Founding Montessori Teacher Leader

Ballston Spa, New York

At Wildflower Upstate New York Charter School, we’re creating a movement to make authentic Montessori education accessible to all. We’re seeking passionate educators to co-create an inclusive environment for children of all abilities, and bring Montessori’s vision of independence and belonging to life.

This role involves becoming the founding Montessori teacher to not only teach, but lead and operate a startup charter school.

Who We Are

Wildflower Upstate New York Charter School (WUNYCS) is a tuition-free Montessori micro-school in Ballston Spa, NY serving children from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in a nurturing, inclusive, and community-driven environment. We are slated to open in Fall 2026 with a mixed age classroom of ages 3-6 years old. This role's full time start date is July 2026, with paid ongoing training, onboarding, and planning starting in late fall 2025.

Who You Are:

        Have you ever dreamed of opening and operating your own school? Are you ready to take the next step into leadership, while still being able to teach? Then this role is for you. You are: an entrepreneur in education. You’re flexible and open minded. You’re energized by using creativity and see opportunity in obstacles. You are growth oriented. You are eager to stretch beyond your current experience, to develop new skills and expertise, and to more fully explore your purpose and potential.

Our Network

Wildflower Upstate New York Charter School is part of Wildflower Schools, a network of 1-2 room, teacher-led, authentic Montessori learning environments serving children from infancy through high school. Wildflower schools are small, neighborhood-based Montessori micro-schools led by teachers who design and lead every aspect of their learning communities. They are rooted in authentic Montessori practice, inclusion, and innovation, with support from the Wildflower Foundation to share resources, tools, and best practices across a collaborative national network.

How We Work

The Wildflower network is decentralized and nonhierarchical. We’re rooted deeply in our values of Connectedness and Growth; our norms of Anti-Bias, Anti-Racist, and Unity, Autonomy with Support, and Awareness and Compassion; and our purpose and principles that guide our schools’ design. To learn more about the ideas that drive us, check out The Wildflower Collection and Reinventing Organizations.

Your Role

In collaboration with Courtney Murphy, founding Executive Director of WUNYCS, the responsibilities of the Montessori Teacher Leader include, but are not limited to:

  • Collaborative Teacher Leader
  • Guide and co-teach a primary Montessori classroom by preparing the environment, observing and individualizing lessons, and fostering independence, curiosity, and respect through authentic Montessori practices.
  • Ensure that Montessori instruction aligns with New York State learning standards by tracking and documenting student progress, while honoring individualized, child-led learning.
  • Participate actively in professional development, coaching, and school leadership opportunities, growing as a liberatory Montessori leader who is committed to equity and inclusion.

  • Family Engagement & Support
  • Communicate regularly with families through conferences, written reports, and informal updates to build trust and strengthen the home-school connection.
  • Marketing the school through deep in person community engagement as well as our school social media and a website presence

  • School Operations
  • Create both the annual school calendar and daily routine
  • Make decisions with hiring of additional staff
  • Create, maintain, and present the school budget to the board

Required Education/Certification

  • Montessori Credentials (AMS/AMI for Early Childhood/Primary age)
  • Bachelor's degree in early childhood education or similar field
  • We strongly encourage applicants who also hold or are eligible for New York State teacher certification

Preferred Experience

  • At least 2 years as a lead guide in a Montessori Primary/Children’s House classroom
  • Prior work with students with disabilities
  • School administration experience preferred but not required

Mindsets

  • Collaborative: You are excited about the idea of co-leading a school and developing a strong partnership with your co-leader.
  • Committed to Equity and Inclusion: You are eager to expand access to high-quality early education for students of all abilities, including children with disabilities and children from low-income families, so that all families feel a sense of belonging in our school.
  • Generous: You live with kindness, practice gratitude and lead with love. You seek advice openly and are comfortable working in a non-hierarchical organization.

Hours & Benefits

This is a full-time position which aligns closely with the Ballston Spa Central School District school calendar. Teacher leader hours are 7:45am-3:45pm. We offer a competitive salary range of $60,000–$70,000 annually, depending on experience and qualifications. WUNYCS offers wellness benefits, including healthcare, professional development stipends, and PTO, as well as connection to the wider Wildflower community and supports.

Physical Requirements

The role requires the ability to move around the classroom and outdoor areas, engage with students at their level (including sitting on the floor and getting up frequently), and lift materials up to 30 pounds. Clear vision, hearing, and manual dexterity are necessary to interact with and supervise students safely.

Learn More & Apply

If you’re inspired by this opportunity and want to co-lead a transformative Montessori microschool, we’d love to hear from you! Email our Founding Executive Director, Courtney Murphy, at wildflowerupstateny@gmail.com with a PDF of your resume and cover letter stating why you’d be a great fit for our school.

Research shows that women and other underrepresented groups often hesitate to apply for jobs unless they meet every qualification. At WUNYCS, we value passion, growth, and potential just as much as experience. If you’re excited about our mission and feel you could thrive in this role, we encourage you to apply, even if you don’t check every box.

Wildflower Upstate New York Charter School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, creed, religion, sex or gender, disability, age, marital status, sexual orientation, status with regard to public assistance, or in any other way based on personal identity markers that do not relate to the capacity of an individual person to carry out the responsibilities of a role.