Career FAQs - Education at Private High Schools

High school education is a career often overlooked by science PhDs due to the requirement in the United States for a degree or certification in education. However, private schools do not require this certification and therefore offer opportunities for those primarily interested in teaching.  

Why switch?

High school education is a career for those interested in teaching, rather than bench research. Additionally reasons to teach at the high school level include small classroom sizes, closer relationships with students, and the opportunity to inspire and shape the next generation of young scientists.

What are the responsibilities of a high school educator?

The traditional roles include lesson planning, lecturing, classroom management, grading, and often running basic labs. Being comfortable and flexible with teaching subjects outside of your formal training will make you more competitive. Furthermore, most private high schools require additional participation within the school community, such as coaching sport, running a club, or academic counseling. If applying to teach at a boarding school, there is often a requirement to live on campus and play a role in mentoring students outside of the classroom.

What additional positions can one hold in education?

Class Dean/Student Advisor: Provides academic and personal guidance for a subset of students

Department Chair: Typically held by PhDs and includes additional administrative duties

These positions are typically offered after a few year of high school teaching experience and are held simultaneously while teaching a reduced course load.

How to apply?

The best place to start is with a recruiting firm such as Carney Sandoe. The cost is covered by the schools looking to hire and, therefore, is free for you. Such firms can get your resume out to schools before the job is posted publicly and often host mini-conferences to introduce candidates to hiring schools. The next step is a phone interview, typically with the head of the school and/or chair of the department. If successful, you will be invited to the campus for on-site interviews and a mock lecture (or two). Faculty and administrators in the department will conduct the interviews. Often the school will have you meet with current students, sometimes in the form of a campus tour. Finally and most importantly, you will be assessed on a lesson plan you design and teach to a classroom of both students and faculty.

Where will you work and what will you get paid?

Typically private schools are found close to large cities and proximity to a large city is often related to salary. If you are interested in working in New England, you are in luck, as this region of the country is chock-full of private schools. High school teaching is not something you should look into if you are interested in making a lot of money. Most schools pay based on teaching experience and therefore having a PhD will not increase your starting salary, which typically ranges from $25,000-46,000/year.

How to prepare for the transition?

In order to prepare yourself for a career in high school education, you should gain as many experiences working with high-school aged students now. This can include teaching college freshman, mentoring and judging science fairs, managing projects of younger students within your laboratory, and Yale programs such as Science Education and Outreach Program (SEOP). Additionally, take advantage of the multiple programs and courses offered by the Yale Graduate Teaching Center because many of the fundamentals of teaching you learn in these programs can be applied to all levels of education. 

Prepared by: Meghan Kerrisk