Choral Music/Performing Arts Teacher

Full-time, Upper and Middle School

Start Date: July 1, 2025

About John Burroughs School:

Founded in 1923, John Burroughs School is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory day school for grades 7-12 located on a 49-acre campus in St. Louis, Missouri. Burroughs currently has 660 students, 47% of whom identify as students of color. Twenty-five percent of the student body receives tuition aid. 

Burroughs strives to instill the joy of living through active learning, integrity, and service to others. We seek to cultivate an inclusive community that nurtures authentic learners who lead and inspire meaningful lives. At Burroughs we do so by valuing and learning from our differences, embracing challenges and championing growth, fostering a culture of great expectations, teaching empathy and the power of service, and offering a balanced and broad experience. Faculty, parents, and students share a commitment to a liberal arts education that strikes a balance among academics, arts, athletics, and activities. We believe that the many dimensions of diversity, equity, and inclusivity are essential to excellence in education, and they are woven into the fabric of the Burroughs experience. 

For more information, see:

• About JBS: https://jburroughs.org/about-jbs
• Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, and Engagement: https://jburroughs.org/about-jbs/diversity-equity-inclusivity
• Working at Burroughs: https://jburroughs.org/about-jbs/working-at-burroughs

Opportunity Description:

John Burroughs seeks a supportive, inspiring, and collaborative teacher to join its Performing Arts department. The primary position to be filled is that of choral director for both middle school and high school students. The candidate for this position should be able to effectively lead a choir and use skill-building activities to improve tone production for both individuals and ensembles with the intent of helping students in grades 7-12 discover and expand their vocal production through a wide range of ages and across a wide range of musical styles. Strong piano skills and experience as a rehearsal accompanist are necessary, as well as the ability to be flexible and the technical competence to adapt and modify musical content as needed. Choirs perform concerts in the fall and spring and play a major role in our annual Holiday Program, which joins choral and orchestral music with spoken word and visual art.  

While our main priority is identifying an outstanding choral music teacher, we would be particularly interested in a candidate who in addition to their background in choral music also has dance experience and would be able to direct the annual student-choreographed dance show and join the production team of the annual musical as a choreographer. Qualifications include knowledge of and experience with choreographing across the range of musical theater styles and the ability to instruct, or at least direct, across the range of studio dance styles including modern, lyrical, hip-hop, ballet, and tap. Experience with show-running is helpful, and excellent organizational skills are essential, as are the ability and willingness to effectively collaborate with colleagues and students. Burroughs teachers in the arts are typically working artists or at least have extensive prior professional experience. We believe that artists who are great teachers can elevate the student experience even more than great arts teachers. To that end, a history of successful work as a professional performer, musical director, choreographer, or dancer is highly desirable.

In addition to their teaching and departmental responsibilities, faculty members are expected to participate in the larger life of the school (e.g., attending morning assembly, supervising a lunch table, and advising students). Teachers are also expected to coach or provide leadership in co-curricular areas (e.g., community engagement; diversity, equity and inclusivity work; student clubs; or student publications). For the ideal candidate, this co-curricular work would be involvement in the musical and dance show.

Qualifications:

A strong candidate will have 

• 3-5 years of experience teaching choral music
• At least a Bachelor’s degree in music education or a closely related field of study
• Strong piano skills and experience as an accompanist
• Strong interpersonal skills
• A demonstrated commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusivity

An ideal candidate will also have

• Significant experience with choreography and dance instruction
• The ability to work as part of a creative team and/or oversee a multi-faceted student production

While we are hopeful to find a candidate with dance experience, please note that a lack of dance experience is not disqualifying.  

Application Process:

Interested candidates should submit the following documents electronically to Sarah Yoselevsky Kaye at skaye@jburroughs.org.

1. Cover letter stating interest in and qualifications for the position 
2. Statement of educational philosophy
3. Current resume as an educator, including phone number and email address
4. If applicable, current resume as a performing artist
5. Names, email addresses, and phone numbers of three references

Files will be reviewed as received with a strong preference given to candidates whose materials are received by January 6, 2025.

After reviewing all applications, John Pierson, chair of the performing arts department, and/or Jennifer Salrin, assistant head of school for academic affairs, will speak to a select group of applicants by phone. From that group, three to four candidates will be invited to Burroughs for a school day during which they will be interviewed; teach a class; go on a student-led tour of our campus; and meet with students, and faculty members, and administrators.

If you have questions about the position, contact John Pierson, chair of the performing arts department, at jpierson@jburroughs.org.

About John Burroughs School

Founded in 1923, John Burroughs School is a top-tier, independent, coeducational, college preparatory day school for 650 students in grades 7-12 located on a 49-acre campus in St. Louis, Missouri. Burroughs strives to instill the joy of living through active learning, integrity, and service to others. We seek to cultivate an inclusive community that nurtures authentic learners who lead and inspire meaningful lives. At Burroughs we do so by loving and learning from our differences, embracing challenges and championing growth, fostering a culture of great expectations, teaching empathy and the power of service, and offering a balanced and broad experience. Faculty, parents, and students share a commitment to a liberal arts education that strikes a balance among academics, arts, athletics, and activities. We believe that the many dimensions of diversity, equity, and inclusivity are essential to excellence in education, and they are woven into the fabric of the Burroughs experience.

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