Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School (LREI)

Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School, known as LREI, is a progressive day school in New York City serving about 550 students from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. Founded in 1921, LREI has anchored its mission around independent thinking and collaborative problem-solving. The school enrolls a diverse student body and operates without religious affiliation, creating space for families across many backgrounds and beliefs.

Teaching at LREI means joining faculty committed to progressive pedagogy—not lecture-based instruction, but student-centered learning where classroom structures give children real voice. Teachers design curriculum around complex problems that require multiple perspectives and debate. This approach demands educators who can tolerate ambiguity, facilitate discussion rather than deliver answers, and view disagreement as intellectual fuel. It is intellectually demanding work that rewards faculty willing to experiment.

LREI's financial stability backs this mission. The school maintains strong net assets and consistent fundraising growth, which translate into small class sizes, ongoing professional development, and classroom resources that progressive teaching requires. Day school teaching here also means no residential duties—faculty focus on classroom and school life rather than dorm supervision or evening obligations.

LREI hires across disciplines and grade levels: English, math, science, history, world languages including Mandarin Chinese, French, and Spanish, arts, and physical education. Administrative, advancement, and support roles open periodically. The school actively seeks teachers with prior progressive education experience or documented skill designing student-centered curricula. Faculty salaries and benefits are competitive within independent schools serving New York City families.

For educators drawn to pedagogical experimentation over standardized test optimization, Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School offers rare institutional backing and a mission-driven community.