What are the responsibilities and job description for the Lower School Head Teacher position at Convent of the Sacred Heart?
Convent of the Sacred Heart is New York City's oldest independent school for girls. As an independent, Catholic school, educating students in Pre-K through 12, we are part of an international network of 160 schools. We are committed to a set of principles shared by all Sacred Heart Schools. Known as the "Goals and Criteria," these principles articulate the core components of a Sacred Heart education and charge our community with a unified educational mission.
At the heart of our philosophy is the belief that each child possesses unique gifts. Our job is to unearth those gifts, nurture them, and empower each child of the Sacred Heart to share those gifts with the global community. Convent of the Sacred Heart is committed to building a community that is anti-racist, anti-bias, fair, inclusive, and welcoming to everyone and seeks candidates who connect to our Mission and Goals.
At the heart of our philosophy is the belief that each child possesses unique gifts. Our job is to unearth those gifts, nurture them, and empower each child of the Sacred Heart to share those gifts with the global community. Convent of the Sacred Heart is committed to building a community that is anti-racist, anti-bias, fair, inclusive, and welcoming to everyone and seeks candidates who connect to our Mission and Goals.
Lower School Head Teacher
Full time
Beginning August, 2025
Position: Lower School Head Teacher
Reports to: Lower School Division Head
FLSA: Exempt, full-time
Salary Range: $65,000 - $90,000 annually, commensurate with education and experience
Convent of the Sacred Heart seeks a Lower School Head Teacher to begin in August 2025
Requirements:
- Masters Degree, Elementary Education preferred
- Minimum of two years experience teaching elementary school children
- Solid understanding of child development, including cognitive, social, and emotional development
- Passion for working with elementary school students
- Knowledge of, appreciation for, and demonstrated commitment to anti-racist, anti-bias education, multicultural teaching, and culturally responsive pedagogy
- Extremely detail-oriented
- Effective oral and written communication skills
- Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills, specifically the ability to work effectively on a team with other head and associate teachers
- Experience in teaching with technology, especially Google Suite, Video Conferencing, Literably, Smartboard, and Smart TV
- Ability and willingness to adapt to changing circumstances
Responsibilities:
- Maintain congruence between the school and the mission as articulated in the Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart schools
- Provide a warm and inviting classroom community that promotes a positive and productive learning environment in which each student feels a sense of belonging
- Commit to addressing social justice, diversity, equity, and anti-racist, anti-bias education in the curriculum through lessons, actions, and discussions
- Develop, plan, and teach social studies, math, reading, and writing lessons: Experience with Learning for Justice, Singapore Math, Fundations, Fountas & Pinnell, and Writer’s Workshop preferred
- Differentiate instruction to support group and individual learning, and provide extra support and enrichment as needed
- Select and utilize texts, posters, resources, and language that represent a wide range of identities in daily lessons
- Implement classroom management strategies to monitor and support student behavior
- Collaborate effectively with grade-level team members by meeting regularly, sharing resources, and maintaining strong communication
- Utilize technology where appropriate when teaching and planning lessons
- Plan field trips to enhance the curriculum
- Collaborate with specialty teachers, as well as math and literacy specialists, to plan and integrate thematic units of study across the curriculum
- Work with grade-level team members and the Lower School Dean of Academics & Faculty Development to maintain ongoing curriculum maps and to further develop the curriculum
- Identify and respond to individual student’s academic and social-emotional needs in collaboration with the Support Services Team
- Meet monthly with the Head of Lower School and Lower School Psychologist to discuss each student’s academic, social, and emotional growth
- Monitor student progress to determine the effectiveness of interventions
- Maintain accurate, detailed records of student progress, parent communication, and lessons
- Communicate effectively with parents on a regular basis through meetings, phone calls, emails, newsletters, parent-teacher conferences, and progress reports
- Maintain an informational class webpage for the purpose of disseminating information to parents
- Perform assigned, ongoing scheduled responsibilities with care (roof duty, lunch duty, dismissal, etc.)
- Attend and participate actively in division and whole school faculty meetings
It is the policy of Sacred Heart to provide equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants. This means that all employees and applicants will be treated on an equal basis without regard to race, religion, color, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, transgender status, national and ethnic origin, ancestry, disability, age, military or veteran status, marital and partnership status, citizenship status, caregiver status, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, sexual and reproductive health decisions, height or weight, predisposing genetic characteristics, criminal history, actual or perceived domestic violence victim status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable state, federal or local law (collectively referred to herein as “Protected Classifications”).
In addition to the Protected Classifications set forth in this EEO Policy, the School also prohibits any form of discrimination or harassment based on being a certified medical marijuana patient, pre-employment marijuana testing, unemployment status, sexual and reproductive health decisions, salary history, arrest or conviction, or domestic violence victim status in accordance with state law.
This policy applies to all terms, conditions and privileges of employment, including but not limited to: hiring, training, faculty development, transfers, promotion, compensation, benefits, educational assistance, employee facilities, termination, and retirement.
Salary : $65,000 - $90,000
