Level Two Co-Teacher
Neighborhood School, Jamaica Plain, MA
Level Two Co-Teacher or Support Teacher
First and Second Grades, 2026-2027
Neighborhood School, Jamaica Plain MA
The School – Neighborhood School’s mission is to provide transformative, personalized, justice-centered learning to children from all families of all economic means, helping students find their voice, form community, and become the next generation of world-changers. Children can become conscious and critical of the world around them in order to build a more equitable community. Teachers who are learning about power and identity, and who want to use schools to dismantle systems of oppression and build authentic communities, can best support them.
Neighborhood School is unique in Boston’s educational landscape. A teacher-founded independent school that began in 1986, it is intentionally small and creatively personalized with a demonstrated commitment to promoting social justice and helping children flourish to their fullest potential. It is a place where approximately 45 students, K-6th grade ages, learn about themselves, others, and about how to form an authentic community. Everyone is well-known and connected to everyone else at NS.
Teachers at NS take advantage of curricular freedom to design a learning environment where children are nurtured to be kind, curious, informed, literate and involved. Students connect with people and places in the city to further their classroom investigations and to participate in lessons designed to develop needed skills and strategies. Teachers have the opportunity to promote experiential learning and foster students’ connections to the world around them by designing thematic studies led by questions, fueled by research, and framed by reflection.
Parents have opportunities to be involved in the life of the school and in the lives of other school families. Neighborhood School is a place where a foundation for lifelong learning is nurtured and where lifelong relationships (including faculty) are often formed.
The Classroom – Our combined first and second grade classroom is referred to as Level Two. The class consists of approximately sixteen children ranging in age from six to eight years. Multi-age groupings are present in the school’s four classroom levels, offering teachers an opportunity to develop a two-year relationship with many students. Level Two is a place where children learn to be friends, get excited about reading and math, do research and teach others, develop a work ethic, and begin to understand themselves as leaders and followers. Level Two teachers support all this learning by constantly learning themselves in areas including identity (ethnic, gender, racial), child development, and learning differences. The Level Two classroom is an entry hub of the school (first floor of a three-story house) and the space is used for before and after care each day.
The Opening – We are looking for either a co-teacher or a support teacher to join the current teaching team in Level Two, starting in August 2026. Please apply if you are interested in either the co-teacher or support teacher role.
| Co-Teacher – Full time | Support Teacher – Potential full or part time |
| Qualifications:
– Experience as a 1st / 2nd grade teacher for three years or more
– Bachelors or Masters level degree or training in fields including Elementary Education, Early Childhood, or Special Education; certification preferred
– Proven philosophy of education that is child-centered, community-minded, justice-driven, and that blends best practices of traditional and progressive education Responsibilities: – Collaborate with current Level Two teacher to design and provide differentiated instruction – Bring expertise in leading a classroom while also being ready to partner with a co-teacher to teach and learn as equal colleagues |
Qualifications:
– Experience working with children for three years or more
– Bachelors or Masters level degree, preferably in fields such as Elementary Education, Early Childhood, or Special Education; certification preferred
– Developing philosophy of education that is child-centered, community-minded, justice-driven, and that blends best practices of traditional and progressive education Responsibilities: – Support current Level Two teacher by learning instructional methods and systems -Bring readiness to learn how to design and provide differentiated instruction, and put that learning into practice |
Our ideal candidate for either role will be an avid learner, ready to hone their skills in:
- Establishing and maintaining a healthy and trusting learning environment, fostering nurturing relationships with students.
- Creating a child-centered classroom where children learn about themselves, one another, families, communities, and the natural world.
- Helping children learn to read and write using a variety of methods and materials including those developed by Wilson Reading’s Fundations, Lucy Calkins, and others.
- Implementing a math curriculum that emphasizes mathematical thinking and development of alternative strategies to deepen conceptual understanding.
- Understanding and accommodating learning differences among children.
- Promoting social-emotional growth by demonstrated understanding of social thinking, restorative justice, and racial identity development for all children.
- Designing curriculum and building classroom culture that helps 1st and 2nd graders recognize how dynamics of power play out in the classroom and how to promote equity.
- Helping children learn to understand and manage behavior.
- cultivating relationships with parents and promoting healthy parent-teacher communication, including classroom updates, active listening, and effective meetings.
- Implementing formative assessment and writing trimester reports.
| Co-Teacher Salary Range | Support Teacher Salary Range |
| $60,000 – $80,000 | $45,000 – 55,000 |
| Interested individuals should send a cover letter and résumé to: Tracy Pimentel, Director director@neighborhoodschooljp.org Please specify whether you are qualified and interested in Co-Teaching or Support Teaching. |
Neighborhood School
