Job Description:

The Blake School seeks to hire a talented and caring Upper Elementary teacher to lead a fourth grade classroom beginning in the 2025-26 school year. As a subset of the Lower School at Blake, our Upper Elementary program serves students in grades two through five and is a highly collaborative environment with a skilled and dedicated team of faculty and staff. 

We seek the following: 

An Innovator 

   A strong candidate will… 

use creative solution-based thinking and seek new opportunities for student engagement. They will actively seek professional development opportunities and will be reflective, open to feedback and eager for professional collaboration. 

A Collaborator

   A strong candidate will… 

seek to build vertical and horizontal curriculum alignment within the scope of a Pre-K through 12 community. They will possess excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate with students, colleagues and families. 

An Expert 

  A strong candidate will… 

have familiarity with the following instructional approaches/philosophies: Responsive Classroom, the science of reading, Singapore math, project-based learning, interdisciplinary instruction. They will have a robust understanding of the developmental needs of elementary-aged children. 

A Culture-Builder

   A strong candidate will… 

be committed to meeting both academic and social-emotional needs of students. They will possess an understanding of and commitment to modeling and teaching intercultural competence, and they will be committed to equitable practices. 

A Professional 

  A strong candidate will… 

possess intellectual curiosity and continue to develop knowledge of content, curriculum and best practices in teaching and learning.

Experience and Skills:

Duties and Responsibilities

Include, but are not limited to: 

• Embracing Blake’s mission and values, and Commitment to Pluralism 
• Collaborating with the grade-level team and division colleagues to plan and implement an appropriately challenging curriculum in reading/language arts, math, science and social studies 
• Promoting academic, social-emotional and physical development of children in individual, small group and whole class settings
• Assessing students using current strategies and tools to inform instruction and give feedback 
• Completing progress reports and participating in twice-yearly parent-teacher conferences 
• Supervising children during lunch and afternoon carpool
• Integrating meaningful and appropriate use of technology within the curriculum and as a communication tool
• Attending Back-to-School Night, admissions open house, faculty workshop days, grade-level and division meetings, relevant all-school events and all mandatory professional development 

Application Requirements 

• Bachelor’s degree (master’s degree and teaching credential preferred)
• Experience working with upper elementary-age students

The search committee will begin to review resumes on January 24, 2025. Blake will cover the travel and lodging costs for finalist candidates visiting from out of town. 

Blake is particularly interested in candidates who will enrich the diversity of identity, lived experience and thinking that makes our community strong and empowers students to engage productively with those who are different from them. Blake offers highly competitive salary and benefits packages, as well as significant support for local and national professional development opportunities.

The Blake School is a pre-kindergarten through grade 12, co-educational, nonsectarian, independent day school enrolling 1,316 bright, talented students from nearly 56 Twin Cities-area communities. Founded in 1900, The Blake School has the advantage of facilities and campuses designed for specific developmental ages. Blake's mission is to engage students with a dynamic, academically challenging education in a diverse and supportive community committed to pluralism and a common set of values. Students pursue an integrated program of academic, artistic and athletic activities, preparing for college, lifelong learning and purposeful lives as community and global citizens. The school community is also guided by its Commitment to Pluralism and values.

The Blake School believes that a diverse society enriches all individuals and communities. Diversity of race, ethnicity, national origin, geography, religion, gender, affectional or sexual orientation, age, physical ability, and marital, parental or economic status forms the fabric of our society. As a result of these beliefs, The Blake School actively seeks students, families and employees who value and contribute to the fullness of a diverse community within the context of its mission. In doing so, we recognize our responsibility to help make each person's experience a success. EOE