P.E. Teacher / Athletics Director

Presidio Hill  School
San Francisco, CA

Job Title: P.E. Teacher / Athletics Director & Middle School Advisor
Status: Full-Time, Exempt
Reports To: Middle School Director
Contract Start Date: July 1, 2022 (faculty officially returns to school in August)

School Description

Presidio Hill School is an independent, progressive school located in the Presidio Heights neighborhood of San Francisco and serves a diverse population of approximately 220 students enrolled in transitional kindergarten to 8th grade, with a faculty and staff of approximately 45 people. The lower school, grades TK-5, has approximately 125 students and 20 faculty members. Established in 1918 by artist-educator-activists Helen Salz and Flora Arnstein, Presidio Hill School is the oldest continuously operating progressive school in California, with a mission and deep history connected to social justice. Our P.E. Teacher/ Athletics Director will have demonstrated passion and experience teaching and working with students and a school community that explicitly strives to be inclusive.

Presidio Hill offers its students a challenging, project-based curriculum that attends to their intellectual and social-emotional needs and prepares them to be agents of positive social change. Guided by a skilled and caring faculty, students learn to be confident and curious, to be creative problem solvers and independent, critical thinkers. Learning at PHS is collaborative and active. We place great value on the arts as both an academic discipline and an essential element of a meaningful life. Situated on the edge of the Presidio, our school takes full and frequent advantage of the park’s 1500 acres; whether they are studying science, art, social studies, or literature, the Presidio is a rich and vital “classroom” to our students.

Our vibrant, diverse, and supportive community allows students to explore their unique voices, traits, and talents; our emphasis on the importance of community and justice encourages students to develop self-awareness, personal character, resilience, and an understanding of their role as stewards of the planet and citizens of the world.

Presidio Hill School seeks a faculty and staff that reflects the broad range of diversity in the San Francisco Bay Area. Our school is strongly committed to promoting cultural competency in all interactions and programs. Invested in the growth, happiness, and preparation of our teachers, we provide generous support for their professional development.

Position Description

Presidio Hill School seeks a P.E. Teacher/ Athletics Director for our Middle School to begin August 2022. Qualified candidates will demonstrate a deep understanding of and interest in the developmental nuances of middle school-aged children, progressive education, and anti-bias teaching practices. Candidates will ideally have prior experience teaching Physical Education in the upper elementary grades and/or middle school grades, as well as some experience in higher education courses focused on child development, pedagogy, and instruction.

The P.E. Teacher/ Athletics Director will be expected to build a safe and engaging 6/7/8 Physical Education program and to scaffold and differentiate lessons and experiences for students as needed, creating a program that meets the needs of a wide variety of learners. Given that PHS utilizes aspects of Responsive Classroom and Developmental Designs in order to support positive student behavior, candidates with experience in these areas are preferred.

The P.E. Teacher/ Athletics Director oversees PHS’s interscholastic sports program, organizing practices & games, providing support for students, families, and coaches, and serving as a representative of our school in league Athletics Directors meetings. We currently have four league sports–Cross Country, Basketball, Volleyball, Futsal–that PHS competes in seasonally.

The P.E. Teacher/ Athletics Director also serves as a middle school advisor for a small group of students. Advisor responsibilities include facilitating a twenty-minute morning meeting with a small group of advisees, providing oneself as a student advocate, communicating with colleagues and parents about student progress, and other related student support.

In addition to creating and maintaining a vibrant 6/7/8 Physical Education program, providing excellent instruction, and maintaining effective communication with colleagues, parents, and students, the P.E. Teacher/ Athletics Director is expected to contribute to the greater PHS community through work on various committees and school events. PHS teachers and all faculty work closely with each other and collaborate and engage in a positive manner; excellent interpersonal skills are a necessity.

P.E. Teacher Primary Responsibilities:

• Establish a safe and inclusive classroom environment where students feel comfortable taking risks through self-discovery, collaboration, and community engagement
• Demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Design and deliver curriculum and instruction as appropriate to grade level(s)
• Collaborate with lower school P.E. teacher to ensure curricular alignment across divisions
• Seek professional development resources, training, and experiences in order to enhance professional knowledge and skills
• Supervise assigned recess and lunch duties
• Facilitate or co-facilitate once/week elective class
• Provide student support as a middle school advisor, including facilitating daily morning meetings, communication with middle school colleagues, and chaperoning field trips

Athletics Director Primary Responsibilities:

• Represent PHS at league Athletics Directors (AD) meetings (4/year)
• Hire coaches for individual sports
• Manage coaching budget and purchasing of respective sports equipment
• Create practice and game schedules for Fall, Winter, and Spring
• Attend “home games” at respective venues
• Make sure “home venue” (Ella Hill Hutch Community Center) is prepared for game days
• Manage (purchase, distribute, and collect) uniforms for each season’s team
• Meet with Ella Hill and Presidio YMCA representatives to arrange available game and practice time
• Work in partnership with team parents/guardians to help facilitate carpools and player attendance to each game
• Participate in rotating commissioner duties as assigned by the league
• Assist with event management at 2 seasons finals including cross-country

Secondary Responsibilities:

• Facilitate, co-facilitate, or support middle school affinity groups program
• Attend limited number of evening or weekend school events

Skills, Qualifications, and Experiences

• Experience working in a multicultural environment
• Knowledge of Progressive Education
• Demonstrated commitment to the mission and core values of Presidio Hill School
• 3-5 years teaching experience preferred
• Instructional experience with varied pedagogical approaches
• Good humor, energy, a passion for teaching, and a love of learning
• Experience supervising students on short overnight trips
• Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills
• A Bachelor’s degree. Teaching credential preferred.

Additional Qualifications:

• Ability to support outdoor education, including extended class trips to and from the Presidio
• Ability to adhere to guidelines and recommendations from the CDC, CDPH, and SFDPH
• Ability to adhere to PHS Community Health Agreement
• Up-to-date COVID vaccination

Interested candidates should send a cover letter, résumé, contact information for two to three references, and/or letters of reference via email (with P.E. Teacher/ Athletics Director in the subject line) to James Wygant (Middle School Director): james@presidiohill.org

To learn more about PHS, please visit our website.