5-12 Human Development and Health Department Head (2026-2027) at Lakeside School – Seattle, Washington

Lakeside School, an independent coeducational day school located in north Seattle, Washington, is currently recruiting for a full time 5-12 Human Development & Health Department Head starting in the 2026-2027 school year. Lakeside is seeking an energetic and creative educator to help develop the students' creative minds, healthy bodies, and ethical spirits needed to contribute wisdom, compassion, and leadership to a global society. Applicants should share Lakeside's commitment to sustaining a school in which individuals representing diverse culture and experiences instruct one another in the meaning and value of community and in the importance of lifelong learning.

Lakeside: Fast Facts

The aim of the Lakeside Human Development & Health department is to provide students with the knowledge and skills to care for themselves, care for others, and care for their communities. To achieve these aims, our curriculum works to empower middle and high school students to develop self-awareness, awareness of others, the ability to seek accurate information, effective communication, age-appropriate identity fluency, proactive and reactive decision-making that enhances well-being, and community building.

Our curriculum focuses on the following key elements:

• Identities, including race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ability status, socioeconomic status, and age
• Identity in community, including topics such as inclusion, equity, power, privilege, prejudice, and discrimination
• Relationships, including topics such as friendships, romantic relationships, communication skills, and consent
• Emotional health, including topics such as mental health, coping skills, and suicide prevention
• Physical well-being, including topics such as sleep, nutrition, puberty, substances, and sexual health
• Positive psychology practices, such as mindfulness, gratitude, and goal-setting

Responsibilities

The ideal candidate will lead and collaborate with a diverse and cross-divisional department of colleagues to deliver an inclusive and innovative health education curriculum for students in grades 5-12. Responsibilities include:

• Lead a cross-divisional department, including participating in hiring for the department, leading divisional department meetings, supporting department members’ professional growth, attend divisional department head meetings, and attend divisional employee meetings;
• Collaborate with school leaders and the Student & Family Support teams to guide and assess the continued evolution of the Human Development & Health course scope and sequence in grades 5-12, including the sexual violence prevention workshop curriculum for grades 10-12, and to continue to align Human Development & Health curriculum with the school’s mission and values, institutional DEIB goals, departmental skills, state and national health education standards, and institutional research on student and family wellbeing;
• Teach[1] one Middle or Upper School Human Development & Health class in grades 5-9 with an average size of around 18-22 students per class;
• In collaboration with the Director of Student and Family Support, the Human Development & Health department, and other key stakeholders, designs lessons for a new workshop series for 12th grade students, focused on promoting health and wellbeing in the college years and throughout young adulthood;
• Teach all sections of 12th grade workshop series to small groups of 12th grade students, and design, implement, and evaluate feedback structures to understand progress towards course objectives and departmental goals;
• In future years, continue to revise and update the 12th grade workshop series to respond to changing needs and institutional data; this and other teaching duties may change to meet the evolving needs of the school;
• Teach a diverse student body with varying backgrounds and experiences with health education and with a wide range of perspectives on what it means to be healthy;
• Serve as an advisor or co-advisor for 8-10 Upper School students; and
• Participate in the life of the school community which includes assigned duties, departmental and faculty meetings, admissions events, grade-level meetings, and general engagement with student life.

Requirements and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in an applicable field. Those with experience in adolescent health, adolescent mental health counseling, community health education, school psychology, social work, and other areas of adolescent wellbeing are encouraged to apply;
• Experience leading a team with diverse backgrounds, skills, and needs is preferred;
• Ability to cultivate compelling, engaging, and safe learning environments for young people and to facilitate student discussions focused on sensitive topics;
• Experience in designing, teaching, and evaluating health education;
• Desire to become an engaged member of a school community with a commitment to serving a diverse student body
• Demonstrated cultural awareness, including knowledge of themselves and the cultural lenses they bring to interactions. The candidate will understand different perspectives; interact respectfully with cultures other than their own; and cultivate meaningful relationships with people that have different cultural frameworks
• Experience fostering an inclusive learning environment where all students feel seen, valued, and heard
• Close collaboration with colleagues on course teams to ensure a consistent student experience across sections
• Satisfactory completion of three criminal background checks

Compensation and Benefits

Salary Range: $74,921 - $132,636 based upon experience and education. Lakeside School is committed to attracting and retaining outstanding candidates and provides a competitive compensation package. Lakeside School offers a competitive compensation package and a comprehensive set of benefits, including:

• Employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance (based on FTE)

• Dependent medical and vision subsidy

• Retirement with generous employer contribution

• Life/disability insurance

• Employee Assistance Program

• Flexible spending accounts

• Free lunch

• Free parking

• Bus/bike benefits

• Housing assistance program

• Reduced facility rentals

• Employee Discount Program

• Computer loan program

• Paid holidays and vacation

• Use of school library and gymnasium

• Mentoring

• Professional Development

Application Process

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and work history via Lakeside’s online application system. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Working at Lakeside

Lakeside School is committed to sustaining a community in which individuals from diverse cultures and backgrounds teach, learn, and thrive together. To learn more about working at Lakeside—including professional development, mentoring, benefits, and opportunities for involvement—please visit the Careers page on the Lakeside School website.