Co-Head Debate Coach & Teacher

Full Time, Exempt, 10 month

Overview of School:

Sonoma Academy is an independent high school located in Santa Rosa, CA on a 34-acre campus, surrounded by 1,000 acres of protected open space, at the base of Taylor Mountain. Founded in 2001, it provides an engaging, challenging, and innovative college preparatory education and a supportive community for motivated learners from Sonoma, Napa, Marin, Lake, and Mendocino counties.

Our Mission: Sonoma Academy calls its students to be creative, ethical, and committed to learning. The school nurtures inspiring teachers and engages with the surrounding community, and its students communicate across cultures as they prepare to become leaders in a dynamic world.

Sonoma Academy’s Commitment to Diversity: We believe that learning occurs best in a connected community. Diversity, equity, and inclusivity are essential to an education in which all members of our community thrive. We are committed to cultivating a diverse community that is conscious and welcoming of difference, dedicated to investigating and advancing equity, and engages with our local and global community. If you would like to join us in our work, we would welcome your application. As we are deeply committed to having a staffulty (staff and faculty) and student body which reflects the rich diversity within the North Bay, we strongly encourage candidates from BIPOC and/or educators from communities that are historically underrepresented to apply.

For more information on programs and philosophy, please visit our website: www.sonomaacademy.org.

Position Overview

Sonoma Academy is seeking a passionate and dedicated Co-Head Debate Coach & Teacher to lead our nationally recognized policy debate program and inspire students in debate and other courses.This individual will oversee the policy debate team along with the other co-head, teach a 50% load of potential debate, public speaking, and other courses based on the coach’s experience and foster an inclusive and engaging learning environment for all students.

We are looking for a visionary educator who is excited to inspire and empower the next generation of leaders.

Key Responsibilities:

Debate Program Leadership

• Lead and mentor policy debate program from both a logistics and coaching perspective
• Organize and supervise after-school debate practices meetings and weekend competitions
• Supervise and collaborate with the assistant debate coaching staff
• Review and expand program offerings, pursue new initiatives and partnerships, and serve as an ambassador for the program in internal and external venues.
• Collaborate with the Director of Teaching & Learning to evaluate the program and communicate program vision, goals, and progress to the broader community.

Teaching & Curriculum

• Teach a range of debate, public speaking, and other courses based on the needs of the students and the coach’s professional background
• Supervise recruitment and retention across a range of debate courses
• Develop and articulate a comprehensive, developmentally appropriate curriculum, including clearly defined skills and learning outcomes.
• Collaborate with colleagues to bring the benefits of debate into other classes
• There may be an opportunity to run a debate summer institute for an additional stipend
• There may be an opportunity to support an advisory group and lead an intersession.

Equity, Access & Community Engagement

• Foster an inclusive and welcoming environment in debate, with intentional strategies to engage female-identifying students, students of color, and other historically underrepresented groups.
• Communicate proactively with students and families about program expectations, events, and opportunities.

Administration & Program Operations

• Identify and address program needs, challenges, and growth opportunities
• Ensure the debate program aligns with the school’s mission, values, and commitments to equity, diversity, and environmental stewardship.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in communications, or a related field is preferred.
• Experience teaching at the high school level is preferred
• Experience with coaching a competitive team is preferred
• Experience fostering an inclusive and diverse learning environment.

Compensation:

• Sonoma Academy has a multi-step salary scale in place for faculty members that includes differentials for advanced degrees and annual guaranteed step increases. The current salary scale ranges from $78,840 to $127,890. The school will evaluate the faculty member's relevant teaching experience, and they will be placed on the scale at the appropriate level upon hiring.

Perks of working at SA:

• Comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, and vision insurance for employees with several plan options to meet individuals’ specific needs
• Generous retirement plan contribution
• Commitment to professional development, including generously- funded training opportunities and a dedicated “exploratory fund” of $450 annually for learning opportunities unrelated to work
• Healthy and nutritious lunch service offered at no cost to employees during the school year (when on campus and our kitchen operational)
• A professional work environment defined by teamwork, collegiality, trust, agility, and altruism

Work Environment:

• This position operates in a professional office environment at a private, independent high school.
• This is a full-time position with some evening and weekend work.

Sonoma Academy is an equal opportunity employer. Sonoma Academy does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.