If you are interested in teaching at The Montclair Kimberley Academy, please take the time to read through this section of our website. Current openings can be found under the left-hand 'Employment Opportunities' sidebar. If you are interested in submitting an application, you can download an application form
here.
Our teachers, staff members and administrators choose to work at MKA because of their commitment to the Academy's mission and their support for our vision of how that mission is best fulfilled. In combination, we believe that the following facts and qualities set our school apart as an exceptional Pre-K-12 coeducational day school.
A worthy and ambitious mission: "Our Common Purpose" is a statement of the mission of The Montclair Kimberley Academy. The development of the character, intellect, skills and well-being of our students depends upon the key ingredients of "teachers ready to teach, students ready to learn, and something important being taught." The resources of the Academy are directed toward providing and strengthening those ingredients. The integrity of our school flows from the constancy of our focus on teaching and learning. We strive to graduate young men and women who will lead personal and public lives marked by accomplishment, compassion and leadership in seeking justice and opportunity for others.
An academic and collegial ethos: We graduate students who are accepted to and excel at the colleges and universities of their choice, and who have learned to live nobly in the days beyond their time as students at MKA. Our commitment to our students and the ethos of professional development at MKA inspires our faculty to continually expand and improve upon their subject area knowledge and their teaching craft. We are a collegial and professional community of educators who support and complement one another's strengths and interests. We enjoy a constructive and respectful relationship between faculty and administration that is based upon our commitment to the mission of the Academy, clear policies and procedures, high expectations of one another, and a culture of support and accountability. Our recent surveys of parents and alumni demonstrate that the faculty is considered to be MKA's finest asset, and that the quality of teacher-student relationships is exceptional.
Three distinct campuses that are unified: MKA has three campuses for grades Pre-K to 3, 4-8, and 9-12. While separate, the campuses are within a five minute drive from one another. Each campus serves the unique needs of the respective age groups of our students, and the faculty and administration understand what is developmentally appropriate for the emotional, physical and intellectual growth and well-being of our students. Among the three campuses there is ongoing contact and collaboration on curriculum, student transition from one division to the next, and assessment of learning. Our dedicated Physical Plant staff takes pride in maintaining buildings and grounds that are safe, clean, and appealing.
Unique and extensive opportunities for faculty study: MKA spends over $200,000 annually to support faculty study. We fund curriculum study, independent study programs as well as conferences, workshops and graduate study so that teachers can stay abreast of current research and trends in their fields. Every summer we offer extensive faculty development opportunities on campus (on-line) that allow colleagues to study and learn together. Each year, the Parents' Association of MKA (PAMKA) provides up to eight Faculty Trust Grants whereby faculty can find support for a study program of their choosing or design anywhere in the world. In addition, MKA offers the Blauvelt Professional Study Advancement awards to compensate faculty for specialized summer study. We frequently bring scholars with national reputations to campus to work closely with our faculty members.
Strong administrative support: Outstanding schools require first-rate administrators. As with the faculty, our administrators are distinguished by their commitment to what is best for our students and their professional and personal fairness, reliability, creativity, high standards and strong work ethic. The school has long benefited from the stability and excellence of leadership at all three campuses and in all departments.
Active and supportive parents: Our parents care deeply about what and how their children are doing. They understand that they are their children's "first teachers." At MKA there is a great deal of evidence of the respect, appreciation and affection that our parents have for the faculty. Our parents organize and host special teas and luncheons for our teachers. Parents are a frequent resource for faculty and staff in maintaining a formal school program for donated tickets to musical, athletic, entertainment and artistic events in New York City and at The New Jersey Performing Arts Center and other venues. Our parents lead MKA in hosting the largest book fair in the nation and have made it possible for authors such as J.K. Rowling, Cornelia Funke, Madonna, and Henry Winkler to come to campus and speak to our students, parents and faculty. Our partnership with parents is notable for the respect we share for one another in our joint responsibility for educating and raising the children in our care.
A strong and talented Board of Trustees: Our Board is comprised of alumni, past and present parents, and friends of the Academy who collectively constitute an extraordinary pool of expertise, wisdom and experience, and commitment to the welfare of MKA. Our Board members are volunteers who operate with a deeply professional regard for their responsibilities to set and monitor school policy, hire and support the Head of School, supervise and strengthen the financial resources of the institution and see that the mission of the Academy is fulfilled. In recent years, the fundraising and campus planning of our Trustees led to the complete renovation of science rooms at all three campuses, the rebuilding of our black-box theater, a new gymnasium, a new track facility, increased endowment for faculty compensation, a new Upper School arts wing, and a significant investment in the technological infra-structure and program of the school.
Three Signature Programs:
1. Our nationally acclaimed Ethics/Character Program is a model of its kind. We have worked hard to embed the development of strong and positive character expectations in our curriculum as well as in the standards for community life. As a result, our program has been cited in such works as Building Character In the Schools, (Ryan and Bohlin), and earned MKA's Middle School a national award for excellence. Our Upper School students, guided by the character expectations associated with our program in ethics, recently revised the Academy's Code of Honor. Annually, faculty study such works and resources as Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics, Plato's Republic, and Dante's Divine Comedy. We strive to foster an intellectual understanding of ethics as well as the development of personal habits and public behaviors that are ethical in nature.
2. Our unique and enduring Core Works Program guarantees that our students engage with literature, art, performances and other human creations that are some of the "best that has been thought and said in the world." (Matthew Arnold) Faculty select literature and art (mathematics and foreign languages were added for the Middle and Upper Schools in 2005) for each grade level and have studied with such scholars as Princeton University's Uli Knoeflmacher, Boston University's Paula Fredriksen, and the University of Indiana's John Patrick (many of these conversations are video-taped and available as continuing resources for the school). There are grade or team lesson plans for each significant Core Work. Our Core Works Program was selected as a seminar presentation at the National Association of Independent Schools National Conference.
3. The MKA Writing Challenge clarifies expectations for students in grades Pre-K-12 and helps students to better understand the strengths and weaknesses in their writing. The Writing Challenge places a consistent emphasis on writing as a cumulative, continuous process that includes pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing and sharing, and encourages students to strive for excellence as they hone both the technical and stylistic aspects of their writing. Using specifically designed criteria, groups of teachers formally assess students' writing at three benchmark grades: 3, 7 and 11. Our students are superbly prepared for college as well as for measures such as the new SAT I essay section.
A highly successful athletic program provides opportunities for participation and top-level play in twenty-six sports. Superb coaching at the Middle and Upper School levels is the backbone for an athletic program that encourages participation, develops skills and builds teams that are distinguished by the number of state, parochial, or prep championships earned each year. Our coaches benefit from an effective and well-organized athletic administration, the integration of the ethics program into expectations for athletes, and clearly delineated avenues for parent support and communication. MKA also provides a Children's Sports Program for grades 1-5.
Appropriate and accessible technology: We strive to use the right technology for the right learning experience. Teachers are given the tools and the training to make sure that they have every opportunity to support their programs with state of the art technology. With online offerings for both students and teachers, MKA works to ensure that everyone has every opportunity to learn whether in or out of school. In 2004, MKA earned the Leading Edge Award from the National Association of Independent Schools for our online faculty development program. MKA employs a Director of Technology, a Coordinator of Research and Information System, a Systems Technician, a Network Manager, and three Technology Coordinators; one on each campus. Most recently, MKA has added wireless technology to all areas of the school.
Our size and location are significant aspects of our identity as we are a school of over 1030 students located in one of the most diverse, interesting and appealing towns in all of New Jersey. Montclair is a complex, proud and sophisticated town located just twelve miles west of Manhattan. Opportunities for performing arts, athletic events, and entertainment are abundant. While some school housing is available, the choices faculty and staff make for where they will live are as diverse as those of the families whom we serve. Resources for professional development are also close at hand with some of the finest colleges and universities in the country within easy commuting distance of MKA.
Our salaries and benefits are competitive with other leading independent day schools of similar size in the East. Across the board raises, merit pay and special one-time bonuses shape the structure of our compensation. Our benefits package is among the strongest of all private schools in New Jersey. Opportunities for administrative experience are also available as the school takes pride in cultivating its own leadership.
We are proud of our school's accomplishments and enjoy a strong reputation among our students, parents, alumni and peer schools. We operate on three campuses but function as one school with an inspiring mission and a coherent and well articulated program. We welcome your interest in the Academy, encourage you to explore our web-site thoroughly, and invite well-qualified professionals to consider teaching at our school.
Sincerely,
Thomas W. Nammack
Headmaster
