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On-Campus Staff Member

The Open School is hiring a full-time staff member to work on campus in Santa Ana, California. This position is for a Monday-Friday schedule at 7 hours/day.

Position Summary

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, 8:30am-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.

Qualifications:

  • At least 5 years of experience working as a full-time employee in any field OR a bachelor’s degree and 1 year of work experience as a full-time employee in any field
  • Experience working with children ages 5-18 in a professional capacity 
  • Must have read at least 3 books from the following list:
    • Reflections on the Sudbury School Concept, Mimsy Sadofsky (Editor), Daniel Greenberg (Editor) (1999) 
    • The Sudbury Valley School Experience, Daniel Greenberg, et al. (1992) 
    • Free at Last: The Sudbury Valley School, Daniel Greenberg  (1995)
    • A Clearer View: New Insights into the Sudbury Model, Daniel Greenberg (2000) 
    • Kingdom of Childhood: Growing up at Sudbury Valley School, Mimsy Sadofsky (Editor), Daniel Greenberg (Editor) (1994) 
    • When Kids Rule the School: The Power and Promise of Democratic Education, Jim Reitmulder (2019) 
    • Like Water: The Extraordinary Approach to Education at Fairhaven School, Mark McCaig and Lisa Lyons (2008)

A successful candidate demonstrates: 

  • A solid grasp of the school’s educational philosophy and practices, and a strong commitment to them  
  • An interest in and/or prior experience in one of the key management areas of the school’s business i.e. Business Management, Marketing and Public Relations, Finance, Building Management and Maintenance, IT Management and Maintenance, Supporting Learning  
  • Continued striving for personal growth, open to learning and being challenged to grow
  • Passion and engagement with personal interests  
  • Responsible, respectful, professional and mature adult behaviour at all times, able to hold personal boundaries
  • Safety consciousness and commitment to understanding and complying with all school laws and policies  
  • Strong communication and literacy skills, including the ability to express thoughts in writing, tailor communication with students of different age groups and developmental levels in a respectful, egalitarian, and non-patronising manner, and interact effectively with people of all ages and backgrounds  
  • Strong self-management skills, including high levels of initiative, excellent time management and efficiency, and the ability to effectively balance day-to-day operational responsibilities with availability to students. See what needs to be done, and do it 
  • Reliability and punctuality
  • Ability to work well in a group decision-making organization
  • Commitment to creating a space for a variety of voices and backgrounds, without advocating for an agenda or bringing in personal, political, or religious views when working with students
  • Ability to maintain confidentiality of student and family data, as well as to keep a constant eye out for the protection of student privacy in less formal ways
  • Ability to work with neuro-diverse population 
  • Where applicants have a background in education they will be required to demonstrate why they have chosen to move away from mainstream practice  

Beneficial Experience:

  • Experience in a democratic education environment would be highly beneficial whether as a student, staff member, or in another capacity 
  • Experience of Self-Directed Home Education or Unschooling could also be beneficial as a demonstration of an understanding and commitment to student-directed learning

Compensation:

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 an hourly wage of $22.50/hour or commiserate with their salary offer (see below) 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. They will then be paid at salaried rate based on the matrix below.

Employees are placed on the pay scale based on their completed years of experience. For newly hired employees, experience at other schools would be measured according to the below formula. The HR Committee will determine the definition of previous experience for new staff:

  • Number of years at a Sudbury model school – 1 to 2/3 ratio (i.e. 1 year at another school equates to 8 months at our school)
  • Number of years at a significantly similar school (i.e. free school, unschooling center, Liberated Learners) – 1 to 1/3 ratio (i.e. 1 year at another school equates to 4 months at our school)
  • Years of experience in the following areas would not be considered for placement on the pay scale:
    • Work at any other model of school or learning center
    • Unschooling one’s own children
    • Work providing child-care in a professional or non-professional capacity

Newly hired staff cannot be placed higher than row F. 

Pay adjusts at the anniversary of hire based on years of experience. 

Row    2023/24 matrix         Salary

A          Entry                      $36,331
B          1 year                     $38,147
C          2 years                   $40,054
D          3 years                   $42,057
E          4 years                   $44,159
F          5-6 years                $46,366
G          7-9 years               $51,003
H         10-14 years            $56,104
I           15+ years               $61,714

Benefits include:

  • Paid during school holidays and breaks (other than summer break)
  • Paid time off accrues at 1 hour per 18 hours worked (increases after 1 and 3 years employed)
  • Sick pay accrued at 1 hour per 30 hours worked
  • Discounted tuition for enrolled children 
  • Tuition discounts for enrolled children (*Note: parents of current students are not eligible to apply until their child has been enrolled for at least 1 year. Staff who would like to enroll their children cannot do so until they have been on staff for at least 1 year.)
  • 401(k) retirement plan contribution match

Schedule:

The Open School follows a standard academic calendar.  Staff have fewer responsibilities during the summer and therefore have a fair amount of time off during those months. There are periodic meetings and this position will require some summer work to prepare for the following year as well as further develop the program. Additionally, staff are considered on break during the school breaks (i.e. winter break, spring break, etc).

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Substitute Staff

Position Summary

This opening is for a substitute staff member for our campus 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 establish or enforce rules unilaterally. Staff at The Open School are available as role models, facilitators, and peers as students pursue their own interests.  

This position is for an on-call substitute staff member. There may also be opportunities for regularly scheduled and pre-scheduled shifts. This position is NOT a school meeting member and will not have the ability to vote in the weekly School Meeting.

A person filling the role as a substitute for our staff should be familiar with our model and philosophy and willing to learn how we interact with students. This is NOT a teaching position. Substitute staff will be expected to engage with students respectfully and without condescension. You should be available to help students with requests and needs, as they are presented and should not interfere with their activities. 

Additionally, substitute staff should be prepared to support the staff members on campus as needed. School operational or administrative tasks may need to be completed, or the substitute staff may be asked to station themself in a particular location to be present for student requests.

School hours are 8:30am-4:30pm and staff shifts are either 8:15am-3:45pm, 9:30am-5pm, or 10am-5:30pm with a 30 minute break. A substitute staff should be available for any one of those three shifts and will be trained on opening or closing shifts as needed.

Tasks may include:

  • Aid students when requested, with things like write-ups, computer sign-up sheets, food opening, etc.
  • Fill in for absent staff members in the event of a fire alarm or other emergency
  • Perform administrative tasks as requested
  • Help with end-of-day clean up and dismissal procedures
  • Be ready and willing to help in other areas, as requested by TOS staff

A successful candidate demonstrates: 

  • A solid grasp of the school’s educational philosophy and practices, and a strong commitment to them  
  • Continued striving for personal growth, open to learning and being challenged to grow
  • Responsible, respectful, professional and mature adult behavior at all times, able to hold personal boundaries
  • Safety consciousness and commitment to understanding and complying with all school laws and policies  
  • Strong self-management skills, including high levels of initiative, excellent time management and efficiency, and the ability to effectively balance day-to-day operational responsibilities with availability to students. See what needs to be done, and do it 
  • Reliability and punctuality
  • Commitment to creating a space for a variety of voices and backgrounds, without advocating for an agenda or bringing in personal, political, or religious views when working with students
  • Ability to maintain confidentiality of student and family data, as well as to keep a constant eye out for the protection of student privacy in less formal ways
  • Ability to work with a neuro-diverse population 
  • Where applicants have a background in education they will be required to demonstrate why they have chosen to move away from mainstream practice  

Qualifications:

  • Flexible schedule with the ability to be on call
  • Willing to complete first aid training
  • Self-directed and reliable
  • Have read at least one book on self-directed education 

Compensation: 

  • $20/hour, scheduled for 7 hours at a time plus a 30-minute lunch break

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