Ethics Teacher and Service Learning Coordinator-Fieldston Lower in New York, New York at Ethical Culture Fieldston School

Ethical Culture Fieldston School is a progressive PreK-12 independent school that has been serving students from throughout New York City and the surrounding suburbs since 1878. ECFS offers a rich curriculum in the arts, sciences, and humanities. A co-ed, nonsectarian school, it serves a diverse community of about 1,700 students on two campuses -- one in the Riverdale section of the Bronx and the other in Manhattan.The Fieldston Middle and Upper campus located in Riverdale has approximately 400 students in 6-8th grades and 600 students in 9-12th grade.

What is essential about working at our school?

The Ethical Culture Fieldston School has a long history of equity and inclusion deeply rooted in our mission and the educational philosophy of our founder, Felix Adler. We embrace diversity of ancestry, family, identity, culture, and beliefs and seek a student body and faculty that reflect the pluralism and socio-economic diversity of metropolitan New York. We affirm both our differences and commonalities and strive to balance individuality and community. In keeping with our progressive tradition, we are dedicated to increasing our students’ cultural literacy to help them understand multiple perspectives and see the world beyond the self.

We expect members of our community to engage in open dialogue about living and learning in a diverse environment inside and outside the classroom. We see this work, with its creative tensions, as a catalyst for individual and collective growth. On a daily basis, we are committed to making this vision of a democratic, pluralistic, and progressive school a reality.

Position Summary
Fieldston Lower is seeking a dynamic, creative, and collaborative educator to teach ethics to our 1st-5th Grade students and coordinate the divisional service-learning program. Ethics is at the heart of our program and has been since the inception of the school in 1878. Our founder, Felix Adler, started the school with the belief that it would produce individuals prepared to enter society and change it in accordance with ethical ideas. This still informs our practice today. We are immersed in exciting work that seeks to place ethics and service learning at the heart of our program, making this an exciting opportunity for the successful candidate.

Teaching Ethics to our 1st- 5th Graders in accordance with our mission:
Ethical learning at ECFS is based on the personal, social, and intellectual development of students and responds to the moral issues that our students experience and witness in the world. We encourage students to identify and develop their personal code of ethics, and we help them uncover the ethical dimensions of their everyday interactions with others. We offer a course of study that identifies moral and social intersections, draws on our school’s ethical humanist traditions, and expands student understanding of the larger field of ethics. At ECFS, our unique approach consists of a formalized program and pedagogy that builds skills of critical inquiry and self-examination at each stage of development so that a student’s social, emotional, and academic development is addressed hand in hand with moral development.

Leading our Service Learning Program:

Service is a vital part of our mission. The successful candidate will coordinate service programs across each grade as well as division wide. In addition, this role will liaise with external agencies and be a resource for faculty members.

We are currently seeking an Ethics Teacher and Service Learning Coordinator for the 26/27 school year. This is a full time 1.0 FTE (full time equivalency) position and the hiring range will be $75,261-$184,830.

Please note that this is an onsite role and is not performed remotely. Ethical Culture Fieldston School retains its right to modify job duties in accordance with changing operational needs.

Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities of the Ethics Teacher and Service Learning Coordinator will be:

• Teaching ethics to our 1st-5th graders in accordance with our mission;

• Having a collaborative approach with other colleagues, including sharing resources and communicating about curriculum and students;

• Preparing for and communicating details about student performance and growth with parents and/or guardians at scheduled conferences;

• Appropriately addressing student behavioral issues and other challenges that may arise in the classroom in order to maintain a safe environment and a sense of calm in such situations;

• Maintaining accurate student record keeping, including grades and attendance;

• Providing encouragement to students to help support their social and emotional growth;

• Ensuring the confidentiality of student information as necessary;

• Attending all departmental, divisional, and school-wide meetings;

• Maintaining compliance with all school policies, state regulations, and educational standards; and

• Performing other related projects and duties as needed and assigned.

Requirements
The successful incumbent will possess:

• A Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree preferred;

• At least 3 years of experience teaching elementary school children;

• Extensive knowledge of ethics theory and philosophy;

• A passion for teaching with a pleasant and positive demeanor toward all forms of teaching and learning;

• The ability to collaborate and build strong relationships with faculty, administrators, students, parents, and the overall community;

• An understanding and commitment to cultural competency and how to support students of all backgrounds;

• Knowledge in delivering strategy based literacy and math instruction;

• Skill in designing instruction that is data driven, differentiated, and actively engaging;

• Previous experience leading morning meetings, such as those outlined by the Responsive Classroom;

• Prior experience in developing social studies curricula with a hands-on, developmentally appropriate focus;

• A commitment to progressive education as outlined on our website;

• Excellent verbal, written, and oral communication skills;

• Initiative, creativity, flexibility, and collaboration;

• A positive attitude and the ability to listen effectively and be receptive to feedback;

• The ability to manage time effectively, stay organized, and prioritize required tasks;

• A commitment to engaging in ongoing professional development and proficiency in utilizing and learning new technologies (i.e., Google Workspace tools);

• Reliability, punctuality, and consistent attendance; and

• The ability to cultivate a welcoming culture in which all members of our community feel valued and appreciated.

To Apply
All candidates should visit our employment page at www.ecfs.org to apply. Please send a resume, cover letter and contact information for three references.

EEO
ECFS is an equal opportunity employer. We seek to be a welcoming community of professionals that broadly reflects the people of the metropolitan New York City area, our students, and families. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion or religious practices, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, citizenship status, national origin, age, ability status, military status, unemployment status or any other category protected by applicable local, state, or federal laws. We are committed to hiring practices that ensure all candidates are given fair consideration in alignment with our institutional mission and goals.