Associate Teacher

Strive Charter School; New York (NY); On-site; USD 63,000 - 77,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) plan

Ten weeks PTO per year

Job summary

Strive Charter School in the South Bronx is opening Fall 2026 and seeks an elementary/middle school teacher to join our founding team. The day runs from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with a generous lunch/PD/planning block and a two-block walk to the Cypress Avenue subway.

Expect a warm, supportive culture that values joyful, student-centered learning. We require a BA degree and welcome applicants with varied classroom experience; no teaching experience is required for this position.

Qualifications

• No teaching experience is required for this position.
• If you have two or more years of experience teaching in an elementary or middle school, you should apply for our lead teacher position rather than this position.
• BA Degree required

Responsibilities

• Your working day will be eight hours with at least 2½ hours for lunch, professional development, and planning.
• Instruction begins at 9 a.m.; arrive at 8:30 a.m. and leave by 4:30 p.m.
• You will be supported by teaching assistants to facilitate small group instruction.

Education

BA Degree

Job description

“No single literacy activity has a more positive effect on students’ comprehension, vocabulary knowledge, spelling, writing ability, and overall academic achievement than free voluntary reading.” — Donalyn Miller, The Book Whisperer

“[Play] is our brain’s favorite way of learning … a process as instinctive as breathing.” — Diane Ackerman, Deep Play

“When children have some choice and control over their learning, they are more motivated, more persistent, and more successful.” — Alfie Kohn, The Schools Our Children Deserve

“Since learning is almost always a social pursuit, strong relationships with teachers and classmates can inspire students like little else.” — Tom Little, Loving Learning

“The desire to feel connected to others is a powerful and motivating force within us.” — Jane Nelsen & Chip DeLorenzo, Positive Discipline

Do You Believe That

“No single literacy activity has a more positive effect on students’ comprehension, vocabulary knowledge, spelling, writing ability, and overall academic achievement than free voluntary reading.” — Donalyn Miller, The Book Whisperer

“[Play] is our brain’s favorite way of learning … a process as instinctive as breathing.” — Diane Ackerman, Deep Play

“When children have some choice and control over their learning, they are more motivated, more persistent, and more successful.” — Alfie Kohn, The Schools Our Children Deserve

“Since learning is almost always a social pursuit, strong relationships with teachers and classmates can inspire students like little else.” — Tom Little, Loving Learning

“The desire to feel connected to others is a powerful and motivating force within us.” — Jane Nelsen & Chip DeLorenzo, Positive Discipline

If these ideas energize you—if you see children as curious, joyful learners who thrive when given room to read, play, question, build, and belong—then consider becoming one of our founding teachers.

About Strive Charter School

Strive Charter School is opening its doors in Fall 2026 in a newly renovated historic school building at 604 East 139th Street in the South Bronx, one block from the 6 train and just minutes from Manhattan.

Strive is built around a simple but radical belief: when children are given abundant time, meaningful choice, joyful relationships, and a rich environment for reading and play, they soar.

We are an extended-time elementary school with a progressive, child-centered approach to teaching and learning. We see academic excellence and whole-child development not as competing priorities but as mutually reinforcing. Standardized tests matter—but so do deep curiosity, intrinsic motivation, social skills, and a love of learning.

Our school culture is warm, friendly, relaxed, and rooted in positive discipline, genuine respect, and strong relationships. We believe school should feel like a second home: a place where children want to be, families feel welcomed, and educators can do the best work of their careers.

About The Teaching Position

• Your working day will be eight hours. You will have at least 2½ hours during the day for lunch, professional development, and individual and team planning, so you shouldn’t need to take work home.
• Instruction begins at 9 a.m. so you’ll be able to arrive at 8:30 a.m. and leave by 4:30 p.m.
• Our school is conveniently located in the South Bronx just two blocks from the Cypress Avenue # 6 subway station.
• Our dress code is relaxed. You can wear sneakers and dress comfortably (so long as you dress in a way that our students’ parents will also find appropriate).
• Our philosophy is pragmatically progressive. We will have some traditional instruction but during much of the day, children will be involved in self-directed activities such as reading books of their choice, doing science kits, engaging in project-based learning, and playing educational games. We want a joyful and rewarding school environment for both our teachers and students.
• If you have children who are elementary school age, they are welcome to attend our school and we hope they will! We are seeking to create a joyful and academically ambitious school to which we would want to send our own children.
• You will have help from teaching assistants who will supervise lunch and recess and will support you in the classroom so you can provide small group instruction.
• You will be treated with respect by students, parents, and by us. Teachers work too hard to be treated disrespectfully, so we don’t tolerate it.
• You will have ten weeks of paid time off annually including holidays, vacation, and sick/personal days that can be converted to vacation days if unused.

Requirements

No teaching experience is required for this position. If you have two or more years of experience teaching in an elementary or middle school, you should apply for our lead teacher position rather than this position. BA Degree required

Compensation/Benefits

Salary: $70,000 annually.

Generous fringe benefits including health insurance and 401(k) plan.

You Will Have Ten Weeks Of PTO Per Year

• 5 weeks off when our school is closed.
• 5 days when our school is closed for certain federal holidays.
• 3 weeks of vacation days that should be scheduled during the summer.
• 5 days of sick/safety leave that can be converted to vacation days if unused.