Co-lead Classroom Teacher

Now Hiring: Classroom Teacher

Freedom Side School is opening a free abolitionist elementary school in Philadelphia for young freedom fighters! We will open our doors and welcome our first class of students and families in the fall of 2026. We are currently seeking applicants for two Classroom Co-lead teacher positions who will teach our first class of 15-20 first and second graders during the 2026-2027 school year.

You can learn more about Freedom Side School’s vision, mission, values, and team at www.freedomsideschool.org. To submit your application please use this form. If you have any questions about the position or the application, please reach out to hiring@freedomsideschool.org.

Hiring Timeline

• Applications will be accepted until Monday March 9th.
• First round 30-minute zoom interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis.
• Invitations for finalist round in-person interviews will be sent by March 23rd.
• We hope to extend an offer for this position by mid-May.
• The start date for this role will be in August with 3-4 weeks of dedicated in-service and onboarding before our first day of school.

Job Description

Classroom Coteachers are integral to translating our mission and vision into action by shaping day-to-day school life for our students and their caregivers. Coteachers will be members of the Teaching and Learning Team, and will be supervised by the Director of Teaching and Learning.

Key Skills and Qualifications for this Role:

• Minimum 5 years experience as a lead classroom teacher, grades K-3
• Must hold either a PA Elementary school teaching license or a PA elementary private school teacher certification by August 2026
• Experience developing and implementing constructivist and culturally-relevant curricula (especially social studies, social-emotional learning, and interdisciplinary curricula)
• Experience teaching literacy in grades K-3
• Experience supporting children’s learning through hands-on exploration and play
• Strong classroom management skills
• Strong relational skills
• Experience working on a team and collaborating with other educators
• Willingness to engage in ongoing learning and professional development
• Strong understanding of trauma-informed care
• Interest and/or experience in non-punitive models of classroom management
• Experience working collaboratively with children’s family to build on children and their families’ strengths and knowledge
• Alignment with Freedom Side School’s Philosophy of Education

Schedule:

At Freedom Side, we value teachers’ time and prioritize creating a work schedule that is sustainable. Because of this commitment to support teachers’ well-being, we:

• Build planning, prep, and curriculum development time into the school day schedule.
• Communicate any work commitments we expect teachers to attend outside of typical school day hours at the start of the school year. This will include a small number of evening and weekend commitments, such as Back to School Night, open houses, and school celebrations, with schedule adjustments on those weeks so that teachers are not working more than 40 hours.

Key Responsibilities for this Role:

• Collaborate with partner teacher and Education Director to construct classroom environment, systems, and routines that will support students
• Teach literacy, math, social studies, science, and social-emotional curricula
• Develop and implement curricula in partnership with other Teaching and Learning staff
• Facilitate restorative practices in the classroom
• Maintain ongoing anecdotal records for each child, and for the class as a whole
• Prepare and facilitate parent-teacher conferences
• Write two narrative reports per child per year (14-20 reports total)
• Communicate regularly with families about their children’s development
• Maintain accurate classroom records in Student Information System
• Work collaboratively with other student support staff to meet student needs
• Engage in professional development opportunities, including peer to peer professional development

We are seeking applicants who…

• Bring a strength-based approach to teaching, and understand that all children can learn and grow
• Are aligned with Freedom Side’s vision, mission and values
• Are aligned with and can carry out Freedom Side’s Community Commitments
• Live and are rooted in the Philadelphia area, who are willing to work in-person in Philadelphia
• Are committed to sticking with Freedom Side School through our founding years
• Are comfortable with consensus-based decision-making processes or are willing to learn
• Can work collaboratively on a team of staff and volunteers, are able to take feedback and show up with integrity and accountability
• Are comfortable working collaboratively as a part of a small team
• Are able to take initiative and self-direct their work, and to ask for help when needed

We are prioritizing candidates who…

• Are directly impacted by mass incarceration, including candidates who are formerly incarcerated or have incarcerated loved ones
• Have experience in the anti-prison and/or abolition movement
• Have community organizing or activism experience or are willing to learn

• 5% salary increase each fiscal year
• Employer paid health, vision, dental insurance
• Available retirement savings with 3% employer match
• FSS observes about 50 days of paid organizational closures a year, mostly aligned with academic calendar breaks, including planned winter, spring, and summer breaks
• Both full time and part time staff are given personal PTO to be used at their discretion