Founded in 1967, The Overlake School is an independent, nonsectarian, coeducational, college prep day school. Each Overlake community member is committed to the school's mission to champion students and their vast potential through engaging educational experiences in a diverse and inclusive community. Students are valued as multifaceted individuals and graduate with a passion for learning, ready for any path that contributes to a better world. 

Overlake is committed to diversity and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national or ethnic origin, socio-economic status, gender, sexual orientation, or disability in the administration of its educational policies, financial aid, employment, and other school-administered programs. 

Teaching Responsibilities and Duties: Teach four sections of Upper School English, lead an advisory (homeroom) of about 10 students, and engage in the community through supporting student clubs or co-curricular opportunities. Teachers are also required to attend grade-level team, department, division, and all-school faculty meetings. 

Description: The Overlake School seeks a teacher for an Upper School English full-time teaching position. The ideal candidate is an outstanding educator who will work to ensure student success. The teacher should contribute enthusiastically to our school community and will work closely with their grade teams as well as with the English department. The ideal candidate will be comfortable fostering supportive student-teacher-family relationships and creating courses and units through the UBD and UDL frameworks. 

The current English curriculum focuses on building students' critical thinking, close reading, discussion, and writing skills. Building students' understanding of their own identities as well as empathy for others is at the forefront of all activities and projects. 

Students will read a diverse range of voices, perspectives, and genres and hone their writing skills across various analytical and creative forms. As these are discussion-centered courses, applicants should be comfortable scaffolding and facilitating conversation in a variety of developmentally appropriate and engaging modes. 

For more information on our department’s scope and sequence, please see our curriculum guide . 

The Overlake School's strategic vision is to develop its capacity to have equity and inclusion at the institution's heart in its teaching and learning. We seek educators who demonstrate cultural competence and teach for equity and justice as central to their instruction. 

Specifically, we are looking for teachers who have experience:

• Teaching Advanced Placement courses, specifically AP English Language and AP English Literature 
• Building and designing curriculum 
• Teaching, coaching, and mentoring high school students 
• Demonstrating a history of an open and collaborative approach to teaching and learning. 
• Possessing a level of cultural competency necessary for working with a diverse population in an inclusive and equitable community. 
• Communicating well, both in writing and verbally, with colleagues, students, and families. 
• Modeling a culture of flexible, continuous learning for students. 

Metrics of Success:  

• Provide constructive, timely feedback to students 
• Complete all grading, comments, and communications in a timely manner 
• Co-create curriculum and assessments using the Understanding by Design framework 
• Develop a strong rapport with students 
• Center students and their growth and learning 

Successful candidates are teachers who inspire students to think critically and communicate thoughtfully. Further, strong candidates will demonstrate some or all of the following: 

• A love of working with children 
• A minimum of 4 years of English teaching experience  
• A desire and ability to put cultural competency at the heart of their pedagogy and skill at working with a diverse population in an inclusive and equitable community 
• Relevant education and classroom experience 
• A student-centered approach to teaching 
• Belief in the critical importance of diversity in the life of the school and excitement about working to build and maintain a classroom that honors diversity of opinion and practices 
• Familiarity with differentiated instruction and the ability to simultaneously engage students at a variety of levels of academic background, particularly in reading and writing 
• Ability to communicate and work collaboratively with colleagues within and outside of department and grade-level teams  
• Computer literacy and technological proficiency, with an interest in incorporating technology into the classroom (our classroom management system is Canvas) 

Desired Qualifications: 

• Strong background in English and/or related fields, in particular experience that decenters the white/Eurocentric perspectives in literature 

• A strong understanding of the developmental stages of students from 13-18 years old 

• Experience designing curriculum and courses using the Understanding by Design Framework 

• Familiarity with a variety of assessment styles 

• Natural rapport and demonstrated effective leadership with students 

• Evidence of ongoing professional development 

• Willingness and desire to contribute to Overlake beyond the classroom 

Full Time - Begins August 2025 

Salary: $61,987 - 118,388, Depending on Education and Experience 

Benefits: Overlake Benefits 

Candidates must pass required background checks to secure employment

About The Overlake School

The Overlake School is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory day school located on a 75-acre campus in Redmond, Washington. The school serves 530 students grades 5-12. Founded in 1967, the school has a reputation as one of the leading independent schools in the Northwest. Overlake believes that diversity is an integral part of its mission. The school therefore actively fosters a diverse community that contributes to its educational richness.

Connections working at The Overlake School