First Grade Teacher

Reports To: Lower School Division Head
Starting Date: August 2025

Seattle Country Day School (SCDS) is an independent school that serves more than 400 gifted students, grades K–8, on a 2.4-acre campus on the north slope of Queen Anne Hill in Seattle, Washington. At SCDS, we know gifted children can be intense, verbal, and imaginative; we also know that gifted children come from every community, every race, and every socioeconomic class.

At SCDS, our students find a warm, welcoming classroom, one based around the concept of inquiry, a method where teachers encourage students to explore, to ask questions, to experiment, and to create. The school also prioritizes social-emotional learning, which is informed by diversity, equity, and inclusion concepts. This attention to the whole child, and to the world they live in, stimulates children’s intellect and imagination and helps foster qualities such as flexibility, empathy, integrity, and compassion.

In our work and in our hiring processes, SCDS is guided by a multi-year strategic plan that focuses on two interconnected priorities: retaining and attracting excellent faculty, especially faculty of color, and increasing the racial and socioeconomic diversity and inclusivity of our school. SCDS is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at SCDS are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, citizenship, veteran, military, or marital status, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender expression/identity, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions), or any other status protected by applicable law. SCDS will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.

We encourage everyone who is interested in this position to apply.

Qualifications
The successful candidate will have at least a bachelor’s degree and 5 years of elementary teaching experience; a master’s degree is preferred. Must be experienced with the developmental needs of 6-7-year-old children. Experience developing and implementing curriculum for elementary grades is required. Demonstrated leadership in curriculum development, academic or professional experience in gifted education, creative problem-solving, and inquiry-based education is preferred.

Responsibilities
The first grade teacher will be a member of the Lower School faculty and report to the Lower School Head. This position is ideal for the dynamic and knowledgeable teacher who has experience designing and implementing curriculum for first grade. The teacher will work closely with homeroom teachers and other content area specialists as a collaborative leader. Teacher responsibilities also include participation in class outings as well as attendance at faculty and department/grade level meetings.

This position is full-time.

SCDS offers a competitive salary and benefits package. Salary range is $69,000 – $128,000 depending on qualifications. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, life insurance and long-term disability, excellent retirement plan, and section 125 plan.

Application Process
Applicants should download an application from seattlecountryday.org/about-scds/employment. Submit this completed application, a letter of interest, and a resumé with references to humanresources@seattlecountryday.org.