Posted: 28-Apr-26
Location: San Francisco, California
Type: Full Time
Salary: $100,000 to $130,000
ALTA VISTA SCHOOL
San Francisco, California
Independent JK–8 STEAM School | Mission & Portola Campuses
Director of Equity and Community
Full-Time | Reports to: Head of School | Start Date: July 2025
About Alta Vista School
Alta Vista School (AVS) is an independent JK-8 STEAM-focused school serving approximately 310 students across two campuses in San Francisco's Mission and Portola neighborhoods. Now in our 15th year, AVS is a community built on inquiry, belonging, and a deep commitment to preparing young people to engage thoughtfully and courageously with the world. Equity and community are not programs at AVS - they are woven into how we teach, how we gather, and how we grow.
Position Summary
The Director of Equity and Community serves as a key thought partner and collaborator to the Head of School, the Senior Leadership Team, and the Board of Trustees, helping shape Alta Vista School's vision for a community where every student, family, and faculty member is seen, valued, and supported.
This role offers an opportunity to deepen and elevate AVS's commitment to equity, inclusion, and belonging across the JK-8 experience.
The Director translates vision into action, guiding AVS through moments of cultural complexity with steadiness and integrity, and cultivating a learning environment where every member of the community can participate fully and authentically in the life of the school.
Key Responsibilities
Curriculum and Instructional Depth
- Lead the development and integration of an equity-centered curriculum framework across JK-8, working in close partnership with division heads and classroom teachers.
- Support teachers in moving beyond surface-level representation toward substantive, inquiry-driven exploration of identity, history, and justice.
- Ensure that community celebrations, cultural observances, and heritage months are grounded in meaningful learning - providing teachers with resources, planning support, and follow-through both before and after these events.
- Collaborate with the STEAM Curriculum Coordinator and instructional staff to integrate equity lenses into project-based and inquiry learning.
Professional Development
- Design and facilitate faculty professional development that builds genuine capacity for equity-centered teaching, not just awareness.
- Serve as a coach and thought partner for teachers navigating difficult conversations in the classroom around race, identity, belonging, current events, and more.
- Develop protocols and structured support for faculty engaging in identity-based professional communities and affinity spaces.
- Lead or co-facilitate PD sessions on topics such as culturally responsive pedagogy, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) through an equity lens, and navigating political and social tensions in school settings.
Community Engagement and Family Partnership
- Design and facilitate meaningful opportunities for families to engage with the school's equity initiatives - including parent/guardian forums, discussion groups, and community conversations.
- Serve as a connector between the school's internal equity work and the broader AVS parent and guardian community.
- Communicate regularly and transparently with the full school community about equity initiatives, priorities, and progress.
- Cultivate a community culture where difficult conversations are approached with curiosity, care, and shared commitment.
- Facilitate MOSAIC, AVS's middle school affinity space for students of color, creating a consistent and supported space for students to connect, process, and build community.
Governance and Committee Leadership
- Chair the Equity and Community Committees at both the Lower School and Middle School, setting agendas, facilitating meetings, and driving follow-through on action items.
- Serve as the School’s liaison to the Board's Equity and Community working group, providing regular updates and supporting the Board's strategic engagement with this work.
- Collaborate with division heads and the Head of School on policy and practice issues with equity implications.
Cultural Navigation and Conflict Facilitation
- Facilitate structured dialogue with students, faculty and families around cultural tensions that arise in school life and in the broader society - including conversations about race, politics, religion, and identity.
- Develop and maintain school-wide protocols for navigating sensitive topics, including guidance for faculty on professional expression, classroom discussions, and community communications.
- Serve as a trusted resource for administrators navigating personnel and community situations with equity dimensions.
Strategy and Vision
- Partner with the Head of School to develop, refine, and communicate AVS's equity and community strategy.
- Track and assess the impact of equity initiatives over time, using both qualitative and quantitative data to inform continuous improvement.
- Stay current with research, best practices, and the broader landscape of equity work in independent schools.
What We Offer
- A genuinely mission-driven community where equity work has strong institutional backing and full leadership support.
- A collaborative, intellectually curious faculty ready to go deeper.
- A meaningful leadership role with real influence over school culture and practice.
- Competitive independent school compensation and benefits.
- Two vibrant urban campuses in the heart of San Francisco.
To Apply
Please submit a cover letter, resume, and the names of three professional references to
rob.cousins@altavistaschool.org. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We encourage candidates who bring diverse lived experiences and perspectives to apply.
Alta Vista School is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace.
Qualifications and Experience
- Significant experience in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) work in an educational setting, ideally at the K–8 or K–12 level.
- Demonstrated skill in curriculum development and instructional coaching with an equity focus.
- Deep fluency in facilitating difficult conversations across lines of difference—with students, faculty, and families alike.
- Experience designing and leading professional development for adults.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills; ability to build trust across a diverse school community.
- A nuanced, non-dogmatic approach to equity work - someone who is both principled and pragmatic, and who understands how to meet a community where it is while moving it forward.
- Experience working in independent schools is preferred but not required; familiarity with the San Francisco educational and cultural landscape is a plus.A collaborative spirit and a genuine love of school community.
