Pedagogical Chair | 2027-2028 School Year

At River Valley, we understand leadership as a form of service. The Pedagogical Chair works from a model of servant and collaborative leadership, partnering closely with teachers and administrators to cultivate a healthy, reflective, and courageous faculty culture. This role offers the opportunity to have a meaningful impact not only on individual teachers and classrooms, but on the continued development and vitality of the school as a whole.

The Pedagogical Chair works closely with the Pedagogical Leadership Group (PLG), full faculty, Educational Support & Care Team, Head of School, and Administrative Team to advance the pedagogical and organizational priorities of River Valley Waldorf School. As a standing member of the PLG, the Pedagogical Chair helps guide the school’s pedagogical life, supports thoughtful decision-making, and ensures that matters of greatest importance to the pedagogical health of the school receive the attention, reflection, and follow-through they deserve.

 

A significant part of this work is teacher development. The Pedagogical Chair provides mentorship, coaching, and support to faculty members at all stages of their professional journey, helping teachers deepen their practice, navigate challenges, and continue to grow as Waldorf educators. The role calls for someone who genuinely enjoys working alongside teachers, someone who can both encourage and challenge, recognize strengths while identifying opportunities for growth, and foster a culture in which professional learning is valued and shared.

 

The Pedagogical Chair also serves as an important bridge between the faculty, administration, and parent community, helping to steward pedagogical questions and concerns with care, clarity, and good judgment. Through this work, the Pedagogical Chair helps cultivate strong relationships and a shared understanding of the principles and practices that shape a Waldorf education.

 

We are looking for a leader who brings pedagogical depth, warmth, curiosity, sound judgment, and a genuine commitment to collaborative leadership. The ideal candidate will see the faculty not simply as a group of individual teachers, but as a learning community  capable of reflection, growth, innovation, and collective responsibility.

 

This is an exciting time to join River Valley Waldorf School. We are a school with a strong sense of purpose and a deep commitment to Waldorf education, while also embracing the opportunity to grow, evolve, and thoughtfully imagine what comes next. The Pedagogical Chair will play an important role in that work.

 

If you are an experienced Waldorf educator who is ready to lead by serving, inspire through relationship, and help a faculty community do its very best work for children, we would love to hear from you.

Support of Faculty and Pedagogy:

• Serve as a liaison between faculty and Pedagogical Leadership Group, facilitating communication and collaboration.
• Uphold and communicate the pedagogical vision and processes of the Faculty and Pedagogical Leadership Group (PLG).
• Guide and support faculty hiring and development processes.
• Conduct classroom observations to maintain an active pulse on classroom activities and pedagogical health.
• Meet regularly with teachers to support individual teacher growth and development. 
• Collaborate with committees and individuals on school-wide projects and initiatives.
• Support the Care Team process by meeting regularly with the Educational Support Team. 
• Work with the Head of School and PLG to develop faculty wide professional development. 
• Work with the Head of School and PLG to create the annual programming schedule. 

Administrative and Governance:

• Communicate and implement school practices and ideals to ensure pedagogical quality and consistency.
• Collaborate with the Head of School to develop responsible budgets related to educational programming and teacher professional development. 
• Report on significant pedagogical initiatives to the Board of Trustees and assume a leadership role in executing pedagogical strategic planning goals.

Community Liaison:

• Engage in ongoing communication with parents, addressing concerns and questions as appropriate.
• Support the resolution of individual and class-wide pedagogical concerns in conjunction with teachers and school leadership.
• Work with the Head of School and PLG to develop and implement frameworks for all-school meetings and community events.
• Maintain a public face of the school to parents and the broader community, ensuring alignment with the school’s mission.

Skills and Qualifications:

• Experienced Waldorf certified  teacher with previous successful leadership experience and knowledge of Anthroposophy.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Commitment to collaboration, conflict resolution, and consensus building.
• Strong organizational and multitasking abilities.
• Bachelor’s Degree
• Ability to lead multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines.
• Proficiency in Google suite and other relevant tools.
• Commitment to equity, belonging, and anti-racism work within the school community.

Work Environment:

This position operates in a professional office/educational environment and requires a high degree of professionalism in interactions with students, parents, trustees, employees, and providers.

Location: Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania

 

Salary: Commensurate with experience 

Benefits: Provided, details available upon request

Application Deadline: November 20, 2026

Start Date: July 1, 2027

Required training obtained during employment may include:

• CPR and First Aid
• Mandated Reporter Training
• Stewards of Children – Darkness to Light
• Anti-bias Training

 

River Valley Waldorf School’s seven-acre campus sits among forested hills overlooking the Delaware River on unceded Lenni-Lenape land. We are deeply grateful for the reverent care and stewardship of the First Nations people who have tended this land that we now call Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania.

Located in Bucks County, Upper Black Eddy is just 40–60 minutes from several major metropolitan areas, offering our community the beauty and tranquility of a rural setting within easy reach of vibrant urban centers.

Our programs include a caretaker-child program, mixed-age early childhood classes, and grades one through eight. The River Valley Waldorf community strives to be supportive, welcoming, and inclusive, and the school has recently deepened its commitment to diversity, equity, and belonging initiatives.

River Valley Waldorf School is a full member of the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America (WECAN) and is accredited by both the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) and the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools (PAIS).

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resumé, and a short biographical sketch to either:

email: info@rivervalleyschool.org

mail: River Valley Waldorf School

            1395 Bridgeton Hill Road

            Upper Black Eddy, PA 18972