Employment

Start Date: On hire

Reports to: Associate Head of School-Program

Employee Classification: non-exempt, full-time; 10-month employee

Schedule: 7:30 am to 3:30 pm Mondays - Fridays

About the Organization

Founded in 1965, the Montessori Center School of Santa Barbara (MCS) is an independent school and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a rich history of preparing students ages 18 months through 6th grade for academic excellence using the world renowned Montessori Method. An American Montessori Society member school, MCS fosters independent, self-motivated, confident, life-long learners, who will become positive forces to care for and transform our world. The school is located on a beautiful garden campus in Goleta, California.

About the Opportunity

MCS is looking for an experienced primary assistant teacher. This is an opportunity to work with our wildly talented and committed staffulty and dynamic and kind students as you support a classroom of 22 to 24 students through the primary years of their Montessori learning journey.

Working in a highly collaborative manner with your head teacher and the primary team, you will support a high-fidelity Montessori learning experience for our students each day, nurturing their independence, curiosity and love of learning and preparing them to become positive forces to transform our world.

Roles & Responsibilities

The Primary Assistant Teacher will perform the following duties:

● Support the Lead Teacher’s preparation of a safe, clean, well-resourced, welcoming and orderly Montessori classroom environment (both indoor and outdoor) that provides for a highly effective academic program. Assume primary responsibility for keeping the classroom environment clean and orderly in conformance with the Montessori classroom aesthetic, and well-stocked with consumables each day by performing cleaning routines, running copies, etc. 

● Under the direction of the Lead Teacher in the classroom and in alignment with the School’s common practices, uphold the core principles of Montessori education appropriate to the primary program.

● Enable the Lead Teacher to focus on delivering lessons and conducting child observations by broad awareness and scanning of the environment. 

● Nurture strong relationships with each student, foster student engagement, and foster equity, inclusion and belonging for every student in the classroom.

● Under the direction of the Lead Teacher in the classroom, support students’ progression through the curriculum, implementing individualized strategies, as appropriate, that best meet each child’s unique learning style and need.

● Support the planning of and serve as a chaperone for field trips and other learning experiences outside of the classroom environment.

● Support safe and smooth routines and procedures for daily arrival and dismissal, lunch, playground and other common school- and level-wide protocols.

2. Observation & Record-keeping

● Under the direction of the Lead Teacher in the classroom, conduct child observations on a regular cadence, documenting these in detail through the school’s shared approach and tools for record-keeping and student learning management.

3. Family Engagement & Parent/Caregiver Communication

● Create a welcoming environment for parents and caregivers. Be responsive, receptive and welcoming of parent/caregiver inquiries and feedback.

● Participate in the life of the school community by supporting and attending annual events including occasional evening and weekend commitments including but not limited to Back-to-School Night, Info Nights, the fall harvest picnic and the annual benefit auction.

4. Staffulty Teamwork, Learning & Development

● Embody MCS’s core values in your daily interactions with children, families and staffulty at all times: Development of the Whole Child, Academic Excellence, Learner Empowerment, Family & Community, and Respect for All.

● Seek out and embrace opportunities for collaboration with colleagues across the school in a manner that engenders strong levels of inclusivity and belonging among all team members.

● Be an active participant in the life of the staffulty and your level team by maintaining open lines of positive and clear communication with your teammates, regularly preparing for and participating in monthly level team and all-staffulty meetings, and sharing constructive feedback with colleagues through appropriate channels in order to help us all grow and improve at our work.

● Engage in regularly scheduled and ad hoc learning and development coaching sessions with your direct manager (Lead Teacher in the classroom). Meet with the Lead Teacher daily each morning prior to student arrival to check in on daily deliverables and set the day up for success in the classroom.

● Participate in professional development trainings (both in-house and external) and other opportunities to grow and skill-build in your professional capacity.

● Uphold and implement the School’s policies and procedures as adopted, amended, or modified from time to time.

Qualifications:

Successful candidates for this role will evidence the following qualifications:

Experience & Professional Qualifications

● A bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university

● Five to seven years of experience working in a preschool classroom 

● Excellent written and oral English communication skills

● 12 Core Early Childhood Education Units

Mindsets

● Commitment to MCS’ mission, vision and core values

● Demonstrated capacity to collaborate effectively as a member of a results-oriented, high-performing team

● Passion for serving children of all learning styles and abilities

● Commitment to living out principles of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging

● Sound professional judgment and decision-making skills 

● Capacity to share and receive and implement feedback with grace and agility

● High level of emotional intelligence, integrity and humor

● High level of personal organization, planning and follow-through

Physical Requirements 

Duties performed typically in school settings to include: 

● Physical stamina to work with school-aged children.

● Frequent walking, kneeling, standing, stooping, sitting on the ground, and occasional lifting, up to approximately 50 pounds.  

● Must be able to grasp and feel the attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature and texture. 

● Able to move as needed to ensure the safety of the children. Other physical activities may be required. 

● Vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels; visual acuity is required for preparing and analyzing written or computer information, determining the accuracy, neatness and thoroughness of work, and observing general surroundings and activities; the worker is subject to inside and outside environmental conditions, noise and hazards. 

● Daily personal and close contact with children to provide classroom management and learning environment support is required. 

● Regular in-person contact with parents, faculty and staff members is required. 

These physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to perform successfully the essential functions of this job. MCS is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. In keeping with this commitment, MCS will take steps to assure that people with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. 

All MCS employees must clear a DOJ/FBI background check (LiveScan), must provide a proof of measles and pertussis immunizations and a TB test, must know the school emergency procedures, and must perform other duties not specifically stated as directed by the Head of School.

Compensation

This is a non-exempt full-time position 37.5 hours per week, 10 months per year. Compensation for this position is competitive, ranging from $22.50 to $28.93 an hour. Full-time employees of MCS are eligible for comprehensive health and wellness benefits, 403b retirement plan matching and paid time off (PTO). 

To Express Interest

To express your interest in this role with MCS, please share cover letter, resume and transcripts with Melanie Newhouse at [email protected]

Founded in 1965, the Montessori Center School of Santa Barbara (MCS) is an independent school and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a rich history of preparing students ages 18 months through 6th grade for academic excellence using the world-renowned Montessori Method. An American Montessori Society member school, MCS fosters independent, self-motivated, confident, life-long learners who will become positive forces to care for and transform our world. The school is located on a beautiful garden campus in Goleta, California.

About the Opportunity

MCS is looking for an experienced assistant teacher at the lower elementary level (1st - 3rd grade). This is an opportunity to work with our talented and committed staffulty and dynamic and kind students as you support a classroom of 22 to 24 students through the lower elementary years of their Montessori learning journey.

Working in a highly collaborative manner with your Head Teacher and the elementary team, you will support a high-fidelity Montessori learning experience for our students each day, nurturing their independence, curiosity and love of learning and preparing them to become positive forces to transform our world. 2024/25 school year.

The Montessori Assistant Teacher is an integral member of the classroom teaching team, ensuring that the program goals specified by the Head Teacher are implemented. The Assistant Teacher is directed and supervised by the Head Teacher, who is responsible for the overall classroom program and design. The Assistant Teacher is expected to learn and practice all aspects of the Montessori philosophy.

The Assistant Teacher assists in preparing and maintaining the classroom, supervising the children, checking students' work, and ensuring the daily routines of the classroom are met. Specific responsibilities of the Assistant Teacher may include accompanying groups of children to specialist classes on campus or overnight camping trips, supervising the playground, helping students complete academic work, monitoring and modeling Montessori manners (grace and courtesy), laminating materials, cleaning shelves and materials, disinfecting, preparing snack, maintaining supply shelves, gardening, and assisting with other projects as assigned by the Head Teacher.

It is important to adhere to school protocol and policies in all dealings with parents. The Assistant Teacher is expected to attend staff meetings, elementary teacher meetings and weekly meetings with your Head Teacher.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will possess a love of working with children and strong classroom management skills. Montessori experience desirable but not required. A bachelor’s degree, Livescan background clearance and TB test are required. Salary depends on experience and educational level. Benefits provided.

Please email a cover letter, resume and official or unofficial transcript to Melanie Newhouse as [email protected].

Position open until filled.

Montessori Center School is an Equal Opportunity Employer licensed by the DSS (Lic# 426205239)

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $26.00 - $30.09 per hour

Expected hours: 40 per week

Work Location: In person

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Tuition remission
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8-hour shift
• Day shift
• Monday to Friday

Education:

• Bachelor's (Required)

Experience:

• classroom: 1 year (Preferred)

To Express Interest:

To express your interest in this role with MCS, please share cover letter, resume and transcripts with Melanie Newhouse at [email protected]"

Start Date: August 1, 2024

Reports to: Associate Head of School, Program

Employee Classification: Hourly, non-exempt, full-time; 10-month employee

Schedule:  10:00 am to 6:00 pm Mondays - Fridays

Hourly compensation:  $22.50 - $28.93 DOE

Montessori Center School is hiring a full-time (10:00 pm to 6:00 pm M-F) afterschool care teacher in the toddler classroom (18 months to 3 years) for the 2024-2025 school year. 

The afterschool care teacher cares for up to 6 toddlers during after school hours, following the Montessori philosophy and practices set by the head teacher. She/he is responsible for the safety and happiness of the children, diapering and potty training, cleaning and maintaining the classroom materials, and adhering to school protocol and school policies. A confident, professional demeanor is important when dealing with parents. 

Providing a safe and nurturing environment for the children is essential to this position.

The candidate must have completed 12 core Early Childhood Education units (ECE), including 3 infant/toddler ECE units and have experience working with children between the ages of 18 months and 3 years, and must pass a criminal background check. Negative TB test required. 

Compensation is competitive and depends on experience and education. 

Please email a cover letter, resume and official or unofficial transcript to Melanie Newhouse at [email protected]

Benefits:

• Dental Insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Montessori Center School is an Equal Opportunity Employer licensed by the DSS (Lic# 426205239)