Instructor of Science and Department Chair

Saint Mary’s School is an independent, Episcopal, college-preparatory, boarding and day school for girls in grades 9–12. The School is the fourth oldest girls’ boarding and day school in the country and is located on a beautiful 23-acre campus in the heart of Raleigh, within walking distance to many restaurants and attractions the City of Oaks has to offer.  Raleigh-Durham, NC is ranked as one of the best places to live in the United States by US News & World Report.

Saint Mary’s School is offering a unique and exciting opportunity to work on a beautiful historic campus for the 2025-26 year. This benefited position possibly offers campus housing provided by the School where Residential Faculty members can participate in a vibrant campus life with other families and students and enjoy meals in the dining hall.

We are looking for candidates who have strong teaching and learning backgrounds that embodies a student-centered philosophy and demonstrates a high degree of cross-cultural competency and inclusion in all aspects of school life. Saint Mary’s School seeks candidates who believe every learner deserves to have her needs met through learning communities that value diversity, compassion, and fairness. Our teachers work to create equitable classrooms providing students with equal access to learn and achieve their full potential. We are seeking faculty members who are looking for opportunities to share in the residential-life responsibilities and engage in the community by coaching a sport and/or coordinating extra-curricular activities in the evenings or weekends.

Saint Mary’s School faculty members are designers of learning who bring the mission of the school to life, creating classrooms that embody and nurture intellectual engagement and facilitate the Saint Mary’s School competencies. Faculty members report to the Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs through their academic leaders.  Faculty members are responsible for all aspects of the classes they teach, for participation in various departmental and school groups and endeavors, and for participating as chaperone or sponsor or in some other capacity in aspects of the student life program. 

Saint Mary’s School Academic Department Chairs foster a collegial, team-oriented environment within the department. Academic Department Chairs are experts in their field of study and active designers of learning who bring the mission of the school to life; enthusiastically creating opportunities for faculty members to be continuous learners.  The Academic Department Chair creates the conditions for department members to design for intellectual engagement and facilitate the implementation of competencies.  Reporting to the Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs, Academic Department Chairs are expected to, in addition to being effective designers of learning, possess effective coaching skills and can adeptly supervise department members through the professional growth plan process and evaluate department members when warranted.  Through a growth mindset, Academic Department Chairs work to motivate department members to continuously improve their pedagogical practice.  

The Academic Department Chairs plays a key academic and cultural leadership role at Saint Mary’s as they fulfill the role of teacher and administrator simultaneously.

Responsibilities:

• Teach 5 sections of science, with a possibilty of teaching multiple topics.
• Design student-centered curriculum that promotes student agency.
• When relevant, imbed key competencies into the learning environment.
• Enthusiastic and contributing member of the academic team.
• Using authentic feedback and assessment, report on students’ progress regularly.
• Understand and utilize technology as a teaching tool to maximize student learning.
• Provide differentiated instruction for all students in collaboration with the Student Support Team.
• Write recommendations for college applications and for awards, scholarships, and honors.
• Communicate effectively with all stakeholders through regularly scheduled progress reports.
• Assist with monitoring and proctoring students in a variety of academic settings, including but not limited to standardized testing, tutorial, and study hall.
• Help with co- and extra-curricular programs.   
• Serve as an advisor.
• Aspire to continuous professional growth by engaging in regular professional learning opportunities, which may include activities for licensing and for maintaining accreditation.
• Develop and maintain a professional growth plan that exhibits an enthusiasm towards lifelong learning and innovative pedagogy.
• Adopt and practice Saint Mary’s School Learning Principles and Principles of Professionalism.
• Be familiar with and follow policies in the Employee Handbook.
• Support the school and its mission.
• Perform other duties as necessary or as assigned.
• Perform weekend and night responsibilities to support the life of the residential community and the academic program as required by your position or requested by your manager/supervisor.

Leadership/Coaching/Design 

• Serve as a role model to encourage others to collaborate.
• Engage in professional growth and to self-evaluate for continuous improvement.
• Serve as a leader in curriculum and pedagogy in the department
• Continuously review and evaluate departmental curriculum and assist with planning and developing instructional objectives for classes/grade levels.
• Provide orientation, training, and supervision for department’s full-time, part-time and adjunct faculty
• Organize and facilitate department meetings
• Maintain membership and participate in local, regional, and national professional organizations in their subject area.
• Be engaged in research related to emerging curriculum and pedagogical practices.  
• Serve as a member of the Academic Leadership Team (ALT) and collaborate with other ADC's during regular meetings, to foster interdisciplinary learning, and to maintain a positive work culture for all employees.
• Through a growth mindset, mentor and coach departmental faculty to encourage their self-evaluation, professional development and scholarship.
• Observe classes and provide honest, supportive, and helpful feedback to colleagues.
• Synthesize feedback and data regarding classroom observations and assessments to inform departmental changes to goals, policies, and processes.
• Publicize across the school community the scholarship and endeavors of the department, and give recognition to exceptional achievement within the department.
• Develop and maintain a professional growth plan that embodies the direction of the school.
• As an educator, develops a classroom culture that is inclusive, safe, joyful, and fosters a sense of belonging for students of all identities and backgrounds.
• Support department, admissions and school leadership events

Administrative 

• Provide ongoing formal and informal feedback to department members throughout the year on their progress through the regular review of professional growth plans.
• Maintain and update departmental documents such as course descriptions, placement rubrics and scope and sequence documents.
• Assist the Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs in the search, recruitment and evaluation of candidates for openings within the department, and mentor new teachers.
• In the capacity as an academic department chair be a spokesperson for your department and/or the school at various meetings and presentations, including at educational conferences and associations.
• Track and administer the budget in collaboration with the Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs.
• Hold regularly scheduled departmental meetings that focus on continuous growth and team building within the department.
• Works with parents, faculty and Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs when academic concerns arise regarding students.
• Recommend placement for new students, based on admission information and placement tests as appropriate.
• Support the Admission team’s efforts for late application and placement of prospective students.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by an employee in this position. Employees are required to follow other job-related instructions and to perform other job-related duties requested by those authorized to give instructions or assignments.