Career Opportunities

School & Position Overview:

• Video Overview of the Marin Montessori School’s Junior High

• Video Overview of Marin Montessori School

With 260 students total--and 45 in the Junior High program --sought after graduates, over sixty years educating Bay Area children and teens, and located on two bustling, beautiful campuses in Corte Madera and San Rafael, Marin Montessori School is seeking an outstanding educator and leader to head the Junior High program and join our vibrant school community.

A senior administrative position, the Junior High Director works closely and collaboratively with a dynamic, high functioning seven-person faculty team, Farm and Kitchen Manager, Assistant Administrator, Consulting Psychologist, and High School Placement Consultant. They also work closely with the Head of School, two other division directors, and a number of other administrators. Our shared goal is clear: to continue to cultivate a world class Montessori adolescent program and community for middle school aged children (12-15 years old) from which students emerge deeply passionate about learning, self-aware, socially and emotionally intelligent, and well prepared to transition successfully as independent young adults into high school and beyond.

This is an especially thrilling time to join Marin Montessori, a highly regarded Bay Area not-for-profit school with accreditations from both AMI (Association Montessori International) and CAIS (California Association of Independent Schools). With recent articles in the Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review touting the benefits of a Montessori education, along with the knowledge that students from our Junior High program are thriving and matriculating to outstanding high schools, Bay Area families are increasingly interested in making MMS their long-term school.

MMS recently completed a $3.5mm capital campaign and the expansion of our Corte Madera campus, creating a stunning waterfront and nature-rich elementary wing. Committed to inclusion, over $1mm of MMS’s $9mm annual budget is awarded in tuition assistance every year to approximately thirty percent of our students. As a Green-Ribbon awarded school committed to making a positive impact on our environment, in 2020 we were proud to welcome former Vice President Al Gore as our keynote speaker. At our annual fundraiser in support of tuition assistance, he spoke on climate change and youth activism. The following year, chef and food activist Alice Waters supported MMS as our keynote fundraising speaker.

Marin Montessori is a community of passionate educators, flourishing students, and engaged and enthusiastic families.

Position Summary
The Junior High Director ensures outstanding teaching and learning in each class offering—characterized by interdisciplinary, experiential, social-emotional, and project and place-based learning. The Director leads the cultivation of an inclusive and safe community culture, and generates and sustains trust in and enthusiasm for MMS with current and prospective families.

Key Responsibilities:

• Ensuring that faculty have the tools and skills required to deliver the highest quality learning experience for students

• Supporting continued cross-curricular programming opportunities, weaving robust academic learning with land based experiences and projects on our acre farm, gardens, and apiary

• Taking an active interest in parent perceptions, questions and concerns. Proactively addressing these with the goals of positive parent relationships and faculty’s trust and agency

• Supporting Admissions in attracting, admitting, and retaining mission-appropriate families and students

• Managing operations at the Junior High, including but not limited to scheduling, Creative Expression and Physical Education specialists, trip leadership, and class offerings

• Serving as a pedagogical ambassador: In writing and speech communicating effectively the value and rationale of a Montessori adolescent education in the 21st century

• Ensuring students are well prepared for high school and supporting students, families, teachers, and our High School Placement Consultant in the high school admissions process

• Working closely with the Head of School and fellow division directors in planning and executing strategic initiatives

The successful candidate will be:

• Skillful in managing the multi-faceted, fluid needs of the day-to-day operations of the program, along with other administrative and long-term strategic visioning, planning and implementation needs

• Highly organized, detail oriented, punctual, and with a demonstrated track record of independently managing and meeting deadlines

• Fully reliable: does what they say, and says what they do

• Superlative writer, discussion facilitator, and public speaker

• High Integrity

• Inspires self and others to continually strive for excellence, possessing the vision, empathy, and humor needed to make the hard work energizing and unifying

• Maturely self-possessed and self-aware: doing what is right for the school and students is key source of satisfaction (rather than adoration from or popularity with students, faculty, or families)

• Direct communicator: eschews gossip, triangulating, and “venting,” and models direct, compassionate, forward-looking communication and problem solving

• “Radical Ownership” attitude: takes full responsibility and actively and resiliently strives to affect positive change, regardless of the level of challenge; resonates with the motto, “Don’t blame the world; find a solution.”

• Rock solid inner-ethical compass and core; habitually honest

• Infectious enthusiasm for education, and for the foibles, fun and potentials of young adolescents

• Compassionate and patient with parental anxieties without over-indulging entitled parental behaviors

• Exceptionally positive interpersonal and communication skills, including mature conflict resolution capacities, a generally optimistic attitude, and a strong capacity to create warm connections with others

• Emotionally intelligent, with the ability to convey a non-anxious presence and access both vulnerability and strong, decisive leadership to connect and inspire

• Transparent with motivations and thinking. Confident, not arrogant. Humble, not meek. Inclusive and kind to all

• High Process-Oriented

• Skillful in collaborating with colleagues through inclusive, thoughtful, and consistent processes, while also knowing when their decisiveness is called for—even should the decisions be unpopular

• Systems thinker: can identify root causes of challenges and smart strategies for creating systemic improvements and solutions

• Powerfully “growth mindset” oriented in all they do

Required Qualifications:

• Rich experience teaching and working closely with adolescents and their families

• Experience observing, coaching, and evaluating teachers toward continued growth

• Experience successfully leading teams

• Experience developing and managing program-level budgets

• Even-keeled, mature, responsive temperament to model steadiness for the highly energetic adolescent community, busy faculty, and engaged parents

• Passion for and experience with interdisciplinary, experiential, place-based educational models

• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks within a variety of demands

• Discretion and candor, and unquestionable ability to maintain confidentiality and act ethically and professionally

• Supervisory experience

• Growth mindset: a love of brainstorming ideas, collaborating, learning through feedback, always striving for excellence and growth

• Must be able to lift and carry 25 pounds

Montessori Background:

• MMS is committed to authentic Montessori education. If the ideal candidate is not Montessori trained, they will need a depth of passion for and experience with experiential education and adolescents, and an interest in and commitment to the further study of Montessori adolescent pedagogy.

Education Requirement:

• Bachelor’s degree

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree. Certificate of Completion of the AMI/NAMTA Orientation to Adolescent Studies

Salary and Hours:

• This is an exempt, full-time administrative position. Start date is July, 2025. The salary and benefits package is very competitive.

Marin Montessori School is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants shall not be discriminated against because of age, ancestry, color, religious creed, denial of Family and Medical Care Leave, disability (mental and physical), marital, familial or parental status, medical condition, genetic information, military and Veteran status, national origin (including language use restrictions), race, sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding), gender, gender identity, and gender expression, political affiliation or sexual orientation.

Please apply on our website: https://marinmontessori.applicantpro.com/jobs/

expires 2.8.25

Job Title: Director of Admissions and Financial Aid

Program/Department: Administration

Reports To: Head of School

FLSA Status: Salary Exempt

Job Summary: As a full-time, 12-month employee, the Director of Admissions and Financial Aid leads Childpeace’s initiatives in admissions, recruitment, parent and community relationships, retention, and market analysis. The Director of Admissions and Financial Aid is a key part of the school’s leadership team and will work closely with colleagues to strengthen the school’s enrollment while furthering the school’s mission of intentional inclusivity and commitment to excellence. This individual is responsible for maintaining admissions and enrollment data as well as providing information and support to families throughout the admissions, decision, and enrollment process. The Director of Admissions and Financial Aid is the school’s primary storyteller and promoter and must have a deep understanding of and commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging as well as the school’s Montessori mission.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Recruitment:

• Conveys the school’s mission to prospective families and the wider community through in-person tours and meetings, direct communications, and social media.

• Is familiar with the academic and extra-curricular programs of the school to communicate accurately with prospective families.

• Plans and executes a strategic recruitment plan to reach populations of focus, demonstrating sensitivity to economic, cultural, and social barriers to enrolling in an independent school.

• Assists prospective families in all aspects of the admissions process from inquiry through enrollment with the goal of enrolling students who will thrive in Childpeace.

• Acts as liaison between prospective parents and Childpeace faculty and leadership team throughout the admissions process.

• Collaborates with Program Directors, Financial Aid committee, and Admissions Committee to efficiently and effectively review and make admissions decisions for all candidates.

Enrollment:

• Communicates important dates including re-enrollment deadlines to internal and external communities in a timely manner.

• Articulates admission standards clearly to all constituents.

• Coordinates all aspects of admissions—visits, evaluation, selection, enrollment, and communicating decisions to families and faculty.

• Oversees new student enrollment and connects new families to current families throughout the process and assists with the reenrollment of current students in close connection with Program Directors, Business Manager, and Head of School.

Outreach and Engagement:

• Partners with faculty, leadership, and alumni to create informative and engaging admissions events (virtual and in person) and uses feedback to improve them.

• Cultivates relationships with area feeder schools, high schools, community groups, and other entities and individuals who play a role in recruitment and exposure for the school.

• Attends area admissions events and expos to expand recruitment.

• Engages current parents to assist in retention and recruitment goals.

• Maintains with the school’s Communication Manager, the school’s social media and presence on listservs; works in conjunction with internal IT and freelance web designers to update website as needed.

• Works with graphic designer to produce for-print and electronic ads and school marketing materials that accurately represent different aspects of school mission, program, and culture.

• Manages outreach efforts to wider community

Data Analysis and Budgeting:

• Monitors and reports on admission and enrollment trends to the Leadership Team and Board of Trustees.

• Maintains admissions budget.

Qualification Requirements:

• Ability to perform essential job duties with or without reasonable accommodation and without posing a direct threat to safety or health of employee or others. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Bachelor’s degree; Master’s preferred

• 3-5 years' experience with independent school admissions

• Self-aware, goal-oriented, flexible, and optimistic

• Exceptional written and oral communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills

• Experience managing data

• Experience working with children and parents in a school setting

• Experience relating to families of diverse backgrounds

• Models integrity, curiosity, responsibility, flexibility, and respect for all persons as well as an appreciation for racial, religious, cultural, and gender diversity and by committing to personal and professional growth in equity and justice in education

• Experience in Montessori education or willingness to learn

• Wants to be part of changing the world for the better

• Ability to pass all required background checks

Certificates, Licenses & Registrations:

• Background Check/Enrollment in the Central Background Registry

• CPR/First Aid

• Recognizing & Reporting Child Abuse & Neglect

What the Position Offers:

• Salary Range $65,000 to $90,000

• This position is benefit-eligible (medical, dental, and vision insurance, flexible spending, and more)

About Childpeace:
Childpeace Montessori School serves children from 14 months through eighth grade. Childpeace’s classrooms offer a beautiful, vibrant environment in northwest Portland three blocks from the Willamette River near several urban parks, walking trails, and restaurants. The school is located near major bike and bus routes; many employees commute by bike, bus, or walk. Childpeace supports our staff with an educational program rooted in high Montessori standards, a commitment to professional development, beautiful and well-equipped classroom environments, strong administrative support, and a dynamic working community of Montessori professionals.

Childpeace values responsibility, educational excellence, love of learning, sustainability, and equity as important characteristics of our learning community. We encourage applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds, particularly those from historically underrepresented groups, whose personal and professional experiences will help us work toward our vision to shape the future of our world through the cultivation of inquisitive minds and socially responsible young citizens.

All offers of employment are contingent on obtaining a background clearance

Childpeace Montessori School does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, physical or mental ability, or any other status protected under local, state or federal laws in the admission of otherwise qualified students or in the administration of its educational policies or programs, hiring, or employment practices.

Apply Here

expires 1.20.25

The Indigenous Montessori Institute (IMI), a program of the Keres Children’s Learning Center (KCLC), is a training center offering an anti-racist, anti-biased approach to educational reform using Indigenous Knowledge Systems and the Montessori Philosophy to deliver teacher training and professional development. Its intention is to reclaim and center Indigenous Education by decolonizing education in the classroom and system levels, restore Indigenous knowledge systems that support early childhood education, and center Indigenous language, values, and beliefs in education.

Position Summary:
KCLC seeks a motivated, Indigenous advocate to be the Director of the Indigenous Montessori Institute: to oversee the implementation of all courses, including facilitating some classes; to establish and execute contracts providing training and technical assistance to clients and partners; and to pursue on IMI’s behalf accreditation as a college and from the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE). The IMI Director has office space in Albuquerque and works at KCLC in Cochiti Pueblo once or twice a week and other times as needed.

Full Position Details & How to Apply