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 Private School Teaching Panel October 23, 2002
Gems from Previous Private School Teaching Panels 1996 | 1997 Panelists Martha Bryans - Head of School, Friends School, Haverford, PA She explained the mission-driven nature of independent schools and their ability to affiliate with a particular religion or historical tradition. She advised students looking for positions in private schools to find out how an individual school’s stated mission comes through in its actual program. She said that even though the missions put forth by many schools may sound alike, the “feel” of individual schools is palpably different and before deciding which school would offer the best fit, an incoming teacher must understand the “feel.” According to Dr. Bryans, accountability is different in independent schools. Because private schools are exempt from state standards, they are rarely test-driven and instead can be driven by individual approaches to education. Teachers are held accountable by the satisfaction of parents, and word of mouth affects enrollment. There are many independent schools to choose from in the Philadelphia area, and parents walk with their feet. Finally, Dr. Bryans discussed the emphasis on collegiality and collaboration between independent school teachers. They spend a great deal of time meeting to discuss individual students, they look at the whole child, and they really know the students they teach. Teachers share ideas and are extended a great deal of autonomy to use their discretion and creativity to design curricula and schedules. Independent schools put faith in teachers, students, and the learning process.
Jennifer Gordon - Associate Director of College Counseling, The Peddie School, Hightstown, NJ Ms. Gordon graduated from Penn in 1995 and submatriculated into Penn’s Graduate School of Education where she earned a masters in elementary education the following year. Although she enjoyed her student teaching experience, she did not see herself as a classroom teacher, and instead took a job as a travel agent (to the chagrin of her parents). She had worked in the admissions office as a Penn undergrad, and was approached to work for the Alumni Council on Admissions at Penn. From this position, she moved into College Counseling at Peddie, a boarding high school, with a substantial day-student population. Ms. Gordon explained that working at a boarding school allows one to have a hand in a number of different things. She serves as a dorm faculty member, a coach, an advisor to eight students on top of her counseling responsibilities. She also teaches a class on Human Sexuality. Living in a student dorm, she receives tax-free housing and meals from the school. Additional perks of the job include summers off and time and funding to pursue graduate work and research. She emphasizes that working in a boarding school requires dedication to students. Valerie Laudenbach - Middle School Science Teacher, The Springside School, Chestnut Hill, PA Embarking upon her fourth year at Springside, Mrs. Laudenbach was certain throughout college that she wanted to be a doctor. She thought she would teach for a year or two before medical school because it sounded like fun. As she spent more time in the classroom and found herself thriving, her plans for medical school were replaced by plans to continue teaching. She found her positions by using teacher recruiting firms like Carney Sandoe & Associates and Educational Resources Group, and encourages applicants to take advantage of these free resources. Her advice when working with such organizations is to be as flexible as possible on applications. Although she hoped to teach middle school science, she conveyed on her applications an ability to teach science or Spanish at any grade level. She currently has the job she set out to find, but had to accept two years of teaching half science and half Spanish. She is pleased to have been so flexible because she questions whether she would have gotten the position at Springside if middle school science were all she had pursued. She also advises applicants to demonstrate other strengths that show an ability to get involved in non-academic areas of the school. Independent schools are looking for teachers who can coach or lead extracurricular activities. Mrs. Laudenbach appreciates her summers off, as well as the funding that Springside provides to assist in pursuing graduate work. She also enjoys the sharing of ideas among teachers and the freedom she experiences in developing curriculum to meet her own teaching style and goals. She senses a desire to help new teachers develop their teaching skills. William Johnston - High School English Teacher, Athletics Coordinator, Curriculum Development Evaluation, Nueva Esperanza Charter School, Philadelphia, PA The year after graduating from college, Mr. Johnston earned teaching certification and a masters in education at Penn’s Graduate School of Education. He taught part time at Nueva Esperanza to satisfy his student teaching requirement and was hired for a full time position after graduation. The Charter school has been in existence for three years, precisely as long as Mr. Johnston has been teaching there. Mr. Johnston began by explaining the difference between a Charter school and an independent school. A Charter is like a public school in that it charges no tuition and it may not be selective about students. It is independently run, however, and as a result, is not bound by the same state mandates under which public schools operate. Because it does receive state funding, 75 percent of teachers at Neuva must be certified. Teachers will be hired without certification, but after the first year of teaching will be expected to work toward certification. Funding subsidies are provided by the school. Charters are created for a specific reason, and Nueva Esperanza focuses on literacy and parent involvement. Although Charters are no selective, parents must sign contracts that pledge involvement with the school and agree to abide by a number of stringent rules specific to Nueva. A student who misses seven days in a term automatically fails all his or her classes that term; a student who is late 20 days during the year is expelled. Nueva’s attendance rate is approximately 90 percent, whereas most schools in the same area experience attendance rates close to 60 percent. Mr. Johnston discussed the liberty he is extended in his classroom. He feels empowered to implement his own ideas and finds himself with more responsibility at the school than he expected to have after many years of teaching. Although certified as an English teacher, he is teaching a government class this year and finds that situation to be representative of the flexibility at Nueva. As Athletic Coordinator, he helped to create an athletic conference among 11 charter schools in Philadelphia and he has visited all of the schools in the conference to observe their approaches to athletics. He also initiated a project with professors at Temple University. His students are working with the professors on research projects about their neighborhoods. Another research project Mr. Johnston’s students are undertaking this year is a study examining why parents are or are not involved in their children’s education.
Bob Thomas - Associate Director of Admissions, Coach, Coordinator of Sports Information, Diversity Task Force Member, The Haverford School for Boys, Haverford, PA
He advises those who aspire to private school positions to "be prepared to wear all types of hats." He finds that he always has opportunities to create, expand, and take risks in his work. He explained that independent schools all have different personalities, philosophies, and approaches to education and that applicants should investigate these to see where they fit in.
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