The Co-Op School

The Co-Op School serves 201–300 students from pre-school through 8th grade in Brooklyn, New York. The school operates a day program with no religious affiliation, emphasizing an inquiry-driven curriculum that weaves together traditional academics, studio art, movement, and music. Spanish language instruction is integrated throughout the program. At its core, The Co-Op School centers on social-emotional learning and six values: compassion, uniqueness, innovation, community action, antiracism, and joy.

What distinguishes teaching at The Co-Op School is the role student interest plays in shaping instruction. Rather than imposing a rigid scope and sequence, faculty design lessons around questions students ask and problems they want to solve. This requires teachers who are comfortable with flexibility, who trust student curiosity, and who can pivot when learning opportunities emerge unexpectedly. It also means collaboration across disciplines—an English teacher might partner with the art studio teacher to deepen a unit on narrative and visual storytelling.

The school hires for classroom teaching roles across pre-school, elementary, and middle grades, as well as specialist positions in studio art, movement, and music. Administrative and support staff openings appear periodically. Because The Co-Op School enrolls fewer than 300 students, each hire shapes the community directly. Faculty work closely with families and participate in the school's cooperative governance model, which invites teacher input on institutional decisions.

For educators drawn to inquiry-based, values-centered learning and who value autonomy in curriculum design, The Co-Op School offers a Brooklyn-based setting where student agency is not a slogan but a daily practice.