Employment

About Hawken

Join Us
Hawken School seeks employees who are philosophically aligned with our mission and who appreciate being part of an organization committed to the ideals of progressive education, to the value of fair play, and to developing both character and intellect in students. Because the school’s guiding principles include an appreciation for differences and individuality, we are keenly interested in candidates with a proven commitment to engaging in and promoting a diverse, multicultural community that reflects varying backgrounds and perspectives. Click here to learn more about diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice at Hawken School.

If you are excited by the prospect of being part of a community like Hawken, we encourage you to read on to learn more about this position and our school.  
 
Successful candidates for any role at Hawken School must demonstrate skill and commitment in the following key areas:
 
Mission, Culture, and Philosophy Alignment 
Candidates must show they can thrive at Hawken and are highly motivated by the school’s mission.
 
Fair Play: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice 
Candidates must indicate a commitment to and have experience with serving students and communities equitably.
 
Relationship Building and Cultivation 
Candidates must show they can build relationships throughout the Hawken community.
 
Content Knowledge
Candidates must demonstrate that they can lead and guide colleagues and students to depth in their work.
 
Humility and Growth Mindset
Candidates must be eager to learn new approaches and methods and be able to team effectively with others.
 
Approach to Work
Candidates must show initiative and agency with a commitment to feedback and flexible problem-solving.
 
Hawken’s Campuses
Founded in 1915, Hawken School is an independent, nonsectarian, coed day school of over 1,600 students, toddler through grade 12, located on two campuses in the eastern suburbs of Cleveland, a campus on Cleveland’s west side, and a campus in University Circle, home to the Mastery School of Hawken, which takes Hawken’s experiential, problem-based programming to scale in the heart of Cleveland. A nationally recognized leader in innovative programming, Hawken prepares students to meet the challenges of tomorrow's world.
 
Learning Environments that Support Innovative Teaching and Learning
Our community of parents, alums, and supporters have invested in stunning facility upgrades to enhance our teaching mission. The Lyndhurst campus features a welcoming Early Childhood Center with nationally recognized programming and a newly designed Lower School that includes an eco-garden, musical arts center, and new science labs. In August of 2016, Hawken celebrated the opening of a state-of-the-art academic building at our Upper School. A dedicated science wing, spacious open architecture, and ample common areas in Stirn Hall support our unparalleled, innovative programming, unique schedule, and varied teaching and learning styles.
 
Engaged and Engaging Students
A talented group of students look forward to the learning opportunities our faculty provides. With a strong support network at home and at school, our students are prepared and ambitious. We welcome faculty-student engagement opportunities that bring real-world interests to life through our interdisciplinary curriculum, off-site adventures, athletics, and other activities including drama, debate, and service.
 
Your Opportunity
We are committed to using time differently and want faculty members to expand their definition of a classroom. This means designing learning experiences for students that deepen their learning, engaging their emotions as well as their intellects. Hawken faculty members embrace the opportunity to become lifelong learners through collaboration with colleagues as well as through substantial professional development opportunities that support the development of meaningful, innovative curriculum. Because of our growing enrollment and our commitment to enhancing the learning experience for our students, we are expanding our faculty to include even more educators who share our mission, vision, and passion for 21st-century teaching and learning.
 
If you are a teacher-leader who is committed to the ideals of progressive education and inspired by this description of our community, we encourage you to read on to learn more about this position and our school. 

Our Campuses

Early Childhood, Lower, and Middle School
Toddler – Grade 8
Hawken’s Lyndhurst campus houses programs for toddlers through eighth graders that reflect the school’s dual commitment to academic and social curricula. Beginning in Early Childhood, students are taught in developmentally appropriate ways to make choices, manage time, think critically and creatively, develop ownership for their learning, and engage others with empathy. Hawken’s Lower School program focuses on building a strong foundation in basic academic skills with an increasing emphasis on personal responsibility. With a focus on hands-on learning and student choice, our Middle School program enables students to be active participants in their education. By exploring science, math, and the humanities using an interdisciplinary and experience-based approach, students dive deeply into subject areas and become immersed in the process of learning and discovery.

Birchwood
Preschool – Grade 8
In October 2016, Birchwood School merged with Hawken to become Birchwood School of Hawken. Serving students from preschool through grade 8, the school was founded in 1984 by a small group of Cleveland parents and educators who aimed to give their own children an unparalleled education. The school has since become an award-winning institution that remains true to its founding mission: to equip children to lead a life of becoming – growing, thriving, and flourishing – through the development of intellect and character. Birchwood functions outside of the traditional grade-level approach to programming, allowing students to engage in academic work that maximizes their cognitive abilities.

Upper School
Grades 9 – 12
Hawken’s Gates Mills campus, located in the eastern suburbs of Cleveland, is situated on over 300 acres featuring sprawling lawns, wooded trails, both modern and historic buildings, and an athletic complex. Through core courses, elective options, off-campus experiences, and a broad menu of co-curricular activities, the Upper School guides students to embrace the intrinsic value of forward-focused learning - not just the rote attainment of knowledge - by providing continual opportunities for student inquiry, analysis, agency, experimentation, and leadership. Twice-yearly Intensive classes - one course, all day for three weeks - enable in-depth, immersive study of a single subject, providing meaningful, authentic learning experiences that are not possible during the traditional schedules that characterize most schools.
 
Mastery School 
Grades 9 – 12
The Mastery School of Hawken, opened in University Circle in 2020, takes Hawken’s innovative approaches to education to scale and is built around three overarching concepts: courses and programs organized around real-world problem solving; a mentorship approach to instruction allowing for more project-based and personalized learning; and an assessment model that leads students to learn deeply and persist to mastery. The school’s location is just a short ride from downtown Cleveland and a short walk to arts organizations, universities, and hundreds of non-profit organizations, enabling students to learn from and partner with some of the most engaging and innovative cultural, educational, arts, and medical institutions in the world.
 
 

Employee Benefits

Because Hawken School is actively focused on redefining education and fulfilling our mission of “forward-focused preparation for the real world through the development of character and intellect,” we consider our faculty and staff our greatest asset. That’s why we work hard to find people who are fully aligned with our purpose, principles, and goals.
 
At this world-class institution known for its innovative educational program, we value employees who put the best interests of our students at the forefront and who strive to engage meaningfully with them - meeting them where they are in their educational journey and striving to truly know them as learners and individuals. 

Professional and Personal Support

To support our faculty and staff in their journey as they work to fulfill Hawken’s mission, we offer an engaging professional and personal work environment that embraces a growth mindset, a culture of belonging, and a supportive community. In addition, professionals who join our community value our competitive benefits program and generous funding for individual development and personal growth.

Support for Work-Life Balance

  • Onsite, highly discounted child care packages available to faculty and staff for Hawken students including early care, after care, and faculty and staff professional development days during the academic year
  • Top-notch fitness facilities including a wellness center (varied availability), tracks, and wooded walking and running trails
  • Abbreviated summer hours 
  • Generous time-off plans
    • Holidays
    • Personal days
    • 2-week winter and spring breaks and 6-8 weeks summer break (faculty)
    • Vacation time (staff)

Compensation

  • Competitive salaries based on education and experience (when adjusted for cost of living)
  • Opportunities for additional compensation through summer grant work, teacher leadership roles, and co-curricular activities and programs
  • Coverage for classroom materials and expenses, including a process to expense unique items

Appreciation

  • Raffle drawings for free tickets to major events, including sports, theater, etc.
  • Holiday and special events such as holiday breakfasts or treats, lunches for Teacher Appreciation Day, etc.

Benefits

  • Very competitive, comprehensive health and wellness benefits - medical, dental, vision, life, and retirement plans 
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • Paid sick leave
  • Flexible spending accounts and healthcare savings accounts for medical and childcare expenses
  • Fully covered Basic Life and Long Term Disability
  • Onsite flu shots
  • Kindergarten - Grade12 tuition remission for full-time faculty and staff - 50% with ability to apply for financial assistance for remaining 50% 
  • Daily, complimentary breakfast and lunch during the academic year
  • Free parking

Personal Development

  • Formal professional learning opportunities for faculty and staff including faculty summer grants
  • Internally offered and externally available professional development opportunities along with guest speakers on site
  • Tuition assistance for advanced degrees 
  • Career flexibility - ability to move between 4 campuses and multiple disciplines/departments
  • Green Grants, which provide faculty and staff the opportunity each year to apply for grants that will enhance their personal development
  • Mentorship for new employees based on professional and personal identities and needs
Photo: Michael R. Weil '85

About Cleveland


The Greater Cleveland region is known for its world-class medical facilities; arts and cultural centers, including Severance Hall and Playhouse Square; museums; professional sports teams; and a plethora of scenic parks and nature preserves. Lake Erie, one of the largest fresh water lakes in the world, offers additional recreational possibilities for those who enjoy water sports and activities. In addition to these advantages, Cleveland’s cost-of-living falls significantly below that of other of our nation’s metropolitan areas.

For more information and about what Cleveland has to offer, visit Destination Cleveland.
An independent, coeducational, college preparatory day school, toddler through grade 12

Early Childhood, Lower, and Middle Schools, 5000 Clubside Rd, Lyndhurst, OH 44124
Birchwood School of Hawken, 4400 West 140th Street, Cleveland, OH 44135 

Upper School, PO Box 8002 (12465 County Line Rd), Gates Mills, OH 44040
Mastery School of Hawken, 11025 Magnolia Dr, Cleveland, OH 44106

Gries Center, 10823 Magnolia Dr, Cleveland, OH 44106

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