniqueness, and natural curiosity. We strive to design a learning environment and to use teaching practices that support children’s characteristic ways of exploring, discovering, and constructing their knowledge of the world. Holistic education seeks to foster a sense of connection to both the natural world and the human community; we feel this approach cultivates social as well as ecological responsibility, a compassionate sense of wonder, and genuine self-understanding.

Connections working at Salmonberry Community School