Home > Employment
Join a professional community that is celebrated for its transformational pedagogy and that fosters curiosity. Here, our faculty thrives within a dynamic culture driven by an unwavering dedication to the greatest growth possible, a spirit of innovation and progress, and a core of care and support for each member of this community.
For over a century, Cate School has been blending together the tradition of the East Coast with the innovation of the West Coast in the service of a dynamic, diverse, and close-knit community. A four-year college preparatory school with a low student-to-faculty ratio, small class sizes, and inviting residential spaces, Cate’s inquiry-based program is designed to challenge, inspire, and support boarding and day students whose interests, abilities, characters, and aspirations make them individually and collectively exceptional.
Perched on a hill overlooking the Southern California coast, Cate School’s setting is one of unparalleled beauty and natural inspiration. “The Mesa,” as we call it – with its juxtaposition of close spaces and vast vistas, its blending of human architecture and natural splendor, history, and potential – is itself a critical touchstone for this community.
Please see our available opportunities below:
Position: Mathematics Instructor (One-Year Leave Coverage ’26-’27 with possibility of extension)
Reports to: Tobin White, Math Department Chair
Date Written: March 2026
Status: Exempt (Salaried)
Pay Scale: $68,000-$100,000 base salary determined by years of experience
Housing: Possible, not required – responsibilities vary based on housing status
Contact: hiring@cate.org
To Apply: Please submit your cover letter, resume, and a list of all previous school or educational institution employers, including city and state, in accordance with CA SB 848 to the hiring team at hiring@cate.org.
Leave Coverage
This role provides coverage for a member of our faculty who will be out for the 2026-27 school year. Given other anticipated staffing changes in 2027-28 and beyond, there is a possibility that this role could extend into a longer term position after the 2026-27 school year.
The Role:
Job Description for Mathematics Instructor Cate School is currently seeking highly qualified Math teaching candidates. Math instruction at Cate is shared by a team of seven full-time teachers with classes ranging from Algebra 1 through Multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra. The majority of courses are taught using a PBL (Problem Based Learning) curriculum, with some classes following a more traditional style (notably Statistics and Calculus). All Cate courses center around an inquiry-based pedagogy.
Each teacher typically teaches four sections with two or three preps. Most classes meet three times for 65 minutes each week. In addition to classroom instruction, teachers participate in course-team meetings, department meetings, and faculty meetings, as well as all-school events such as Move-In Weekend and Fall Family Weekends. Teachers motivate the greatest growth possible for all students by planning and running engaging classes, by assigning meaningful homework, and by offering
office hours both during the academic day and during the evening (which can be remote).
At Cate, we place a high value on deep and multifaceted relationships with students. Generally, Cate faculty members are involved in programming outside of the classroom, such as coaching or serving as a dorm parent and advisor. These responsibilities are either associated with housing for residential faculty, or come with a stipend for those not housed by Cate.
All Cate Employees live up to the following Essential Expectations:
1. Overtly support and act according to the school’s mission and values.
2. Foster a safe, predictable, and supportive environment for employees and students.
3. Interact with colleagues in a respectful and collegial manner that fosters a healthy culture for living,
learning, and working together.
4. Demonstrate commitment and courage in service of building our school culture where diversity is
affirmed and supported.
5. Demonstrate appropriate planning and preparation to meet the complex and evolving needs of your role.
6. Uphold professional standards of predictable presence, reliable responses, and relational trust.
7. Appropriately steward strategic and special projects associated with role or team.
8. Honor the confidentiality of School, student, and family information.
9. Comply with policies and procedures as articulated in the School’s Employee Handbook.
10. Authentically engage in self-reflection in service to professional growth and adapting to the evolving
needs of the school.
In the role of Mathematics Instructor, these essential expectations manifest as:
The Candidate
Successful candidates will demonstrate their ability to meet these expectations through the following core competencies:
Proficiency in and/or aptitude toward inquiry-based pedagogy.
In terms of education and experience, applicants for this position will have:
Physical Requirements
Job Benefits
This position comes with full benefits that include robust Health/Dental/Life insurance, Retirement and PTO plans.
Commitment to Supporting Diverse and Qualified Candidates
Cate School seeks educators who want to live and work in a small, diverse, mission-driven boarding community on California’s Central Coast. We welcome applicants whose priorities align with our pillars of commitment, scholarship, companionship, and service, and we are steadfast in our
commitment to Equal Opportunity Employment. Research shows that women and BIPOC candidates may hesitate to apply if they don’t meet every listed qualification, so we encourage all who believe they have the skills and potential to thrive to submit an application. Our hiring process is designed to minimize bias by focusing on core competencies and the experiences that best demonstrate them.
Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
Cate School is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition including genetic characteristics, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender, gender identity,
genetic information or any other category protected under federal or local law.
To Apply: Please submit your cover letter, resume, and a list of all previous school or educational institution employers, including city and state, in accordance with CA SB 848 to the hiring team at hiring@cate.org.
The Role: Cate School is seeking applicants for an open role for a part-time French instructor. The position will formally begin August 2026. This position would teach one section of French instruction consisting of 4 class meetings in a 7 day rotation.
In addition to classroom instruction, teachers participate in department meetings, and faculty meetings, as well as all-school events such as move-in weekend, family weekends, and commencement. Teachers motivate the greatest growth possible for all students by planning and running engaging classes, by assigning meaningful homework, and by offering office hours both during the academic day and during the evening.
In order to foster deep and multifaceted relationships with students, all Cate faculty members are involved in programming outside of the classroom, such as coaching or serving as a dorm parent or advisor. These responsibilities are either associated with housing for residential faculty, or come with a stipend for those not housed by Cate.
All Cate Employees live up to the following Essential Expectations:
In the role of part time French Instructor, these essential expectations manifest as:
The Candidate
Successful candidates will demonstrate their ability to meet these expectations through the following core competencies:
● Proficiency in and/or aptitude toward inquiry-based pedagogy in language instruction.
● Proficiency in inclusive teaching pedagogy, including cultural competency, and the ability to communicate with, understand, and foster a sense of belonging for students of various different cultural backgrounds, values, world views, and behaviors.
● Ability and commitment to build multifaceted relationships with students, to maintain appropriate boundaries, and to leverage these relationships to support student development across all aspects of student learning and development.
● Ability and commitment to collaborate with colleagues both within the department and as a part of the faculty as a whole.
● Ability to develop, review, and refine curriculum to maximize student learning and sustain alignment, both horizontally and vertically within the department.
In terms of education and experience, applicants for this position will have:
● Minimally a BS or BA in French language and training for teaching French to nonnative speakers or similar.
● Teaching experience in high school or college French language courses, and an ability to teach across different grade levels.
● Demonstrated facility with or ability to learn LMS (Schoology, Veracross, etc.).
● Demonstrated commitment to / love for working with teenagers as a role model, mentor, advisor.
● Demonstrated commitment to professionalism, collaboration, and growth.
Job Benefits:
This position does not come with benefits.
Commitment to Supporting Diverse and Qualified Candidates
Cate School seeks educators who want to live and work in a small, diverse, mission-driven boarding community on California’s Central Coast. We welcome applicants whose priorities align with our pillars of commitment, scholarship, companionship, and service, and we are steadfast in our commitment to Equal Opportunity Employment. Research shows that women and BIPOC candidates may hesitate to apply if they don’t meet every listed qualification, so we encourage all who believe they have the skills and potential to thrive to submit an application. Our hiring process is designed to minimize bias by focusing on core competencies and the experiences that best demonstrate them.
Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
Cate School is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition including genetic characteristics, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender, gender identity, genetic information or any other.
A Cate education uniquely leverages strong academic and residential curricula to transform students’ lives by preparing them as independent thinkers, informing their societal roles as global citizens of influence, and encouraging them to build authentic and meaningful relationships. Cate students engage enthusiastically in myriad non-academic pursuits and traditions which, complemented by academic rigor, constitute the foundation of a truly whole education.
Cate School is committed to a policy of Equal Opportunity Employment and nondiscrimination in the treatment of employees or applicants for employment without consideration of race, color, ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information, gender or gender identity.
Cate School offers competitive compensation. In setting compensation ranges, Cate School reviews numerous factors including industry data from NAIS, CAIS, NBOA, and other market data. Final Salary is based on experience relevant to the role and internal equity.