Mary McDowell Friends School

Mary McDowell Friends School is a K–12 college preparatory day school in Brooklyn, New York, serving 301–500 students with learning disabilities. The school combines rigorous academics with specialized teaching methodologies, anchored in Quaker values of equality, integrity, and social responsibility. Unlike mainstream independent schools, Mary McDowell Friends School exists explicitly to help students with documented learning differences succeed at the highest academic levels and graduate college-ready.

That mission shapes the teaching experience. Faculty work with smaller class sizes and curriculum designed for multi-sensory learning, metacognitive strategy instruction, and individual accommodation plans. Teachers here are problem-solvers who adapt methods to unlock each student's potential rather than expecting students to fit a predetermined mold. The school's anti-racist, equity-centered culture means conversations about belonging and justice are embedded in daily work.

Mary McDowell Friends School employs educators across core academics, special education, arts, languages—including American Sign Language and Spanish—and student support roles. The school values teachers who are both subject-matter experts and skilled at differentiation, who see disability not as deficit but as neurodiversity.

Compensation and benefits are typical for independent schools in New York City, including health insurance and retirement contributions. The Brooklyn location offers urban accessibility without the expense of Manhattan tuition-side burdens.

For educators drawn to mission-driven work with students who have genuine learning differences, Mary McDowell Friends School offers something distinct: a place where specialized pedagogy is the baseline, not an afterthought, and where Quaker principles anchor an anti-racist community.