Junior Kindergarten Teacher (Leave Replacement 26-27)

Grace Church School; United States; On-site; USD 68,000 - 155,000; Full time

Job summary

Grace Church School in New York City seeks a nurturing and collaborative Junior Kindergarten Head Teacher leave replacement for the 2026-2027 year. Reporting to the Director of Early Childhood, you will join a team that values joyful instruction, inclusive practices, and strong family partnerships.

The role emphasizes classroom leadership, curriculum planning, and mentoring a JK Associate Teacher, with a focus on anti-bias education and culturally responsive teaching in a diverse setting.

Qualifications

• Strong classroom management and collaborative mindset.
• Commitment to professional growth and family partnership.
• Ability to work with diverse communities and antiracist pedagogy.

Responsibilities

• Cultivate a warm and inviting classroom community.
• Guide, train, and support a Junior Kindergarten Associate Teacher.
• Develop, plan, and teach all homeroom curriculum across disciplines.
• Collaborate with grade-level team members to enhance curriculum and address equity.

Skills

Classroom management

Family partnership

Cultural competency

Flexibility

Professional growth

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree

Job description

About Grace

Grace Church School is a JK–12, independent school located on two nearby campuses in downtown New York City. An Episcopal school, welcoming children of all faiths and of none, Grace believes in the inherent, precious dignity of every individual and seeks to provide an outstanding education worthy of our common humanity. Successful candidates will demonstrate a commitment to the Episcopal values of dignity and belonging.

About the mission

Grace is a school of big ideas, and our structured curriculum promotes academic excellence through a pedagogy of joy: an approach that reflects our belief that joy is the fuel of academic achievement, and that students learn best when motivated by delight, wonder, curiosity, and purpose. We work hard to nurture a culture of dignity and belonging, and we seek to foster in each student skills of intellectual excellence and habits of ethical virtue. Grounded in tradition, the school remains ever open to innovation, looking to the best research on the science of learning and the craft of teaching to advance the timeless values and aspirations of our mission.

About the position

Grace Church School seeks a nurturing and collaborative individual to join our Junior Kindergarten (4/5s) teaching team on December 7th as a Head Teacher leave replacement for the remainder of the 2026-2027 school year. Reporting to the Director of Early Childhood, Early Childhood Head Teachers collaborate with grade level colleagues, specialists, and administrators to deliver instruction that is responsive to the needs of individual students and grounded in best practices. The Junior Kindergarten is a shared classroom space where all of the teachers work closely together. An element of this position will be to uphold and build off of the routines and practices that have already been established by the current Head Teacher. Working closely together with the current Head Teacher for 2 weeks in December to learn about the environment and remaining scope of the school year will be an important and helpful beginning to the role. Qualified candidates must display strong classroom management skills, a proven commitment to professional growth, and an eagerness to partner with families in a mutually supportive relationship. In addition, ideal candidates must demonstrate an ability to bring joy and energy to their daily interactions with children as well as the cultural competency needed to work and communicate effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Candidates should also possess a positive attitude and outlook along with flexibility.

Responsibilities & Qualifications

• Cultivate a warm and inviting classroom community that promotes a positive and productive learning environment
• Guide, train, mentor, and support a Junior Kindergarten Associate Teacher
• Develop, plan, and teach all disciplines related to homeroom curriculum
• Experience with strategy-based literacy and math instruction preferred, including, but not limited to:
  • Bridges in Mathematics, Amplify CKLA, Sounds in Motion
  • Implement responsive, equitable, and positive classroom management strategies
• Collaborate with grade-level team members to enhance the curriculum with commitment to addressing social justice, diversity, equity, and anti-bias education, and demonstrate competence in antiracist pedagogy
• Utilize technology where appropriate when teaching and planning lessons
• Work with grade-level team members and the Director of Early Childhood
• Identify and respond to individual student’s academic and social-emotional needs in collaboration with the Director of Early Childhood, the Learning Specialist, the Literacy Specialist and the JK-4 School Counselor
• Communicate effectively with families on a regular basis through meetings, phone calls, emails, and scheduled conferences
• Write report cards that communicate the development of the whole child (language, math, social studies, writing, and social-emotional development)

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred
• 3-5 years experience teaching early childhood/elementary school children (preferred)
• Effectively implements antiracist pedagogy into curriculum
• Experience teaching Bridges Math and CKLA Literacy is preferred

Compensation

This is a full-time faculty position with an expected base salary of $68,000-$155,040 commensurate with education and experience on the faculty salary scale.

Grace Church School is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe that equity and inclusion are not only hallmarks of a just society, but also virtues essential to sound learning. Our commitment to antiracism, equity, and belonging calls on all faculty members to promote a culture of dignity and belonging for everyone at Grace by recognizing and honoring the unique gifts of its students, families, faculty, and staff. We encourage applications from candidates with broad and diverse backgrounds and from individuals of all races, nationalities, identities, and religious and non-religious traditions, and beliefs.