Category: News

Job Announcement
March 2026

Position: Elementary Classroom Teacher, 2nd – 4th grade beginning August 2026

Application Window: Apply by April 10, 2026 or until position is filled

Qualifications: Salmonberry Community School is seeking a caring, fun, mature teacher with experience
teaching elementary grades. The ideal applicant would hold a MA or higher and have at least 3 years of
experience as a lead teacher with children under age 12 in a school or similar environment. Particular
expertise in teaching literacy is valued. The candidate should have solid knowledge and/or experience in
progressive or holistic education. Excellent communication skills are essential, as are strong
organizational skills and an ability to coalesce a classroom community of students and parents. The ideal
candidate should also model a willingness to learn and an excitement to grow as a member of the highly
collaborative faculty team.

Duties: This is a full time permanent lead teaching position, beginning August 24, 2026. Duties include
all aspects of curriculum development and implementation, assessment, communication, classroom
design, and classroom management for 10-15 students ages 7-10. The teacher must engage all learners in
a wide span of skill levels and learning styles and incorporate a holistic approach to learning. They must
embody an ethic of care in all aspects of the work. A full or part-time teaching assistant will be provided,
depending on enrollment and classroom needs.

Approach to Teaching: The candidate should be excited to develop a program that emphasizes:

• excellent and balanced academics and an ability to integrate purchased curriculum and self-designed
  activities
• differentiated instruction, tailoring experiences to a range of interests and learning styles
• student choice, cultivating autonomy and self-direction in students
• cooperative and collaborative learning
• experiential and hands-on learning including field trips
• integrated arts
• focus on SEL as an integral component to the program
• mindfulness and centering curriculum
• cultivating a beautiful and rich learning environment
• effective strategies in outdoor ed, nature-based, project-based and community-based education
• developmentally appropriate practices including teaching justice and equity curriculum
• inspiring curiosity, engagement, wonder and awe
• emergent and thematic integrated curriculum

Dates: Position begins on or about August 24, 2026, and will follow Salmonberry’s academic calendar.
The position may be renewed on a yearly basis. The expected commitment is a minimum of three years.
Hours: This is a salaried position. Student contact hours are 8:45-3:05 M-F. Expected work week is 40
hrs. This includes required staff meetings once/week as well as special events, festivals and field trips.
Compensation: This is a full-time position for a traditional academic calendar year. Salary is $45,000 –
$65,000, depending on experience, and includes 10 paid leave days. Additional summer work is also
available outside of this contracted position. Teachers receive full medical benefits including 100%
premium payments on a silver level health plan. Optional employer matched contributions to retirement
account..

How to Apply: Please familiarize yourself with the information on the Salmonberry School website.
Send resume and letter of interest to Paul Freedman at info@salmonberryschool.org. We will reply
within 72 hours.

About Salmonberry Community School and Orcas Island: Established in 2001, Salmonberry School is
a small independent school on Orcas Island in north Puget Sound. The school follows a holistic pedagogy
in its three multi-age classrooms. It includes a progressive approach to teaching and learning including
project-based, nature-based and experiential curriculum. Salmonberry strongly believes in the efficacy of
relationship-based teaching and learning, embodied in very low student:teacher ratios, and three year
placements for students within a teaching team. Orcas Island has a population of 6,000 year-round
residents and is located 2 hours north of Seattle and a 1 hour ferry ride from Anacortes, WA. It is a
beautiful natural environment with a strong sense of community.

Statement of non-discrimination: Salmonberry School is an equal opportunity employer and does not
discriminate in its hiring practices on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age,
religion or religious creed, disability or handicap, sex or gender, gender identity and/or expression,
sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable
federal, state or local law.

Now hiring a visionary, community-minded Director to lead our
democratic K–12 school in Canton, NY

Little River Community School, founded in 1999, has 37 students and is located at Birdsfoot
Farm in Canton, New York. We are seeking a full-time Director who brings both teaching
experience and a deep commitment to democratic education.
About the Role
The Director maintains and communicates the school’s philosophy, provides leadership to
the school community, creates and oversees the budget, fund raises and conducts outreach,
supports students and staff, and serves as a key point of contact for families. The Director
works in a consensus-based environment, facilitating collaboration among students, staff,
and families.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide vision and leadership consistent with Little River’s mission
• Support and guide teachers through collaboration and consensus
• Oversee operations, budgeting, fundraising, and outreach
• Maintain open communication with students, parents, and board members
• Represent the school in the broader community

Candidate Profile

We seek a leader with teaching experience, a passion for working with children, strong
communication and problem-solving skills, and a deep understanding of democratic
education. The ideal candidate will be flexible, patient, reliable, and eager to stay for a
minimum of five years.

Qualifications (The ideal candidate will have all or most of these skills and
experiences)

• Compatible philosophy with Little River’s democratic model
• Strong leadership and problem-solving skills
• Team manager experience
• Five or more years of teaching experience
• Excellent communication skills
• Fundraising experience
• Administrative experience and organizational skills
• Master’s degree preferred

Salary & Benefits

• Salary: $40,000 per year
• Benefits: free tuition for one child, health fund, paid holidays, and a supportive
environment with academic freedom
• Work schedule: 7:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. on-site, with additional meetings and events as
needed; reduced workload in June and July; start date August 3

Application Process

More information and an application can be found at https://littleriverschool.org/ . Email
your application, resume, and references to steve@littleriverschool.org. We are taking
applications until February 20, 2026, or until the position is filled.

By Jerry Mintz

The answer to this question has been perplexing me recently.

In the past when the country has had crises and disasters such as World War 1, the great depression, World War 2, the polio epidemic, it has caused people in to come together and unite to solve the problem. But the COVID era and its aftermath has seemed to cause the just the opposite. It has brought out selfishness, discourteousness, meanness, anti-semitism and racial prejudice.

When I am driving it is most obvious to me. It Is as if nobody had ever taken driver’s education: About a quarter of the drivers act as if they are the only important people on the road: They act as if they are pretending to be racecar drivers, although this is far from pretend. I’ve seen people swerving to the passenger lane on the right to pass motorcycles and school busses on curves. I’ve even seen people go into the berm on the right to pass cars, only to be stopped at the next light. At night they keep their lights on bright, although we were told in school never to do that, as if to warn people that they are coming through at any cost. Of course, the accidents and deaths are piling up, both for cars and pedestrians. When I offer to courteously let someone into my lane, it is almost taken in disbelief.

And that’s just driving. A friend who works at a well-known coffee chain says he has to constantly stop students from walking on top of the tables. He doesn’t want to give them water because they immediately use it in water fights, but the chain insists he give it out because they are afraid to be accused of discrimination!

And of course, schools have become even more of a disaster than they were. The modern education system started about 150 years ago with antediluvian roots. There is little evidence it was organized to encourage creativity or responsibility. There is much more evidence that it was created for control and propaganda and to prepare people for factory work and to follow orders. Students and educational pioneers such as Dewey, Montessori, Steiner and A.S. Neill have rebelled against this, but to little avail. Schools are still mostly oppressive to students.

Pre-pandemic most students were able to cope with this. But now it somehow is boring right into them (pun intended). Perhaps family life has disintegrated so much during the pandemic that it no longer offers a shield for children. This may be why there has been such a rise in drug abuse, childhood depression and suicide.

Therefore, this seems to be an opportune time for us who are in the Educational Alternatives community to make sure people know of our existence. It is our obligation to let people know that there is a better way to educate: Children must become empowered learners; creativity and responsibility need to be encouraged. Just doing so for a privileged few is no longer an option.

This is probably an important topic for us to discuss at the upcoming AERO Conference. But prior to that I encourage our readers to send us responses to this essay.