Self-Directed Education
Resource Directory

The Open School staff members work directly with students and take on specific responsibilities to keep the school running. We hire staff rather than teachers to emphasize that adults are not automatically teachers and that people learn from each other in complex ways. The Open School staff are not responsible for creating activities for students to pursue and do not have the authority to unilaterally establish or enforce rules. Staff at The Open School are available as role models, facilitators, and peers as students pursue their own interests.

There are numerous ways that staff interact with students ranging from tutoring in a specific subject, playing games, working on collaborative projects, building things, going on field trips, cooking, producing plays, etc. Staff are expected to act as dependable stewards of the school; facilitate student access to resources; exemplify mature practices of personal fulfillment and societal engagement; and anchor school culture to values of interpersonal respect.

Staff also support all areas of school operations from ground maintenance to budgeting. Most work is done from Monday through Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm, but there are times when staff will need to work outside of those hours, such as a weekend event or an evening meeting.

Staff will also be expected to pursue relationships with parents, holding regular conversations and meetings with them to deepen the parents’ understanding of and relationship with the school.