Friends Community School

Friends Community School is a Quaker day school in College Park, Maryland, serving roughly 250 students in elementary and middle grades. Located just outside Washington, D.C., the school draws families committed to values-based learning rooted in Quaker tradition. The mission centers on developing lifelong learners, courageous risk-takers, and peacemakers who discover their potential as individuals and community contributors.

Teaching at Friends Community School means integrating Quaker values—simplicity, honesty, community, peace—directly into daily instruction. Faculty design curricula around meaningful questions, encourage students to take intellectual risks, and model reflective listening. Classrooms feel known and supported because teachers build sustained relationships with each student and family during school hours, then have evenings free. That rhythm appeals to educators who want depth without full-time residential duties.

The day school format shapes hiring across the school. Elementary and middle school classroom teachers, plus specialists in subjects like Spanish language instruction, fill most openings. Support roles in curriculum development and student services emerge periodically. Compensation reflects the nonprofit independent school model: health coverage, retirement contributions, and ongoing professional development are standard. The College Park location keeps salaries reasonable compared to coastal independent schools while remaining competitive within the region.

For teachers drawn to Quaker philosophy or seeking a values-centered environment where peacemaking and community engagement shape academics, this school offers real distinction. Faculty voice carries weight in curriculum decisions because enrollment remains intimate. Departures are visible, and each hire shapes culture for years.