Career Guides
Plain-language guides for school careers: the work in the classroom and the front office, certification rules by state, pay, and the next step up.
What private school teachers do, which schools hire them, whether you need a teaching certificate, and how to get hired at a private school.
What charter school teachers do, how charter and district employers differ, certification rules state by state, and how to get hired at a charter school.
What the job is, whether you have to be Catholic, certification and catechist rules, how diocesan hiring works, and where to find Catholic school teacher jobs.
What Christian school teachers do, the ACSI, Lutheran and Adventist school landscape, statement-of-faith and certification expectations, and how to get hired.
What a Jewish day school teacher does, how general studies and Judaic studies roles differ, who schools hire, training routes and where to find jobs.
What is a Montessori teacher? How the role works at each age level, what AMS, AMI and MACTE credentials mean, and where Montessori teaching jobs are.
What classical school teachers do, how classical Christian and charter schools differ, who gets hired, and how to find a classical teaching job.
What a Waldorf teacher does, how AWSNA and WECAN recognize Waldorf training, and what private and public Waldorf schools look for when they hire.
What does a boarding school teacher do? Classroom teaching, coaching, advising and dorm duty — and teachers often live on campus. See the career guide.
What virtual school teachers do, how online charter and private schools differ, certification requirements, and where to find K-12 online teaching jobs.
What special education teaching looks like at private and charter schools: where the jobs are, how IDEA rules differ by sector, requirements, and pay.
What learning specialists do at private and charter schools, how the role differs from reading specialists and interventionists, and where to find jobs.
What teaching assistants do at private and charter schools, how aide and paraprofessional titles differ, requirements, and the path to lead teacher.
How substitute teaching works at private and charter schools: what the day looks like, requirements by state and sector, and how to get on a school’s sub list.
What a teaching fellow does at an independent school, how fellowships differ from charter residencies, and who the job suits as a first teaching role.
What a head of school does, how the role differs from a principal, the board relationship, and how educators work toward the top job at private schools.
What a division head does at a private school, whether a division head is the same as a principal, and how teachers move into the role.
What assistant principals do at private and charter schools: duties in discipline, operations and instruction, plus how to move from teaching into the role.
What a charter school principal does, how the job differs from district principal roles, and how teachers move into charter school leadership.
What a dean of students does at a K-12 private, charter or boarding school: duties, the role vs principal and assistant principal, pay and how to become one.
An instructional coach improves teaching through observation, feedback and co-planning. Learn the role, charter vs private differences, and how to become one.
What private school admissions directors do, the admissions and enrollment jobs at independent and charter schools, and how to start an admissions career.
What a director of advancement does at a private or charter school, the roles in a school advancement office, and how to move into school fundraising.
A school business manager runs the business side of a school — budget, payroll, operations and tuition at private schools. See the role and career paths.
What it takes to become a school founder: charter, private and microschool routes, founder fellowships, what authorizers look for, and the risks.
What school counselors do at private and charter schools, the degree and credential rules, what pay data show, and where the career leads.
What a college counselor does at an independent or charter school, who gets hired, what federal and NAIS pay data show, and where the career leads.
What a school nurse does at private and charter schools, the licenses and credentials the job needs, how it differs from hospital nursing, and what it pays.
What a school librarian does at private, faith-based and charter schools, the MLS vs. state endorsement question, and what librarian pay data shows.
What an athletic director does at a private or charter school, how the job differs from a college AD, what it pays, and how to become one.
What it takes to coach at a private or charter school: the jobs, whether you need to teach, CPR and NFHS training, and how stipends work.
What a high school athletic trainer does at private and charter schools, the BOC certification and state licensure path into the job, and how to find openings.
What a school administrative assistant does at private and charter schools, the front-office roles, what schools ask for, and what the job pays.