Dear Potential Member of Our Team & Family,
We are honored that you are interested in a position at our school—a school that we hope becomes a
model for educational reform across the country. We believe that all of us should pursue professional
passions that fill our lives with meaning and joy. We look forward to working with you to uncover
whether this position is right for you.
About Us:
In Austin, there are more than 20 private Montessori schools providing opportunities for children to
reach their extraordinary potential within an environment that promotes innovation, creativity, critical
thinking, academic rigor, and peace. All of these options are west of I-35, and they are too expensive for
the majority of families living in Austin.
Montessori For All seeks to change that. We endeavor to open and lead free, high-performing, authentic
Montessori schools that partner with families to help children in diverse communities reach their
extraordinary potential intellectually, emotionally, socially, creatively, culturally, and physically, so that
they can pursue lives full of meaning and joy.
Our Pillars:
● Focus on Leadership: We strive to cultivate the leaders of tomorrow. We teach by example and
constantly model living with integrity and courage, eagerly learning, appreciating and showing
gratitude, demonstrating persistence, excelling, and respecting and helping others and the
environment.
● Education for the Whole Child: We help children grow academically, intellectually, socially,
emotionally, culturally, creatively, and physically by providing an authentic Montessori education that
includes multi-age classrooms, engaging hands-on materials, an emphasis on intrinsic motivation,
student-led projects, dual-language development, rigor, and learning beyond the classroom that
prepares children for high school, college, the 21st century and lives as leaders in their families and
communities.
● Teachers as Leaders and Innovators: Our teachers are empowered to shape curriculum and school
culture and contribute to ongoing developments in the field of education through research and the
dissemination of knowledge.
● Families as Partners: We partner with families to provide the most nurturing environment to help
children grow into their fullest potential, so that they can pursue lives full of meaning and joy.
● Continuous Improvement: We strive for continuous growth through a process of
Assessing→Analyzing→Acting. We hold ourselves and others to high expectations, engage in
self-reflection, and take personal responsibility for ensuring success for each and every child.
● Diversity and Teamwork: We believe that children learn best in racially, culturally, and
socio-economically diverse environments, so that they are prepared to act as global citizens and
leaders. As such, we commit to working together to create a welcoming and inclusive environment
for all members of our diverse community.
Our Ideal Candidate:
As a start-up charter organization that is serving a diverse group of children and families in an urban
setting, we are looking for people who will thrive in our fast-paced, innovative, and often challenging
environment. In order to succeed here, candidates must be:
● Able to persevere in the face of everyday challenges, both big and small
● Motivated to work in a social justice-oriented organization, which includes reflecting on our
own racial biases and developing a culturally responsive curriculum for our classrooms
● Mission-driven and prepared to work urgently toward closing the opportunity gap and ending
educational inequity through achievement of student outcomes
● Invested in the Montessori approach to education as truly transformational, both for the child
and the world
● Comfortable interacting with diverse families and have experience with creating a welcoming
and inclusive environment for all
Requirements & Qualifications:
● Bachelor’s Degree (highly preferred)
● AMS- or AMI-credentialed or willing to work toward certification the summer prior to the start
of the school year (paid for by the school)
● Bilingual (native speaker)
● Additional courses or training in education would be advantageous.
● Passionate about alternative education.
● An ability to teach groups of children of varying ages, needs, and abilities.
● Patience and excellent observational, communication, and diagnostic skills.
● The ability to multitask, keep calm under pressure, and treat everyone with love and respect.
● Excellent planning and organizational skills.
● A lifelong learner who can be a good role model for children.
Benefits from Working with Our Team & Community:
● Broadening your impact by being a member of Austin’s first public Montessori school.
● Participation in a growth and leadership program that uses goal-setting, reflection, and
mentoring to cultivate the knowledge, skills, and mindsets necessary for success.
● Opportunities to assume new leadership roles as we create our school, open additional
campuses, and build a national Charter Management Organization.
● A family-friendly work environment with onsite childcare (for a fee) if space is available and
automatic enrollment for children of staff into the pre-K3 through 6th grade program.
● Ample time for professional development that is built into the week and year.
● Generous vacation time.
● Comprehensive benefits package.
● A collaborative, supportive, and joyful team and community.
Lead Guide Responsibilities:
● The work day is from 7:00am-4:00pm Monday through Friday.
Daily/Weekly/Monthly/Yearly Responsibilities Include:
● Take leadership of a classroom with 8-10 children and two assistant teachers.
● Implement a daily curriculum that honors the Montessori philosophy and the individuality of
each child in the classroom.
● Ensuring classroom supplies and equipment are available and in working condition.
● Prepare appropriate lessons for each child based on observation.
● Monitor student progress (academic, motor, social-emotional).
● Work in alignment with the Lead Teacher team and Administration developing and
implementing the school’s strategic vision.
● Collaborate extensively with other lead teachers.
● Maintain a beautifully prepared, organized, clean, safe and stimulating environment for the
children.
● Manage classroom staff, modeling appropriate and professional behavior at all times.
● Prepare and submit internal and external reports and documents in accordance with federal,
state, and local regulations and school standard operating procedures including but not limited
to: daily recordkeeping for each child’s academic progress, injury/accident reports, and
medication logs.
● Develop a weekly email for parents detailing the week’s activities through photographs and
descriptions.
● Attend and participate in weekly meetings with the Director and monthly meetings with all
staff.
● Build respectful, collaborative relationships with parents and colleagues.
● Respectfully delegate duties to assistant staff and monitor their work.
● Rotate materials regularly based on observation of needs and interests of community
● Work with leadership to develop an individual professional development plan.
● Participate positively as a member of the school, handle conflict well with colleagues, and avoid
gossip.
● Attend all staff meetings and professional development days
● Participating in school activities and outside of work activities ex; playdates
Our Schedule & Calendar:
● We follow a modified schedule of nine weeks in session, followed by a two-week vacation (Fall
Break, Winter Break, and Spring Break). The last two days of Fall Break and Spring Break will
be back on campus.
Application Process:
● Step One: Submit an application that includes the following components:
o Resume
o Cover letter addressing the following:
▪ Which qualifications do you meet? Which ones do you not meet?
▪ Why do you want to work at Magnolia Montessori For All?
▪ Why are you (or why do you want to become) a Montessorian?
▪ What do you think are the differences between working at a public Montessori school
versus a private one?
▪ Select which of our core values you think is most important and give a specific example of
how you embodied it:
● Living with integrity and courage
● Eagerly learning
● Appreciating and showing gratitude
● Demonstrating persistence
● Excelling
● Respecting and helping others and the environment
▪ How did you hear about the position?
▪ What is your current salary?
▪ Any additional information you would like to add
● Notes: Please submit the resume and cover letter as a single attachment. E-mail it to
bpena@montessoriforall.org with the subject line: YOUR-LASTNAME – Lead Teacher
Application.
● Step Two: Selected candidates will be invited to the semifinal round, which includes completing
a performance task related to the roles and responsibilities of the position. Final details of what
to expect during this round will be sent to selected participants.
● Step Three: Upon completion of the semifinal round, selected candidates will be invited to the
final round. The final round will consist of an onsite interview with the leadership team, guides,
and families.
● Final Verification: Reference check
Statement of Non-Discrimination:
Montessori For All is committed to a policy of equal treatment and opportunity in every aspect of its
relations with its applicants, staff members, and families, without regard to race, color, ethnicity,
religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status,
pregnancy, or parenthood. People of diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.