The Northwest School is an independent day and boarding school serving students in grades 6 to 12 on an urban campus in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. We provide an interdisciplinary liberal arts education that nurtures compassionate, globally aware and environmentally conscious individuals who find joy in learning and are ready to inspire and innovate in our interconnected world.
We foster a warm, inclusive community dedicated to our school values. We believe that a diverse community enriches our institution, making it more creative and dynamic. The Northwest School is committed to building a faculty and student body that reflects the diversity of the broader society. We strongly encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply.
POSITION OVERVIEW: The Northwest School seeks an experienced Spanish educator to serve as Chair of the Modern Languages Department while teaching three sections of Spanish. The department offers instruction in Spanish and Chinese in both the Middle and Upper Schools, and in French and English as a Second Language (ESL) in the Upper School.
Instruction is grounded in the standards of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, with an emphasis on sustained use of the target language to promote communicative proficiency and cultural competence. Language study in the Upper School constitutes a central component of the school’s international curriculum. Courses integrate in-depth cultural analysis with opportunities for experiential learning, including study abroad.
Students are required to complete three years of language study, with the option to pursue a fourth year. Students receiving ESL support fulfill their language requirement through English coursework rather than enrollment in Chinese, French, or Spanish. In Middle School, the Modern Languages curriculum is informed by a task-based approach to second language acquisition.