Co-Director, Waldorf Elementary Teacher Education Program
Co-Director, Waldorf Elementary Teacher Education Program
Job Category: Administration
Opening Statement
Sunbridge Institute is seeking a co-director for its low-residency Waldorf Elementary Teacher Education program. This individual will share this role with the current director, Rebecca Nelson. The program co-directors will determine between themselves how they best see distributing their tasks and duties, which are described below.
Sunbridge program directors (PDs) play a leadership role and actively participate in the development, planning, execution, and quality of the course of study at Sunbridge. They are expected to collectively cultivate and stay connected with the overall impulse and mission of Sunbridge and the Waldorf movement. The PDs are responsive to and actively participate in the program’s activities, serving and inspiring the program’s work. This ensures ongoing conversations and opportunities for peer-to-peer support, deepening our capacities as adult educators. The PDs collaborate closely with the program assistant (whom they supervise), the director of education and organizational culture (DEOC), and the executive director (ED), as well as with all Sunbridge staff.
The PDs report to the executive director.
About
The oldest Waldorf teacher training institute in North America, Sunbridge Institute offers low-residency Waldorf teacher education programs in early childhood, elementary, high school, and subject teaching, as well as professional development and general interest courses and workshops in Waldorf teaching, education, organizational leadership, and the arts. The teachings of Rudolf Steiner are at the heart of the Sunbridge mission, and we are dedicated to the support of Waldorf education in North America. Since our founding in 1967 as the Waldorf Institute in Detroit, Sunbridge has prepared thousands of Waldorf teachers and leaders, earning a worldwide reputation for excellence and innovation in Waldorf teacher education.
Housed on the Chestnut Ridge campus of the historic Threefold Educational Foundation in New York’s lower Hudson Valley, Sunbridge Institute is part of the oldest anthroposophical community in North America. We offer our students and faculty an unrivaled educational setting and an exciting opportunity to become part of a unique learning environment.
At Sunbridge, “Inspiring Education” is more than just a tagline; it is who we are and what we do. Our classes are devoted to collaborative learning and journeys of self-discovery. In all of our offerings you’ll find abundant opportunities for artistic exploration, spiritual development, and personal transformation.
Sunbridge is a full member of AWSNA and WECAN, and an MEd/MALS partner of SUNY Empire State University.
Essential Job Duties
The Elementary Program Co-Directors hold the following responsibilities and tasks:
Program Development
- Engage in active implementation of program structure as it relates to Sunbridge’s model, including hybrid delivery, integrated foundational content, and a dispersed faculty, reflecting our mission and guiding principles.
- Hold an overview of the needs and developments in Waldorf education specific to their program
- Lead generative conversations on further developing the courses, classes, workshops, and other offerings relative to their program
- Implement culturally responsive and relevant best practices.
Student Advising and Communication
- Serve as main advisor for students
- Oversee final independent research projects
- Be available to students between sessions, potentially holding regularly scheduled sessions on specific topics
- Communicate between program sessions regarding fieldwork requirements
- Give references to schools for current students and graduates.
Mentors and Fieldwork (in collaboration with the program assistant and the DEOC)
- Identify and match mentor/host school with student, and support mentor-student-host school relationships
- Advise and guide students in their fieldwork requirements.
Faculty
- Hold regular faculty meetings and onboard and observe new faculty.
Assessment of Faculty, Courses, and Program
- Regularly review student feedback and lead faculty reviews incorporating peer and student feedback.
Administration
- Identify, recruit, and engage faculty
- Participate in the admissions process
- Collaborate on complying with AWSNA, BPSS, and other official licensing and regulatory mandates
- Keep regular office hours throughout the year (TBD during program weeks)
- Coordinate with the registrar on transcript recordkeeping, including updating transcripts regularly.
Supervision
- The PDs supervise the part-time program assistant who performs the following tasks:
- Coordinate calendar for faculty meetings, onboarding, etc.
- Schedule/coordinate Zoom classes (5 weekends/year)
- Set up online platforms / asynchronous assignments
- Maintain an overview of student participation and communicate notable exceptions to the PD
- Assist with program communications (assignments, due dates, etc.) to students
- Maintain fieldwork records and support communication between mentors, host schools, and Sunbridge
- Ensure the timely submission of attendance forms and online assessments for each course by all faculty
- Plan, hold, and oversee commencement activities once per year (July).
Finance
- Oversee and submit adjunct faculty and mentor payment and travel reimbursements and work within the board-approved annual budget parameters.
Leadership
- Attend and represent Sunbridge at regional, national, and international meetings and conferences
- Develop, in collaboration with the DEOC and ED, short-term teacher workshops.
Outreach
- Actively participate in outreach efforts, including Meet and Greets for the program
- Collaborate on promotional materials.
Note: Administrative duties and communication between faculty, administration, and students are managed using the Blackbaud admissions and learning management system (LMS) and Canvas platform.
Qualifications
Sunbridge works in a highly collaborative manner with all faculty, staff and board, which is paramount to our success. This requires qualities of openness, transparency and accountability.
The ideal program directors have extensive experience as successful Waldorf educators. They are held in esteem by their colleagues and have played a leadership role in their programs or school(s).
They have experience in adult education or teaching professional development courses, are recognized as excellent adult educators, and are involved in the larger North American and, ideally, international Waldorf movement. This includes interest and competency in new learning modalities and formats – i.e. online, asynchronous and theories of learning.
We are interested in candidates who have a deep understanding and interest in balancing the roots of Waldorf education, as it was initially developed in the early twentieth century in Germany, with how that foundational pedagogy can be further developed to serve the children in the early twenty-first century (and beyond) in North America. The themes of human dignity, diversity, and belonging are vital to the work we do at Sunbridge institutionally and specifically in all our programming.
Candidates must have excellent organizational, communication, and timely follow-through capacities and skills.
They must have at least a bachelor’s degree and preferably a graduate degree.
Employment Details
SALARY
$17,500
BENEFITS
This position carries no benefits
HOURS
The PDs are on campus (Chestnut Ridge, NY) during the program’s in-person three-week summer sessions (usually in July), and are present/online during the five online weekend sessions (Friday evening-Saturday afternoon) held throughout the year. Otherwise, expect to allocate approximately 8 hours/week year-round (excepting breaks) to the ongoing responsibilities. Any teaching will be paid separately.
START DATE
Immediate
To Apply
TO APPLY
Send your cover letter and a résumé with three recent professional references (including phone numbers and email addresses) to: executivedirector@sunbridge.edu.
No phone calls, please.