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[pisomojado]

Hello,

I'm a longtime lurker, and have a question. I've searched the Internet for job postings at private secondary schools, with no luck. I'm sure this is due to the fact that I don't really know what to search for. Are there sites similar to the CHE's job postings board that list such teaching positions by geographic area and/or specialty?

My background is in English, and I have some experience teaching composition at the college level. In particular, I'm interested in finding a private school for troubled teens. I was one myself (grew out of it for the most part, thankfully), and would like to give a little something back.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[zharkov]

For K-12, try schoolspring.com.  I know that public schools list there, and I assume, but don't know, that private schools do as well.

[scheherazade]

Schoolspring lists a few, but not nearly all or even most.  Private schools are difficult, because there really isn't a central listing.  Since you have a specific idea of the type of school you would like, you could make a list of schools at which you would be interested in working.  You can periodically check their websites for information.  It is also acceptable at the K-12 level to send unsolicited resumes (not CVs unless requested) - something a lot of academics don't realize.  I got several interviews and two jobs by doing this when I was a high school teacher.  I would just send a resume and a cover letter indicating my interest if a position was to open.

There are headhunters for private schools as well.  Some have been listed recently on the fora, but I can't recall where they were listed or who they were.  However, you could go that route, as long as you're willing to pay them, and they could help place you in a school.

[tolek]

I went through this type of search once with a firm called Carney/Sandoe, which is a headhunter.  They will judge your suitability for the market and, if they accept you, help you through the application process.  My impression at the time was that independently sending letters to schools wasn't "playing the game" and would have no results. 
http://www.carneysandoe.com/

[mended_drum]

My SLAC routinely guides inquiries directed to us to a local (very fine) private secondary school where we have many contacts.  I don't know if other colleges or universities do so, but it's one of the routes in that I know about.

[innyc]

Independent Educational Services at least used to be the other one of the big two of placement firms with Carney.  The schools pay for the service, not you as the applicant, so there's no cost for you.  You need to strike moderately quickly.  They typically do interviewing at March-time conferences, and you'd need CVs sent out to places in January or at worst early February to get on those lists.  Some of them are interviewing for openings they know they'll have, some for openings they anticipate having.  Of course things always come up later, too, but the main season is early spring, which means having your materials in during the winter.

And/or, look through classifieds in the NY Times Ed section and in the main newspapers for cities with strong independent schools, Philly, Boston, DC, etc.  If they post an ad there, they're looking to include people who aren't using Carney or IES, so there's no problem with responding and looking "unprofessional."

Things are very different for religious schools and for private schools that aren't part of the national independent organizations.

Your answer to "Why are you interested in this job" cannot be any variant of "I wasn't able to get a job as a professor."  Every private school I know of has had bad experiences with professors trying to "place" their least-well-adjusted students in independent schools thinking it's "easier."  It's not; it's quite a bit harder, and there are legions of stories of Ph.D.s who had nervous breakdowns.  The challenge is convincing them you aren't one of those people.  Having a Ph.D. is nice but not that relevant for a good private school, when they can easily have an Ivy League undergrad with a Master's degree and teaching experience.  So you have to sell yourself as a teacher who can do the work, not an academic who's trickling down.