Mid-Peninsula High School is an independent, non-profit, non-sectarian, coeducational college preparatory high school in Menlo Park, California. Intentionally small by design, Mid-Pen is built on genuine connection. Each student has a daily home base with a trusted adult who helps them get organized, set goals, and navigate the week, so students are supported, challenged, and guided toward greater independence.

Mid-Pen offers a college-preparatory program that includes a full range of high school experiences. Students have options for accelerated and honors classes, visual and performing arts, and a robust and inclusive athletics program. Mid-Pen’s distinctive program is shaped by signature experiences such as the daily Core Program, DragonWeek intersession, and Dragon Workshops. Alongside a dedicated learning support program and a college advisor, these experiences help students build skills, confidence, and purpose.

At this exciting moment in the school’s 47-year history, Mid-Pen seeks a director of innovation and design (DI&D) to start this summer. This is a new role that seeks a creative, inspirational, and ambitious educational leader who wants to help a small, relational school explore pedagogical innovation across all disciplines and areas of school life.  The DI&D will have a chance to help make that innovation come alive via staffulty partnerships and direct student instruction. Reporting to the head of school, the DI&D will serve on the administrative team, supervise the director of technology, and teach two elective courses each year. The successful candidate will bring a love of teaching, an experienced instructional design toolkit to inspire other educators, a passion for and fluency in one or more innovation-related domains (such as design, maker, fabrication, robotics, computer science, or applied engineering), an eagerness for helping to establish a new role in a small teaching community, and an understanding for how to develop multiple learning pathways for a neurodiverse, motivated, and intellectually curious student body.

12M & Ed Tech Recruiting is running the search on behalf of Mid-Peninsula High School. Applications received by March 13 will receive priority review.  For application instructions and the full job opportunity statement, please visit:

                  www.EdTechRecruiting.com/jobs/MidPen/innovation

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Priority Deadline: March 13, 2026

Semifinal Round: Late March – Early April

On-site Final Round: Week of April 20

Decision Announced: April 30, 2026

Start Date: Summer 2026

Reports To: Head of School

Annual Salary Range: $120,000 – $150,000

Classification: Full-time, Exempt

SPECIFIC DUTIES

Innovation & Strategy

• In partnership with the leadership team, define and communicate a mission-based approach to innovation and design in teaching and learning at Mid-Pen.
• Set annual priorities and lead a small set of pilots and initiatives across the academic program.
• Work directly with faculty through co-planning, coaching, and practical support.
• Guide the development of values-aligned norms for student use of AI and related tools, and support their day-to-day use in classrooms.
• Teach two classes, including design thinking and a second elective aligned with school priorities and the director’s expertise.

Leadership & Partnerships

• Supervise the director of technology and provide direction for the technology program through that role.
• Collaborate closely with the director of teaching, learning, & equity to support innovation work with student needs and teaching practice.
• Steward the student device approach in a way that supports learning and access.
• Establish and maintain local, regional, and national partnerships that expand learning opportunities for students and support the school’s goals.
• Serve on the administrative team, report directly to the head of school, and perform other duties as assigned.

Maker-centered Learning

• Pilot and grow maker-centered and design-oriented learning experiences using existing spaces, programs, and partnerships.
• Identify near-term partnership opportunities and resources that expand hands-on learning.
• Work with staffulty to connect making to arts, performance, and DragonWeek, and to STEM learning as appropriate.
• Explore computer science pathways over time, such as coding or robotics.
• Contribute to longer-term planning for a maker-centered learning space as timing, space, and priorities allow, with a focus on building a program, not just a room.

Professional Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required. Advanced degree welcomed
• At least 5 years of experience in schools, including significant classroom teaching experience at the secondary level
• Demonstrated experience leading instructional innovation initiatives, including planning, piloting, and learning from results
• Demonstrated experience coaching teachers 1:1 through co-planning, observation, feedback, and reflection
• Experience supporting neurodiverse learners, including approaches that build access, independence, and self-advocacy
• Experience developing community-wide guidance and shared expectations, including clear guidelines for student use of AI and related tools
• Experience designing and facilitating professional learning for educators
• Project management experience, including managing multiple initiatives, setting priorities, and following through reliably
• Experience as a manager, including coaching and feedback

Leadership and Personal Qualities

• A warm, steady presence with students, staffulty, and families, grounded in listening and clear communication
• Credibility with staffulty and an ability to work alongside others in classrooms and planning spaces
• Judgment to hold varied perspectives, build shared direction, and move work forward at a sustainable pace
• Curiosity and humility, with a willingness to learn the Mid-Pen way before proposing solutions
• Comfort with iteration and reflection while keeping a clear throughline
• Care for student voice and integrity, including a thoughtful approach to emerging tools and AI guidance
• Visible engagement in the life of the school, including performances, exhibitions, and signature experiences such as DragonWeek