The Open School is seeking to hire a staff member in a self-directed, democratic school, situated in Santa Ana, California.
The Open School staff members work directly with students and take on specific responsibilities to keep the school running. We hire staff rather than teachers to emphasize that adults are not automatically teachers and that people learn from each other in complex ways. The Open School staff are not responsible for creating activities for students to pursue and do not have the authority to unilaterally establish or enforce rules. Staff at The Open School are available as role models, facilitators, and peers as students pursue their own interests.
There are numerous ways that staff interact with students ranging from tutoring in a specific subject, playing games (computers, cards, sports), working on collaborative projects, building things, going on field trips, cooking, producing plays to playing music, etc. Staff are expected to act as dependable stewards of the school; facilitate student access to resources; exemplify mature practice of personal fulfillment and societal engagement; and anchor school culture to values of interpersonal respect.
Staff also support all areas of school operations from ground maintenance to budgeting. Most work is done from Monday through Friday, 9am-4:30pm, but there are times when staff will need to work outside of those hours, such as a weekend event or an evening meeting.
In addition, staff will be engaging in our virtual program on a regular basis. This may include taking part in activities, meeting one-on-one or in a small group with students virtually, and holding any number of meetings online. Staff will also be expected to pursue relationships with parents, holding regular conversations and meetings with them to deepen the parents’ understanding of and relationship with the school.
All staff candidates should share these commitments:
Upon hiring, staff members are considered “fellows” for a period of at least 3 months and no more than 1 year. During the fellowship period, they are compensated at $18/hour while they complete their training to become a full staff member. At the end of the fellowship period, the successful candidate will receive a vote of confidence from the School Meeting and earn the title of Staff Member. At this time, a staff member earns $20/hour. Currently, staff are paid during the school year (approximately September 1st – June 15th). A full time staff member is scheduled to work 35-40 hours per week.
The Open School is committed to increasing staff wages significantly each year to meet our goal of paying $45,000/year with benefits by 2026.
Full or part time positions available.
Interested applicants should submit a resume, cover letter and three references to [email protected].
The cover letter should include information about your background knowledge, research, and experience in self-directed education environments. Include how long you have been interested in this type of education and why you are committed to it. Also, please share your weekly availability and what time commitment you are willing to make.
Along with this, please send a 3-minute video that explains who you are and why you would be a good staff member.
Upon receiving an application, the process is as follows: