Teacher Job Description Templates for Private Schools and Preschools
6 free templates for the schools that hire without a district HR office: private elementary, early years, secondary subject, substitute, special education, and tutoring. Download as DOCX.
Almost every teacher job description you find online was written for a public school district. It assumes a central HR office, a bargaining agreement, a published salary schedule, and a state credential that is simply not negotiable. If you run a private school, a preschool, or a tutoring business, none of that describes your situation, and copying that posting sets the wrong expectations from the first line.
The small employer side of education is real and large. The federal Private School Universe Survey counted 29,730 private K-12 schools serving about 4.7 million students, staffed by roughly 482,570 full-time-equivalent teachers in the 2021 to 2022 school year, which averages out to schools far smaller than the district norm. At that size the head of school writes the posting personally.
At FirstHR we build hiring templates for exactly that reader. The six below cover a private elementary classroom, an early years program, a secondary subject teacher, a substitute pool, learning support, and a tutoring or enrichment instructor, each with the classification and screening notes the generic versions leave out.
TL;DR
A private school teacher job description sets terms a district posting only inherits: the licensure bar, the pay, the contract, and the FLSA classification are yours. Bona fide teachers are exempt with no salary test. Preschool staff whose day is care, and most tutors at commercial centers, are not. Six templates below, downloadable as DOCX.
Private School Hiring Is a Different Job
The core difference is that a private school defines the terms a district inherits. You choose the credential bar, the salary, the contract length, and the duties, and you defend all four to candidates and families. A district posting mostly restates decisions already made in a contract negotiated elsewhere.
That freedom is the reason a small school can hire a working scientist to teach chemistry or a published writer to teach English. It is also the reason a weak posting hurts you more than it hurts a district: candidates cannot infer your program from your name, so anything you leave unstated stays unknown.
Independent or religious school
You set the terms
You write the contract, set the salary, and decide whether a state license is required. No union scale, no district HR office, no central posting system. Everything in the job description is yours to define and yours to defend.
Preschool or early years program
Licensing runs the show
State childcare licensing sets ratios, background checks, and staff qualifications, and those rules often matter more than any teaching credential. Classification depends on whether the day is teaching or care.
Tutoring or enrichment business
Not an educational establishment
A commercial tutoring company is usually not a school in the legal sense, which changes overtime classification and removes most licensure questions. It also removes the contract calendar that anchors school hiring.
Public school district
Out of scope here
Districts hire through a central HR office, a bargaining agreement, and a published salary schedule. If that is you, your posting is largely written for you already. These templates target the private side.
Match the Posting to the Setting, Not the Job Title
The word teacher covers four legally distinct situations. A classroom teacher at a private school is an exempt professional. A preschool employee whose day is mostly care is a non-exempt hourly worker. A substitute is exempt only when teaching is the primary duty of the assignment, and non-exempt when the day is supervision or clerical cover. A tutor at a commercial center is almost always non-exempt. Pick the template that matches the actual day, not the word on the door.
What Belongs in the Posting
A teacher job description does four jobs at once: it sells the school, it filters unqualified applicants, it protects you legally, and it closes the candidate. Most postings do only the first, which is why they attract volume and not fit. Here is the full inventory.
The parts candidates read first
School type, size, and philosophy in two sentences
Grade level and subject, stated exactly
Section load or class size
Contract length and calendar
The parts that filter applicants
Degree and license expectations, marked required or preferred
Background check and fingerprinting notice
Duties outside the classroom
Co-curricular or supervision commitment
The parts that protect you
FLSA classification stated on the posting
Essential functions written plainly
Equal opportunity statement
Any religious mission requirement, if one applies
The parts that win the hire
Salary or a good-faith range
Benefits, tuition remission, and PD budget
Who the teacher reports to and works with
A named person and a real deadline to apply
The single most common omission at small schools is the load. Candidates want to know how many sections, how many preps, how many students, and what happens outside the classroom. Vagueness there reads as a school that has not decided, and strong teachers avoid it. Our guide to writing a job description covers the general structure in more depth.
6 Teacher Job Description Templates to Download
Download all six as one file or copy them individually. Each follows the same structure: school overview, position summary, key responsibilities, required qualifications, a classification and compliance note, an equal opportunity statement, and how to apply. The bracketed fields are the only parts you need to change.
Download All 6 Teacher Job Description Templates
Private elementary, preschool, secondary subject, substitute, special education, and tutor. All in one download.
Private Elementary Teacher
One homeroom, all subjects
The general independent-school classroom role, with core-subject planning, report cards, conferences, and duty coverage built in.
Preschool / Early Years
Play-based, licensed setting
For an early years classroom, with ratios, licensing records, and an honest note on when the teaching exemption does not apply.
Subject Teacher, Secondary
Departmental load plus advising
For a private upper school: section load, curriculum design, advising, and the co-curricular commitment small schools depend on.
Substitute / Float
On-call coverage
For your coverage pool, with the day-rate structure, the pre-clearance requirement, and the contractor warning stated plainly.
Special Education Support
Specialized instruction
For learning support: individual plans, teacher coaching, outside providers, and what a private school does and does not owe.
Tutor / Enrichment
Hourly, after school
For a tutoring or enrichment business, with session plans, parent updates, and the non-exempt classification spelled out.
Template 1: Private Elementary School Teacher
The general independent-school classroom role, with core-subject planning, report cards, conferences, and duty coverage built in.
Private Elementary School Teacher Job Description
PRIVATE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER JOB DESCRIPTION
School: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Head of School / Division Head / Principal]
•Must clear a criminal background check and fingerprinting as required by state
law and our policy
•Strong classroom management and written communication with families
CLASSIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE NOTE (read before posting)
A teacher whose primary duty is instruction in an educational establishment is
generally exempt under the FLSA teaching professional exemption, and the salary
level and salary basis tests do not apply to bona fide teachers. Private schools
are covered enterprises under the FLSA regardless of revenue. Confirm your state
licensure rules for private school teachers, your state background check and
fingerprinting requirements for school employees, and your mandated-reporter
obligations. This is general information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[School Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per year, [benefits summary], [contract length]
To apply, email __ with your resume and a cover letter.
Template 2: Preschool / Early Years Teacher
For a licensed early years classroom, with ratios, licensing records, and an honest note on when the teaching exemption does not apply. If the day is mostly care, use the childcare worker templates instead.
Preschool / Early Years Teacher Job Description
PRESCHOOL / EARLY YEARS TEACHER JOB DESCRIPTION
School or center: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Director / Early Years Coordinator]
Employment type: Full-time / Part-time
FLSA status: Depends on primary duty (see classification note)
Compensation: $_ per [hour / year]
ABOUT THIS ROLE
[School Name] is hiring an Early Years Teacher for our [age range] classroom.
You will run a play-based, developmentally appropriate program, work alongside
[an assistant / aides], and partner closely with families during the years that
shape a child's attitude toward school.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Preschool Teacher plans and leads a daily program of learning and play,
observes and documents each child's development, keeps the classroom safe and
within required ratios, and communicates with parents about progress.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Plan and lead a developmentally appropriate daily program
•Observe, document, and share each child's progress with families
•Supervise children at all times and maintain required child-to-staff ratios
•Direct and support classroom assistants or aides
•Handle routine care needs appropriate to the age group (toileting, snacks,
rest time) as required in your setting
•Keep classroom records required by licensing or accreditation
•Prepare the environment and materials, and keep the room clean and safe
•Report any suspected child abuse or neglect as a mandated reporter
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[CDA credential / associate degree in early childhood / bachelor's degree:
choose the level your state and setting require]
•Experience with [age range] in a classroom or center
•Pediatric CPR and First Aid certification (or willing to obtain)
•Must clear the background check required for your setting
•Patience, warmth, and clear communication with young children and parents
CLASSIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE NOTE
Classification depends on the actual primary duty. Under the Department of
Labor's rules, preschool employees whose primary duty is caring for the physical
needs of children rather than teaching do not qualify for the teaching
professional exemption and are non-exempt (hourly, overtime-eligible). A genuine
preschool or nursery teacher delivering an instructional program in an
educational establishment may qualify. Decide honestly based on the day, not the
title. Licensed centers also carry child-to-staff ratios, background check, and
health requirements set by state licensing. This is general information, not
legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[School Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per [hour / year], [benefits summary]
To apply, email __ with your resume.
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•Leave written notes on what was covered and anything the teacher should know
•Follow all school safety, emergency, and mandated-reporter procedures
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[High school diploma / associate degree / bachelor's degree: set your bar]
•[State substitute permit required / not required: confirm for private schools
in your state]
•Must clear a criminal background check and fingerprinting as required by state
law and our policy before the first assignment
•Reliable availability on short notice and comfort with [age range]
•Calm classroom presence and flexibility across subjects
CLASSIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE NOTE
Classification turns on the primary duty of the assignment. The Department of
Labor treats a substitute whose primary duty is teaching in an educational
establishment as an exempt teaching professional, and because the salary level
and salary basis tests do not apply to teachers, a day rate does not by itself
defeat the exemption. A substitute used mainly for supervision, clerical cover,
or aide work is non-exempt and owed overtime past 40 hours in a week. Calling
someone a substitute does not make them an independent contractor either: a
school that sets the schedule, the place, and the work is directing an employee.
Complete the background check and any state permit before the first day in a
classroom, not after. This is general information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[School Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per [day / hour], [higher rate for long-term placements]
To apply, email __ with your resume and availability.
Template 5: Special Education / Learning Support Teacher
For learning support: individual plans, coaching classroom teachers, coordinating outside providers, and what a private school does and does not owe. Pair it with the paraprofessional templates if you also staff aides.
Special Education / Learning Support Teacher Job Description
SPECIAL EDUCATION / LEARNING SUPPORT TEACHER JOB DESCRIPTION
School: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Head of School / Director of Learning Support]
Employment type: Full-time, [10-month] contract
FLSA status: Exempt when the primary duty is instruction (see note)
Compensation: $_ per year
ABOUT THIS ROLE
[School Name] serves students with [learning differences / diagnosed needs] in a
[pull-out / push-in / self-contained] model. We are hiring a Learning Support
Teacher to deliver specialized instruction and to coach classroom teachers on
accommodations that work.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Special Education Teacher plans and delivers specialized instruction, writes
and monitors individual learning plans, coordinates accommodations with
classroom teachers, and partners with families and outside providers.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Deliver specialized instruction one-on-one and in small groups
•Write, monitor, and update individual learning or service plans
•Coach classroom teachers on accommodations and differentiation
•Administer and interpret [screeners / progress monitoring]
•Coordinate with parents, outside evaluators, therapists, and, where relevant,
the local public district on services
•Maintain confidential student records under FERPA-style school policy
•Take part in admissions review for students with documented needs
•Follow all mandated-reporter and student-safety procedures
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Bachelor's degree in special education or a related field; master's preferred
•[State special education license required / preferred / not required]
•Training in [structured literacy / executive function / behavior support]
•Must clear a criminal background check and fingerprinting as required by state
law and our policy
•Strong writing skills for plans, reports, and family communication
CLASSIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE NOTE
A learning support teacher whose primary duty is instruction is generally exempt
under the FLSA teaching professional exemption. Private schools are not bound by
the same IDEA obligations as public districts, but services delivered through an
equitable services agreement with the local district, and any promises made in
your enrollment contract or marketing, create real commitments. Federal
disability law still applies to your school as a place of public accommodation
in most cases. Confirm state licensure rules for private schools. This is
general information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[School Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per year, [benefits summary], [contract length]
To apply, email __ with your resume.
Template 6: Tutor / Enrichment Instructor
For a tutoring or enrichment business, with session plans, parent updates, and the non-exempt classification spelled out. Summer program staff are a separate posting: see the camp counselor templates.
Tutor / Enrichment Instructor Job Description
TUTOR / ENRICHMENT INSTRUCTOR JOB DESCRIPTION
Business: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Center Director / Owner]
Employment type: Part-time, [after school / weekends / summer]
FLSA status: Non-exempt (hourly, overtime-eligible) unless the teaching
exemption clearly applies
Compensation: $_ per hour
ABOUT THIS ROLE
[Business Name] provides [subject] tutoring and enrichment for students in
grades [range] at [location / online]. We are hiring instructors to run
[one-on-one / small group] sessions on a set weekly schedule.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Tutor delivers [one-on-one / small group] instruction in [subject], tracks
each student's progress against a plan, and keeps parents informed about what is
improving and what still needs work.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Run scheduled sessions in [subject] for students in grades [range]
•Assess starting level and set a written plan with clear goals
•Prepare materials and adapt them to each student's pace
•Track attendance, progress, and session notes in our system
•Send parents a short written update after [each session / each month]
•Maintain a professional, encouraging tone with students and families
•Follow all safety, supervision, and mandated-reporter procedures
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[Bachelor's degree / current enrollment in a degree program / subject mastery
demonstrated by assessment: set your bar]
•Demonstrated command of [subject] at the [grade] level
•Must clear a background check appropriate to work with minors
•Reliable weekly availability during [after-school hours / weekends]
•Patience and the ability to explain the same idea three different ways
CLASSIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE NOTE
Most tutoring roles at a commercial tutoring business are non-exempt: hourly and
overtime-eligible over 40 hours in a week. The FLSA teaching professional
exemption is written around teachers employed in an educational establishment,
which a standalone tutoring company generally is not, so do not assume it
applies. Classifying tutors as independent contractors is a common and expensive
mistake when you set the schedule, the rate, the location, and the method. Pay
for required prep, training, and travel time between sites where it counts as
hours worked. This is general information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Business Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per hour, [paid prep time], [travel policy]
To apply, email __ with your resume and availability.
Overtime and the Teaching Exemption
A bona fide teacher is exempt from overtime, and unusually, the salary level and salary basis tests do not apply to teachers at all. The exemption rests entirely on primary duty: teaching, tutoring, instructing, or lecturing in an educational establishment.
That rule is set out in the federal regulation on teachers as exempt professionals, and the companion definition of an educational establishment draws no distinction between public and private schools or between those operated for profit and those that are not. Schools are also covered enterprises under the Fair Labor Standards Act regardless of annual revenue, so the size of your school does not exempt you from the law.
The teaching exemption has no salary test
Under the federal regulation on teachers, the salary level and salary basis requirements simply do not apply to a bona fide teacher whose primary duty is teaching, tutoring, instructing, or lecturing in an educational establishment. That is unusual: for almost every other exempt role you have to clear a weekly salary floor, and here you do not. It also means the exemption turns entirely on duties, not pay. Two cautions. First, a private elementary or secondary school counts as an educational establishment whether it operates for profit or not, so the exemption is available to you. Second, a standalone tutoring company usually is not one, so do not borrow the exemption for a commercial tutoring center. This is general information, not legal advice.
Preschool is the exception, not the rule
The Department of Labor draws a line inside early childhood settings: an employee whose primary duty is caring for the physical needs of children, rather than delivering an instructional program, does not qualify for the teaching exemption and is non-exempt, meaning hourly and entitled to overtime past forty hours in a week. A genuine nursery or preschool teacher running an educational program may qualify. In practice the honest test is what the day looks like: if most of it is feeding, toileting, napping, and supervision, that is care work regardless of the word on the offer letter. Classify on duties, track hours for anyone non-exempt, and use a childcare posting rather than a teacher posting when care is the job. This is general information, not legal advice.
Background checks and mandated reporting
Nearly every state requires criminal history and fingerprint-based background checks for people working in schools, and many extend those requirements to private schools, contractors, and volunteers with student contact. School employees are mandated reporters of suspected child abuse and neglect in every state, named in the reporting statute in most of them and covered by a universal duty to report in the rest. Neither of these is optional and neither is something you can complete after the first day in a classroom. Build the sequence into hiring: state the requirement in the posting, run the check before the start date, collect a signed mandated-reporter acknowledgment during onboarding, and keep the certificates and clearances on file with their renewal dates. Confirm the specific list and timing with your state education or licensing agency. This is general information, not legal advice.
Licensure is a state-by-state variable
There is no federal teaching license, and states regulate private schools very differently. Some require private school teachers to hold a state credential, some require it only for schools that seek state approval or accreditation, and many leave the decision to the school. That freedom cuts both ways. It lets you hire a subject expert who never went through a preparation program, which is how a lot of small schools staff hard-to-fill roles. It also means you carry the burden of proving quality to families, and it can matter to accreditors, to state approval, and to teachers who want their private school years to count toward a future public credential. Check your state education agency and write the requirement into the posting as required, preferred, or not required. This is general information, not legal advice.
Everyone outside the teaching exemption needs hours tracked and overtime paid past forty in a week. If you are unsure which side a role falls on, our breakdown of exempt versus non-exempt classification works through the tests. Religious schools should separately consider how the ministerial exception applies: in Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru, decided in 2020, the Supreme Court held that the exception barred employment discrimination claims by Catholic school teachers with religious instructional duties.
Licensure as a Variable, Not a Given
State licensure for private school teachers is a variable you set, not a fixed legal requirement. There is no federal teaching license, and state rules for private schools range from full credential parity with districts to no requirement at all, with a middle band that applies only to schools seeking state approval or accreditation.
The practical consequence is that your posting has to say which of the three you are. Write required, preferred, or not required, and mean it. Candidates with credentials will not apply to a posting that seems to discount them, and candidates without one will not apply to a posting that seems to demand one.
Requirement
How to handle it in a private school posting
Degree
State the field and the level; substitute demonstrated subject mastery where you genuinely will
State license
Mark required, preferred, or not required after checking your state education agency
Subject expertise
Often the real bar at a small school; describe it concretely rather than as a credential
Background check
Always required; state that clearance must be complete before the start date
Fingerprinting
Required for school employees in most states; name it so candidates plan for it
Mandated reporter
Legal duty in every state; state the expectation and collect a signed acknowledgment
Classification
Exempt for bona fide teachers; non-exempt for care roles and most tutors; substitutes turn on primary duty
Where accreditation matters to your families, an accrediting body may impose its own faculty qualification standards that sit above state law. Read those before you write the requirement, because changing it mid-search wastes everyone's time.
What to Pay a Teacher at a Private School
National teacher wage data is dominated by public districts, so treat it as a ceiling reference rather than a target. Private school pay generally sits below public district scales at every teaching level, and the gap is widest in early childhood.
National Medians, Public and Private Combined
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025), median annual wages were $63,970 for elementary school teachers, $64,370 for middle school teachers, $72,040 for secondary school teachers, and $38,140 for preschool teachers. Short-term substitute teachers earned a median of $20.03 per hour and tutors $20.84 per hour (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates).
Role
National median (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
Note for private employers
Preschool teacher
$38,140 per year
Public schools paid about $19,800 more on average (BLS, May 2021)
Kindergarten teacher
$62,680 per year
Often folded into lower school at a private school
Elementary school teacher
$63,970 per year
Benchmark against independent schools, not districts
Middle school teacher
$64,370 per year
Small schools often combine grades and subjects
Secondary school teacher
$72,040 per year
Narrowest public-private gap of the core grade levels
Special education, K to elementary
$65,120 per year
Public schools paid about $11,700 more on average (BLS, May 2021)
Substitute teacher, short-term
$20.03 per hour
Set a day rate; pay more for long-term placements
Tutor
$20.84 per hour
Hourly and non-exempt at a commercial center
A Bureau of Labor Statistics analysis comparing public and private elementary and secondary schools (Beyond the Numbers, using May 2021 ownership data) found public schools paid an average of $19,820 more for preschool teachers, $20,460 more for kindergarten teachers, $18,690 more for elementary teachers, and $12,350 more for secondary teachers. Publish a good-faith range where pay transparency laws apply, and compete on class size, autonomy, tuition remission, and speed rather than on base salary.
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Two sentences belong in every teaching posting regardless of setting: one stating that employment is contingent on a criminal background check and fingerprinting as required by state law, and one stating that all staff are mandated reporters of suspected child abuse and neglect.
Putting them in the posting is not legal boilerplate, it is a filter. Candidates who will not clear a check tend to stop reading, and candidates who will clear one appreciate working somewhere that takes it seriously. Our guides to running a background check and to state background check laws cover the process and the notice requirements.
Clearance Comes Before the Classroom, Not After
The most expensive mistake small schools make is letting a new teacher start while the check is pending because the school year is about to open. State rules on school employee clearance are strict, and a lapse is exactly what an inspection or an incident review finds. Build the clearance timeline backward from the start date and hold the line. A shared checklist with real dates beats a paper folder on someone's desk every August.
Hiring Teachers Without an HR Department
Small school hiring fails in predictable places: the posting is generic, the timeline is slower than the districts you compete with, and the compliance paperwork arrives all at once in August. Each has a fix.
You are the head of school, the admissions director, and the HR department at the same time
At an independent school, a preschool, or a tutoring center, the person writing the teacher job description is usually the head of school or the owner, working between a parent meeting and a facilities problem. There is no district HR office to hand it to and no template library to pull from, so the posting either gets written properly or it gets copied from a public district job that does not describe your school at all. That mismatch shows: candidates read a generic posting and cannot tell whether you are a classical school with a fixed curriculum or a project-based program where they will design their own units. The fix is not more words, it is the right words in a fixed structure you reuse every hiring season, so the school-specific parts are the only parts you rewrite.
You are competing for teachers against districts that pay more and post earlier
Private school pay generally sits below public district scales for the same grade level, and district hiring calendars often move earlier. You will not win a bidding war, so compete on what a small school actually has: class size, autonomy over curriculum, a shorter chain of command, tuition remission for a teacher’s own children, a real professional development budget, and a decision you can make in a week instead of six. Say those things in the posting instead of leaving them as a pleasant surprise at the second interview. Then move fast, because the strongest candidates are typically in a district process at the same time, and speed is one of the few advantages a small employer can actually spend.
The onboarding paperwork arrives all at once in August and nothing is centralized
School hiring is seasonal, which means the paperwork does not trickle in, it lands in one week: signed contracts, background check clearances, fingerprint receipts, license copies where required, health and immunization records, mandated-reporter acknowledgments, handbook sign-offs, emergency contacts, and payroll forms, for every new teacher at once, right as you are also opening the building. FirstHR was built for exactly this kind of burst. The onboarding wizard runs the same sequence for every new teacher, e-signature handles the contract and the policy acknowledgments, document management stores the clearances and certificates against each employee profile with renewal dates attached, and training modules cover safety and reporting orientation before day one. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR. Note that FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not a payroll provider.
Once the contract is signed, the work shifts to a repeatable onboarding checklist, and for teaching staff specifically our new teacher onboarding checklist covers the sequence from clearance through the first faculty meeting.
Key Takeaways
A private school teacher job description sets terms that a district posting merely inherits: licensure bar, salary, contract length, and classification are all yours to decide and defend.
Bona fide teachers are exempt from overtime with no salary level or salary basis test, and private schools count as educational establishments whether or not they operate for profit.
Preschool employees whose primary duty is care rather than instruction and most tutors at commercial centers are non-exempt and overtime-eligible, while a substitute is exempt only when teaching is the primary duty of the assignment.
State licensure for private school teachers ranges from full parity with districts to no requirement at all, so mark it required, preferred, or not required after checking your state agency.
National medians (BLS OEWS, May 2025) run $38,140 for preschool teachers up to $72,040 for secondary teachers, and private school pay generally sits below public district scales at every level.
State the background check, fingerprinting, and mandated-reporter requirements in the posting, and complete clearance before the start date rather than during the first week of school.
School hiring lands in bursts, and the paperwork lands with it. FirstHR runs the same onboarding sequence for every new teacher, with e-signature for contracts and acknowledgments, document storage for clearances and license copies, and renewal dates tracked so nothing expires quietly. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a teacher job description include?
A teacher job description should include eight things: the school type and philosophy in two sentences, the exact grade level and subject, the teaching load or class size, the responsibilities inside and outside the classroom, the degree and licensure expectations marked as required or preferred, the background check and fingerprinting notice, the FLSA classification, and the pay with a contract length. For a private school the last three matter most, because you are the one setting them rather than inheriting them from a district salary schedule and a bargaining agreement. Add the equal opportunity statement, name a real person to apply to, and give a deadline. Everything else is decoration. The six templates on this page follow that structure so you only rewrite the school-specific parts each hiring season.
Do private school teachers need a state teaching license?
It depends entirely on the state, and in many states the answer is no. There is no federal teaching license, and states regulate private schools very differently: some require private school teachers to hold a state credential, some require it only for schools seeking state approval or accreditation, and many leave the decision to the school. That flexibility is why small private schools can hire a subject expert who never went through a teacher preparation program. It also means you carry the burden of demonstrating quality to families, and licensure can still matter to accrediting bodies, to state approval status, and to teachers who want their years at your school to count toward a future public credential. Check your state education agency, then write the requirement into the posting explicitly as required, preferred, or not required, so candidates self-select correctly.
Are teachers exempt from overtime under the FLSA?
Yes, in most classroom cases. A bona fide teacher whose primary duty is teaching, tutoring, instructing, or lecturing in an educational establishment qualifies for the teaching professional exemption, and unusually, the salary level and salary basis tests do not apply to teachers at all. The exemption turns on duties, not on how much you pay. Private elementary and secondary schools count as educational establishments whether they operate for profit or not, so the exemption is available to them. Two important limits: preschool employees whose primary duty is caring for the physical needs of children rather than instructing are non-exempt, and a standalone commercial tutoring business is generally not an educational establishment, so tutors there are usually non-exempt hourly employees. Substitutes are judged the same way: the Department of Labor treats a substitute whose primary duty is teaching in an educational establishment as exempt, while one used mainly for supervision or clerical cover is not. This is general information, not legal advice.
How much does a teacher make?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025), the national median annual wage was $63,970 for elementary school teachers, $64,370 for middle school teachers, and $72,040 for secondary school teachers, while preschool teachers earned a median of $38,140 and short-term substitute teachers a median of $20.03 per hour. Those figures are dominated by public districts. A BLS Beyond the Numbers analysis of May 2021 ownership data found public schools paid more than private schools on average across nearly every teaching occupation, with gaps near $20,000 at preschool and kindergarten and about $12,350 at the secondary level. For a private school posting, benchmark to comparable independent schools in your area rather than to the national median, and publish a good-faith range where pay transparency rules apply.
What is the difference between a teacher and a childcare worker job description?
The difference is primary duty, and it changes classification, pay, and required credentials. A teacher’s primary duty is instruction: planning lessons, delivering a curriculum, assessing learning, and reporting on progress. A childcare worker’s primary duty is care and supervision: feeding, toileting, napping, safety, and keeping ratios. That distinction is why teachers can qualify for the FLSA teaching exemption while childcare workers are non-exempt hourly employees entitled to overtime. It also drives the credential: a teaching role usually asks for a degree or a credential in the subject, while a childcare role centers on background clearance, pediatric CPR and First Aid, and state licensing training. If most of the day is care rather than instruction, use a childcare worker posting instead of a teacher posting, whatever the title on the door says.
How do I hire a teacher for a small private school with no HR department?
Run a fixed sequence and start it earlier than feels necessary, because district hiring calendars often move first. Post a specific job description with pay, grade level, load, and licensure expectation stated up front. Screen for subject depth and classroom management, then run a demonstration lesson with real students, which tells you more than any interview. Check references from a head of school or department chair who saw the candidate teach. Make the offer fast: speed is one of the few advantages a small school has over a district. Then run onboarding as a checklist rather than a pile: signed contract, background check and fingerprint clearance before the start date, license copies where required, health records, mandated-reporter acknowledgment, handbook sign-off. FirstHR handles that onboarding sequence with e-signature, document management, and renewal tracking. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Should a tutoring business use a teacher job description?
Use the tutor template instead, because the legal footing is different. A commercial tutoring or enrichment business is generally not an educational establishment in the sense the FLSA teaching exemption requires, so tutors there are usually non-exempt: hourly, entitled to overtime past forty hours in a week, and owed pay for required prep, training, and travel time between sites where that time counts as hours worked. Licensure questions mostly disappear, which widens your candidate pool to graduate students and subject experts. The bigger risk is classifying tutors as independent contractors while setting their schedule, rate, location, and teaching method, which is one of the most common and most expensive misclassification mistakes small education businesses make. Write the posting as an hourly employee role, state the rate, and be explicit about paid prep time.
