High School Science Teacher

Reports to: Assistant Head of School

Start Date: August 2021 

The School...

Vistamar School is a college preparatory, co-educational, independent day school that serves a very diverse population of students in grades 9-12, supported by a generous program of Moderated Tuition. Approximately 35% of our students participate in our Moderated Tuition program, and approximately 50% of our students identify as students of color.  We seek to attract a faculty and student body who bring a diversity of thought and culture to our school community, and who will be committed to ensuring that we provide an inclusive environment for the respectful exchange of multiple perspectives. Vistamar is located in the eastern-most section of El Segundo.  The school is close to major freeway interchanges and is well serviced by public transportation, including a commuter rail station.

Since our opening in 2005, enrollment has grown steadily to 280 students, who are drawn from over 50 different middle schools and over 55 different zip codes in greater Los Angeles. We will add faculty and classrooms incrementally as we approach our target enrollment of 300.  Both tuition and salaries are competitive with other Los Angeles- area independent schools. Vistamar is fully accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and holds institutional memberships in the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and the Council of International Schools (CIS).

The Opportunity...

You will be joining us as a teacher in the Science Department. The Science Department seeks to broaden students’ understanding of how things work through the natural world; build the skills of critical thinking, hypothesis testing, applied mathematics, and inference; establish an appreciation for the tentative and incomplete nature of objective knowledge; help students to use a framework for organizing and evaluating information about living things and the material universe, and consider the social and ethical implications of applied science.

Our science curriculum focuses on integrating disciplines (Physical & Life Sciences) in the first two years.  For their Junior and Senior years, students having a solid foundation in all three science disciplines have the opportunity to take science courses of their choice including AP Courses, Advanced Topics in Science, Anatomy/Physiology, and more.  Students with a passion for and high aptitude in science may qualify to take an AP Science course as early as the sophomore year.

A typical week would include preparation and teaching of four regular courses, each meeting four times per week, serving as a student advisor, assisting with student activities, and engaged participation in faculty and team meetings. Additional responsibilities include maintaining active communication with students & families, active participation in admissions/development events, and other important community gatherings.

Qualifications…

The Vistamar School community seeks candidates who can fulfill our Four Attributes of Excellent Teaching. Successful candidates will also commit to multicultural educational practices and working in a diverse community.   Additionally, Vistamar School seeks candidates who engage in professional development opportunities to further develop inclusive teaching practices.

Ideal Candidates...

• Practice culturally responsive pedagogy.
• Cultivate strong and collegial relationships with all community members in a culturally responsive manner.
• Embrace working with high school students with enthusiasm.
• Seek to know, understand and serve the social-emotional needs of the whole child
• Use strong pedagogical skills and depth of content expertise to design meaningful learning experiences that foster a passion for learning in students
• Demonstrate an ongoing commitment to the reflective, iterative nature of teaching and thus seek continuous growth and development as a lifelong learner.
• Embrace the school’s culture as an engaged, energetic, and thoughtful community member.
• Have teaching experience with at least two of the following disciplines at the high school level: biology, chemistry, and physics. 
• Have teaching experience and/or content expertise with  AP Physics.
• Lead physical science planning team with creativity, collaboration, and organization
• Can design inquiry-based learning experiences using NGSS and “backwards planning” as resources, integrating a range of both formative and summative assessments.
• Teaching experience at the high school level, a deep knowledge of the subject matter, and familiarity with student-centered approaches to teaching 
• A master’s degree and teaching credential are preferred.  
• Must be available to engage fully with our onboarding process.

How to Apply...

Additional information about Vistamar School is available on the school’s website: https://www.vistamarschool.org. Applicants should submit a complete résumé and cover letter by e-mail to: positions@vistamarschool.org. No calls please.