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 toward feedback and flexible problem solving.
 
Hawken’s Campuses
Founded in 1915, Hawken School is an independent, nonsectarian, coed day school of over 1,500 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 Supports 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.
 

We are aware of fraudulent employment advertising on LinkedIn and INDEED. Hawken has notified both companies.
 
Hawken will not text you or request your social security number or other personal information prior to being employed. 
 
If you believe you are a victim of fraudulent activity, we encourage you to review your credit reports, contact police, and report it to the recruiting source (LinkedIn, INDEED, etc.).

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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