Elementary Assistant job posting
Puddletown School is hiring for the full-time position of Elementary Assistant for the 2025/26 school year. We are a primary, elementary and middle school program in Woodstock SE Portland with a growing and active commitment to social justice, anti-bias, anti-racism, and equity work (within and outside of our community). We are a caring and committed team of educators who greatly respect each other, the children, and the philosophies of Dr. Maria Montessori.

Eligible candidates will need:
Criminal history registry
CPR/1st aid
Food Handlers
Familiarity and willingness to engage with Anti-bias, Anti-racist work
Classroom skills providing support to children, overview and redirection as needed to children in class, working individually with children and in small group follow-up work, using positive discipline techniques with children (non-shaming and non-punitive), familiarity with collaborative problem solving approaches are a plus
Ability to collaborate, communicate directly, support and work closely with the elementary guides
Assist with preparation, cleaning and maintenance of the classroom environment

Key performance characteristics:
Stability and Reliability
Work with children in a consistent, warm, patient, calm, respectful and confident manner
Maintain a calm demeanor in a busy, highly flexible environment
Carefully observe daily and use these observations to inform your interactions and follow-up communications with children
Be organized, attentive to details, and independently follow through with the ongoing tasks of supporting a classroom
Support children and fellow staff to maintain an organized, accessible and prepared environment
Understand and execute verbal and written instructions, policies and procedures and implement them with a degree of independence, we will work to support individuals for whom English is not their first language
Achieve and maintain positive relationships with children, staff and adults
Maintain confidentiality
Engaging with the lightness and silliness of our very important, and often humorous, work

Compensation:
Compensation is regionally competitive and based on experience $22-25 per hour. We understand sharing a specific amount as an important factor, and will share more soon.

Benefits include:
~ Retirement matching up to 3%
~ Yearly standard Cost of Living raises
~ Health Insurance
~ Personal paid time off
~ Work/Life Balance considerations
~ Fall, Winter & spring breaks, summers off (With an option of additional pay for staffing summer camps)
~ Paid training opportunities
~ Discounted tuition for any staff with children who attend Puddletown School


A note to potential  candidates:  Studies have shown that women, LGBTQIA+ folx, and BIPOC are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every single one of the qualifications as described in a job description. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization, and we are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job. That candidate may be one who comes from a background less traditional to our field of work,, and that’s okay. We would strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don’t believe you meet every one of the qualifications described.
(note suggested by Tiffany D. Loftin, a liberatory thinker & movement architect)

Please check out our website for more information about our program and the community although we are revamping of now it is: www.puddletownschool.com

Send a short cover letter and resume to office@puddletownschool.org

Puddletown does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, physical or mental ability, or any other status protected under local, state or federal laws in the admission of otherwise qualified students or in the administration of its educational policies or programs, hiring or employment practices.