Lower School Assistant Head and Curriculum Leader

Job Title: Lower School Assistant Head and Curriculum Leader

Department: Lower School

Reports To: Head of Lower School

FLSA Status: Exempt

Revised: April 15, 2025

About Keys School

Keys School, a K-8 of approximately 320 students and 50 faculty and 20 staff, seeks an experienced  Lower School Assistant Head and Curriculum Leader to work full-time, beginning July 1, 2025.

Founded more than fifty years ago, Keys offers an inquiry-based education with concern for students’ academic, social, emotional, identity, and physical growth. Today, Keys is known for helping students to become compassionate and empathic community members while developing the confidence to find their voice and advocate for themselves and others, with realized agency in their world.

The school is situated on two campuses, about a mile apart. The Lower School campus houses grades K-4, approximately 176 students, and 30 faculty and staff members. The Middle School campus houses grades 5-8, approximately 140 students, and 20 faculty and staff members.

With a cross-divisional buddy and house programs, ice skating lessons, classes in self-science, and extensive outdoor education experiences beginning in kindergarten, the school offers an array of distinctive programs. These explorations, in concert with a strong academic program, prepare students to matriculate to the region’s highly selective independent secondary schools and rigorous public high schools.

Lower School Assistant Head and Curriculum Leader Position

The Lower School Assistant Head and Curriculum Leader provides direct support to the Head of Lower School and leadership in curriculum and instructional development, faculty support and mentorship, and student programming. Working closely with the Head of Lower School and guided by an identity-conscious lens, the Lower School Assistant Head and Curriculum Leader supports the academic, social, and emotional development of Kindergarten through Fourth Grade students, fostering a dynamic and inclusive learning environment. In collaboration with the Curriculum & Instruction Team, the Lower School Assistant Head and Curriculum Leader ensures that teaching practices, content, methodologies, and assessments are cohesive across grade levels and aligned with the school’s mission, values, strategic initiatives, and current educational research and trends. The position may include teaching responsibilities as needed.

This position offers an opportunity to have a meaningful impact on the growth and development of students, teachers, and the broader school community.

The ideal candidate will possess a deep and nuanced understanding of curriculum development, pedagogy, and social-emotional learning, and a personal commitment to growth and development.

All employees are a part of a vibrant community of engaged, dedicated, and caring students and colleagues.  They participate in the broader life of the school, including other duties, as assigned. This opportunity requires collaboration, strong communication skills, and a sense of humor.

Qualifications

• Passion for working with elementary age children and a solid commitment to the teaching profession and social and emotional learning
• A commitment to equity and advocacy for an inclusive community
• A dedication to centering student thinking, communication, and agency in learning experiences
• Experience interfacing with families and the larger school community
• Strong organizational, verbal, and written communication skills
• A commitment to continuous improvement, lifelong learning, and professional development, demonstrated through initiative, self-motivation, and a willingness to take on responsibilities beyond those explicitly defined
• An educational philosophy consistent with that of the school
• Knowledge of curriculum standards and developmentally appropriate instructional strategies and differentiation for elementary (K-4) grade levels
• Facility with a wide array of pedagogy and assessment practices demonstrated through active research of best pedagogical practices, innovative teaching methods, and assessment
• Lead with emotional intelligence to foster trust and inspire change.
• Practice integrity and open-mindedness in all interactions.
• Embrace a growth mindset and value feedback as a tool for growth.
• Partner and collaborate across professional statuses, i.e., with all colleagues (e.g., facilities team, administrators, families, student body, the local and national independent school community, and within a global society).
• Exemplify collegiality, approachability, flexibility, and adaptability in leadership and coaching style while executing strategic thinking and institutional advancement.
• The ability to foster strong student connections
• Communicate joy and maintain a respectful sense of humor
• A Bachelor’s Degree
• A minimum of five years of teaching experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in education
• Administrative experience beyond the scope of the classroom
• A deep and fluid understanding of emotion science, eg, Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, Institute for Social Emotional Learning, CASEL, Responsive Classroom,  and/or Bank Street’s ERP (Emotionally Responsive Practice).
• Advanced experience with curricular mapping/scope and sequence development, with UbD / backward planning principles and PBL lesson planning a plus.

Expectations

• Report to the Head of Lower School and partner with the Associate Head of School for Curriculum, Community, and Culture (AHCCC), to create an effective collaboration that supports administration, faculty, staff, students, and families.
• In partnership with the AHCCC, and the Middle School Assistant Head  and Curriculum Leader, guide the Curriculum & Instruction Committee (comprised of Assistant Division Heads, Heads of Lower and Middle Schools, and AHCCC) to ensure that teaching and learning methodologies, practices, content, and assessments are cohesive across grade-levels, informed by DEIJ best practices, and align with the school’s mission, values, strategic initiatives, and current educational trends and research.
• Support all aspects of the Lower School program, with the student experience always central, knowing that faculty, staff, and family engagement is a complementary area of focus.
  In partnership with the Head of Lower School, plan and facilitate faculty meetings and implement the Lower School faculty supervision and evaluation process.
• Serve as the Lower School lead coordinator of curriculum mapping.
• Lead cyclical grade-level planning meetings, including the Reading Specialist, Math Specialist, and Technology Integration Specialist, to ensure interdisciplinary collaboration, curriculum development, and communication.
• Regularly observes classrooms formally and informally, providing constructive feedback.
• Partner with, train, and support teachers in matters of teaching methods, interdisciplinary planning, assessment and curriculum implementation, including, but not limited to planning, teacher observations, modeling lessons, goal setting for improved practice, suggesting culturally responsive content and practices, research and training in approaches to assessment and differentiated instruction.
• Guide and develop a comprehensive and actionable plan to train teachers to collaborate with learning specialists in identifying, evaluating, and coordinating academic support for students with learning differences.
• Design and facilitate professional development in collaboration with the AHCCC and division heads, and partner with the Assistant Head of Middle School to share timely research, articles, instructional resources, and professional development opportunities with faculty.
• Support faculty and administration in communicating programmatic goals and highlights to the community.
• Partner with the Learning Specialists to facilitate the administration and evaluation of standardized testing.
• Review and analyze data that reveals the effectiveness of the educational program, identify areas for improvement, and implement modifications.
• Participate in the hiring process, reviewing candidate resumes, and facilitating interviews and demonstration lessons.
• Support the orientation of all new faculty.
• Lead the Associate Teacher program by developing, reviewing, and implementing a scope and sequence and leading cyclical meetings for Associate Teachers to reflect on their growth and personal career path, discuss current trends in education, dive deeper into pedagogical topics, and participate in lesson studies.
• Actively engage in and support daily operations of the school community by participating in weekly Gathering, recess and lunch duties, drop-off and pick-up,  and additional school activities and events as needed.
• Participate in admissions interviews and events for Lower School student applicants at the request of the Director of Admission and Strategic Enrollment.
• Engage in ongoing and essential work to foster a culture of respect, equity, belonging, and inclusion.
• Participate in organizing parent events and communication materials that ensure families understand the value of a Keys education.
• Maintain professional collegial relationships that encourage sharing, planning, and working together toward improved instructional skills and student success.
• Model positive behaviors for students and colleagues that align with the school’s core values, emphasizing critical social and emotional skills.
• Monitor own beliefs and behavior to make certain that high expectations are held for all teachers and students regardless of socioeconomic status, race, gender, or other personal characteristics.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. Specific abilities required include close vision, the ability to adjust focus, sound hearing, and the ability to speak clearly and coherently. Regularly, the employee is required to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, run, and/or jump.

To Apply

We look forward to the opportunity to learn more about your interest. To apply, please email the items below as attachments to jobs@keysschool.org.

1. Cover letter addressed to Betsy Doss (she/her), Head of Lower School. The letter should describe your interest, experience, and commitment.
2. Statement of educational philosophy.
3. Curriculum vitae.
4. List of three references with contact information.

Salary: $150,000+ depending upon years of experience

Health and retirement benefits, including TIAA-CREF, are part of the compensation package.

Keys School is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability, orientation, or veteran status.  For more information on the school, please visit www.keysschool.org.

Tagged as: K-6