LREI (Little Red School House & Elisabeth Irwin High School) seeks educators committed to exploring progressive pedagogy. Candidates with diverse experiences are encouraged to apply. The school is seeking a Middle School Drama Teacher and Fall Play Director for Grades 5 through 8. This is a leave position that goes from September 1, 2025 through December 19, 2025.

Overview of Position

LREI seeks a full-time Middle School Drama Teacher and director to fill a leave position. This position includes teaching fifth through eighth grade drama classes, and to direct the fall play. The candidate is responsible for planning collaboratively with their departmental colleagues and grade-level colleagues. Candidates will also be asked to serve as an advisor for a group of middle school students through the fall. Successful LREI teachers are lifelong learners who are reflective about their practice, find ways to bring ‘real life’ into their classroom including current events, the neighborhood and the city, and seek out professional development and leadership opportunities.

Salary Range:

Annual full-time salary of $69,056.52 - $132,556.40 (depending on experience and education) prorated for leave position. 

Qualifications Sought

• Candidates should be comfortable teaching in a progressive, student-centered environment, balancing both process and performance in their approach. Responsibilities include integrating drama into the fifth grade Humanities curriculum; leading a fifth and sixth grade drama elective twice per week; teaching a seventh and eighth grade drama class three times per week; and facilitating a seventh and eighth grade elective twice per week.
• Candidates should be comfortable ushering a middle school play from inception until closing. This includes choosing a show, communicating with students and families, running auditions, scheduling and running after-school rehearsals, coordinating existing contractors for set and costume design, managing the technical aspects of the production, and ensuring a successful and supportive experience for all participants.
• A commitment to social justice and equity, cultural competence, the ability to work collaboratively, excellent communication skills, and a willingness to work closely with families are essential.
• We seek an educator who enjoys middle schoolers. We seek someone who can inspire students and teachers, be inspired by our mission, and create a dynamic classroom with high educational expectations.

Overview of School

Founded in 1921 by Elisabeth Irwin (a contemporary and colleague of John Dewey, Caroline Pratt, and Lucy Sprague Mitchell), The Little Red School House has been at the vanguard of pedagogical innovation since its founding. LREI’s goal is to educate students to become independent thinkers and lifelong learners and to pursue academic excellence and individual achievement, in a context of respect for others and service to the community. We believe that learning should be active and experiential, with the school providing abundant opportunities for students to excel. We accept students with a range of abilities and talents who can take full advantage of a rich and demanding academic program in which each student is both challenged and supported. We seek to create within the school a community built on understanding and respecting others. Thus, our student body traditionally reflects the racial and cultural diversity of our city, and our curriculum is built on interdisciplinary studies to promote understanding of many cultures. While individual achievement is encouraged and rewarded, our program underscores the value of shared goals, friendship and cooperation in mastering difficult tasks. The progressive ideals that in 1921 gave life and inspiration to the school — academic excellence and creativity, active learning and innovative teaching, respect for the individual and responsibility to the community- continue to guide the school today. LREI is located in vibrant Greenwich Village and classes venture forth often to use the neighborhood and the city to provide rich learning experiences. 

All candidates, internal and external, should visit our employment page at lrei.org to apply.

To apply for this position, refer a colleague to the position, and/or view other open positions at LREI, please visit us at  https://www.lrei.org/careers.

About LREI

A leader in progressive education since 1921, LREI teaches children to be independent thinkers who work together to solve complex problems. Students graduate from our diverse community as active participants in our democratic society, with the creativity, integrity, and courage to bring meaningful change to the world.

Connections working at LREI