A woman wearing glasses holds up a paper with diagrams in a classroom. A bright pink sign reading "HORIZONTAL X-AXIS" is visible in the background.

Employment

A Wonderful Workplace

A woman gestures while speaking in a classroom with decorated walls; a student sits at a desk using a laptop.A teacher leans over a desk to assist a student with their work in a classroom while other students are seated and writing.A teacher stands in front of a colorful music-themed wall, guiding two young boys playing xylophones in a classroom.A woman and a boy stand next to blue lockers in a hallway, smiling and talking with each other.A woman gestures while speaking in a classroom with decorated walls; a student sits at a desk using a laptop.A teacher leans over a desk to assist a student with their work in a classroom while other students are seated and writing.A teacher stands in front of a colorful music-themed wall, guiding two young boys playing xylophones in a classroom.A woman and a boy stand next to blue lockers in a hallway, smiling and talking with each other.
A woman sits at a table talking with three students in a classroom, with college posters displayed on the wall behind them.A woman sits in a library raising her hand, while a young child sitting on the floor also raises his hand. Bookshelves filled with books are visible in the background.A child stands on a suspended swing while an adult assists her in a sensory gym with mats, exercise balls, and equipment in the background.A woman holding a laptop and a man with a backpack talk in a school hallway while other people walk in the background.A woman sits at a table talking with three students in a classroom, with college posters displayed on the wall behind them.A woman sits in a library raising her hand, while a young child sitting on the floor also raises his hand. Bookshelves filled with books are visible in the background.A child stands on a suspended swing while an adult assists her in a sensory gym with mats, exercise balls, and equipment in the background.A woman holding a laptop and a man with a backpack talk in a school hallway while other people walk in the background.

McLean Walks the Talk

Many schools talk about the warmth of their community, the collegiality, and the deep sense of caring and trust among and between students, faculty, staff, administration, and parents. At McLean, born from the mission of serving learners that span the range of racial, socio-economic, cultural, and learning strengths and challenges, that deep sense of caring for one another provides bedrock foundation. Many schools talk about their expanding ability to serve students who learn differently, but McLean has been built for that mission from the start. Through its Abilities Model®, McLean teaches to each student’s strengths, while providing support in areas of need, and McLean never defines students by what they cannot do. We invite you to view our employment opporutnities.

A teacher writes on a whiteboard while a student stands nearby in a classroom with lockers and colorful posters on the walls.

Employment Opportunities

Immediate Openings

McLean School (mcleanschool.org), a K-12 co-educational independent school in Potomac, Maryland, is seeking applicants for After School Staff to begin in August 2025. McLean School has, for 70 years, been helping bright students realize their full potential by providing a comprehensive college preparatory program that emphasizes small classes and differentiated instruction. Through our Abilities Model®, we embrace both traditional learners and ones with mild to moderate learning challenges. We recognize and teach to individual strengths, responding to areas of challenge, but never defining students by them.

The staff member will have an appreciation for students with mild to moderate learning challenges and seek to build self-confidence in our students as they learn to advocate for themselves and prepare for success in college and life. This position requires a dynamic individual with vision and patience. Most importantly, they will subscribe to McLean School’s Core Values, our Mission, and our Philosophy, and will seek passionately to uphold and promote them. After-school staff recognize that play is the work of young children, and they build on children’s natural curiosity to promote a love of learning.

The ideal candidate is interested in working with students in a non-classroom environment. They are energetic, creative, patient, and enjoy participating in activities with students. Preferably, they have experience working with students who face learning challenges, including dyslexia, academic performance anxiety, ADHD, organizational issues, and those who are gifted. They possess the ability to diffuse escalated emotions and problem solve alternatives. Creativity, flexibility, and strong communication skills are a necessity.

McLean School is an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, family responsibilities, disability, genetic status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. If you need a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the recruitment process, please contact Director of Executive Support Recruitment, Robin Speller.

Interested applicants should fill out an online Application and upload their Cover Letter and Résumé.

McLean School, a K-12 co-educational independent school in Potomac, Maryland, seeks applicants for Substitute Teachers immediately. College degree preferred.

McLean School has for sixty-five years been helping bright students realize their full potential by providing a comprehensive college preparatory program that emphasizes small classes and differentiated instruction. Through our Abilities Model®, we embrace both traditional learners and ones with mild to moderate learning challenges. We recognize and teach to individual strengths, responding to areas of challenge, but never defining students by them.

This position requires a candidate that can teach to a diverse population of students who possess a wide range of learning strengths and challenges. Most importantly, the McLean Substitute Teacher will subscribe to our Core Values, our Mission, and our Philosophy.

The McLean School is an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, family responsibilities, disability, genetic status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. If you need a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the recruitment process, please contact Executive Support Manager, Robin Speller.

Interested applicants should fill out an online Application and upload their Résumé.

Positions for 2026-2027

McLean School (mcleanschool.org), a K-12 co-educational independent school in Potomac, Maryland, seeks applicants for a Grades 9-12 Coordinator of Learning Services to begin in August.

For 70 years, McLean School has been helping bright students realize their full potential by providing a comprehensive college preparatory program that emphasizes small classes and differentiated instruction. We embrace both traditional learners and ones with dyslexia, ADHD, and executive functioning challenges. Through our Abilities Model®, we recognize and teach to individual strengths, responding to areas of challenge but never defining students by them—all within a program that incorporates challenging academics, championship sports teams, performing and visual arts, robotics, service learning, and more. McLean School is proud of its caring and collaborative community of highly trained and experienced educators.

This position reports directly to the Head of Upper School and works closely with McLean School counselors, college counselors, faculty, students, and parents. The ideal candidate possesses a minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Education or a related field. We seek an organized, patient, creative, and flexible professional who has an appreciation for students with mild to moderate learning challenges and aims to help foster self-confidence in our students as they learn to advocate and prepare for success in college and beyond.

Job Responsibilities

  • Foster positive and productive relationships with members of the student body and their families
  • Collaborate with the Upper School administration and faculty to ensure educational best practices are being implemented to support student learning
  • Maintain and update resources on learning, best practices, strategies, and accommodations for students, faculty, and the community
  • Manage and scaffold the acute educational support needs on a rotating basis
  • Create and update Student Learning Profiles
  • Partner with the College Counseling team to support students and parents in the standardized testing process
  • Coordinate logistics for accommodations and provide test or quiz accommodations that cannot be administered in the classroom
  • Communicate with teachers and outside professionals to provide updated student forms for psychological or neuropsychological assessments
  • Serve on the following committees:
    • Upper School Student Support Team
    • Upper School Admission Committee
    • K-12 Coordinators of Learning Services

Desired Skills and Personal Characteristics

Among many attributes, successful candidates will have:

  • A steadfast belief that every student can be successful and a desire to get to know each student in the division
  • An understanding of how students with dyslexia, academic anxiety, ADHD, and organizational issues learn and how best to support them
  • Familiarity with and passion for individualized approaches that teach to each student’s strengths
  • Experience in the logistics of PSAT, AP, SAT, and ACT accommodations and testing
  • Knowledge of how learning support measures are implemented in secondary and postsecondary educational institutions
  • An open-minded and eager approach to McLean’s uniquely successful ways of working with students’ academic and social-emotional needs.
  • A commitment to McLean’s Abilities Model®

McLean School is an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, family responsibilities, disability, genetic status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. If you need reasonable accommodation due to a disability during recruitment, please contact Director of Executive Support and Recruitment, Robin Speller.

McLean School (mcleanschool.org), a K–12 independent school in Potomac, Maryland, seeks a skilled and dependable Senior Facilities Maintenance Technician to support the day-to-day maintenance, repair, and operation of campus facilities. Reporting to the Director of Facilities, this position plays a critical hands-on role in ensuring that the School’s buildings, systems, and grounds are safe, functional, and well-maintained.

For more than 70 years, McLean School has helped bright K-12 students realize their full potential through a college-preparatory program grounded in an understanding of each student’s strengths and challenges. Through its Abilities Model®, McLean fosters confident, capable learners who are known and valued.

The ideal candidate brings broad technical expertise across multiple trades—including HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and carpentry—along with a proactive, service-oriented approach. This individual will be an essential partner in maintaining a campus environment that supports teaching, learning, and community life.

The Facilities team at McLean is intentionally small and highly collaborative, consisting of the Director of Facilities and the Senior Facilities Maintenance Technician, and is supported by an evening custodial team that cleans and prepares the school each night for the next day. This structure provides the opportunity for significant hands-on involvement, autonomy, and close partnership in supporting all aspects of campus operations.

McLean School serves approximately 500 students across two campuses. This role primarily supports the School’s 100,000-square-foot Middle and Upper School Campus (grades 5–12) on a 9+ acre property, with additional support for the Lower School Campus as needed.

This is a full-time, on-site position with a typical daytime schedule. Flexibility is required for occasional evenings and weekends, as well as for emergency response, particularly during inclement weather or school events.

This role offers the opportunity to take ownership of a well-established campus, work closely with a collaborative leadership team, and make a visible impact on the daily experience of students and faculty.

Key Responsibilities

Building Systems & Technical Maintenance

  • Perform preventative, routine, and emergency maintenance on HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and mechanical systems, including boilers, chillers, and building management systems.
  • Inspect, troubleshoot, and repair system components, including motors, belts, thermostats, fixtures, lighting, outlets, and basic circuitry.
  • Facilities Repairs & Campus Operations
  • Complete general repairs and upkeep, including painting, drywall, ceilings, flooring, doors, windows, locks, and minor carpentry.
  • Install and maintain classroom fixtures and furniture.
  • Support event setup and breakdown, and assist with general campus needs and emergency cleanups.

Safety, Grounds & Team Support

  • Support life-safety systems through routine checks and basic maintenance (e.g., emergency lighting, fire extinguishers).
  • Perform snow removal and help maintain safe campus conditions during inclement weather.
  • Assist with custodial oversight, supply inventory, and coordination with vendors.
  • Ensure all work is performed in accordance with safety standards and school policies.

Responsiveness & Collaboration

  • Respond to urgent and after-hours maintenance needs, including evenings, weekends, and weather-related events.
  • Collaborate with the Director of Facilities and school staff to ensure a safe, well-maintained, and fully operational campus.

Qualifications

  • Minimum of 5–7 years of facilities maintenance experience required; 7+ years preferred, particularly in roles involving independent responsibility across multiple trades.
  • Demonstrated technical proficiency across multiple trades, including HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and carpentry.
  • Familiarity with building management systems (e.g., Trane, Niagara) preferred.
  • Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
  • Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities.
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills with a customer-service mindset.
  • Ability to lift and move heavy objects (up to 150 pounds) and perform physically demanding tasks.
  • Willingness to work flexible hours, including evenings, weekends, and during emergencies.
  • Valid driver’s license required.

Core Competencies

  • Technical problem-solving
  • Reliability and responsiveness
  • Attention to detail and safety
  • Collaboration and teamwork

Compensation

Salary Range: $70,000–$90,000, commensurate with experience

McLean School is an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, family responsibilities, disability, genetic status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. If you need a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the recruitment process, please contact Director of Executive Support & Recruitment, Robin Speller.

Interested applicants should fill out an online Application and upload their cover letter, résumé, and list of references.

McLean School (mcleanschool.org), a K-12 co-educational independent school in Potomac, Maryland, seeks applicants for a Grade 5 teacher position beginning in August 2026. 

McLean School has, for over 70 years , been helping bright students realize their full potential by providing a comprehensive college-preparatory program that emphasizes small classes and differentiated instruction. Through our Abilities Model®, we embrace both traditional learners and ones with mild to moderate learning challenges. We recognize and teach to individual strengths, responding to areas of challenge, but never defining students by them.

The Grade 5 teacher will teach students history, literature, English, math, and support a homeroom. The ideal candidate should have experience working with students with learning challenges, including dyslexia, academic performance anxiety, and attention issues, as well as gifted students, and should be skilled at assessing students’ strengths and areas of need to craft lessons that meet their academic needs. Creativity, flexibility, and strong communication skills are a necessity. 

We welcome candidates who are committed to student-centered pedagogy, differentiated instruction, and multi-sensory learning. Successful candidates must be willing to collaborate, innovate, and grow as teachers. Most importantly, he or she will subscribe to our Core Values, our Mission, and our Philosophy and will seek passionately to uphold and promote them.

Salary Range is $55,000-$90,000 depending on experience.  

McLean School is an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, family responsibilities, disability, genetic status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. If you need a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the recruitment process, please contact Director of Executive Support and Recruitment, Robin Speller.

Interested applicants should fill out an online Application and upload their cover letter, résumé, statement of educational philosophy, and list of references.

McLean School in many ways looks like the framework of a typical, maybe even traditional college-prep school. But what happens within that framework is anything but traditional.

The school has attracted deeply caring and trained educators whose passion is discovering and teaching to the unique abilities of each student in whatever innovative, personal, or progressive manner is best for the student. With close to 500 students in grades K-12, McLean School is delivering on the promise of giving students skills, confidence, tools, and knowledge to succeed in college and beyond.

A group of students stand around a piano holding sheet music and singing while a teacher sits at the piano in a classroom.

6 Reasons Why You Should Be Part of our Faculty and Staff Community

It’s no surprise that McLean’s teachers and staff are as happy to be here as the students we teach: we all feel supported in our efforts to learn, stretch and grow. It’s a culture that can be hard to come by… which is one reason our faculty tends to stick around! Here are a few of the other reasons:

Reason 1: McLean “Magic”

“There’s something about this place that’s hard to put into words, but you know it when you feel it. An energy, a culture, a certain type of confidence that comes from people having a job you love and being surrounded by people who feel the same way.”

Reason #2: Our Mentorship Program

“You’re always encouraged to change and modify your approcah based on what is best for each child. And you don’t have to figure that all out on your own. There’s a wealth of resources from mentor teaches who support you all the way.”

Reason #3: Flexibility in What We Teach and How We Teach It

“Teaching the way kids learn requires flexibility you won’t find in most school settings. And it’s one thing to say ‘hey do what you need to do,’ but another to actually provide the structure and professional support to make that possible. And knowing that I have the trust and confidence of my colleages means everything to me.”

Reason #4: Professional Perks

“We work hard, but we get to have fun, too. We are fully encouraged to enjoy the weight room, yoga, fitness classes, mindfulness programs, our wonderful lunch offerings, and more. This is a place that supports us fully: mind, body, and soul!”

Reason #5: Location

“Our proximity to DC opens up experiential learning opportunities and is just a great place in general to live. From the Smithsonian to Congress, free cultural events, and parks, the Greater Washington area is packed with places and programs that enrich my professional and personal experiences.”

Our Location

Reason #6: We Prioritize Professional Development

“This is a culture of learning, and that includes the faculty. When it comes to professional development, McLean is generous and encouraging. It creates a sense of excitement, like we’re incubating new ideas all the time and making our best practices even better. As an educator, I couldn’t ask for more.”

Commitment to Diversity and Equity

McLean School’s commitment to diversity/equity is an extension of our mission to make education accessible, stimulating, and meaningful to a broad range of learners.

McLean embraces diversity and values the integrity of all individuals. We offer equitable opportunity to learn from the wealth that diversity renders to all community members in the recognition of differences of ethnicity, race, religion, socioeconomic status, culture, sexual orientation, or gender. This recognition enriches our community and encourages our students to be better leaders and more responsible citizens. We believe that our students will acquire an appreciative sensitivity to different people and cultures and that they will be more secure in themselves and better prepared to enjoy the richness and possibilities of the wonderfully diverse world they will inherit.

Toward this end, McLean School commits itself to:

  • Continue to develop a school culture and curricula that will teach our students both the skills and the sensibilities necessary for living in a world of change and difference;
  • Achieve an educationally enriching level of diversity in the student body, the faculty, staff, and the Board of Trustees; and
  • Provide the resources and support needed to secure the self-esteem of every child.

The School expects that all community members will support diversity/equity at McLean School, just as the School expects that all community members will benefit from that work.

Three students in safety goggles conduct a science experiment with liquids in a classroom laboratory setting.

Non-Discrimination

McLean School is an equal opportunity employer and makes all employment decisions, including those related to recruitment, hiring, training, retention and promotion on the basis of an individual’s ability and job-related qualifications and without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, age, national origin, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other classification proscribed and protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.