The Lamplighter School

The Lamplighter School is an independent day school in Dallas, Texas, serving roughly 300 to 500 students from preschool through fourth grade. It has no religious affiliation, and Spanish runs through the regular school day rather than as a pull-out class. That integration shapes staffing: Spanish-speaking faculty work alongside classroom teachers rather than visiting on a cart.

Teaching at Lamplighter is built around the early years. Faculty plan for children ages three to ten, which means short attention spans, big questions, and steady hands-on work. Because the school stops at fourth grade, teachers are not pulled toward middle school testing priorities. The focus stays on reading, number sense, Spanish, play, and the habits that carry children into the rest of school.

One honest tradeoff for candidates: a day school in Dallas means no dorm duty and real evenings, but no on-campus housing subsidy either. Compensation at independent day schools in Texas typically includes health insurance, a retirement match, tuition remission for faculty children, and funded professional development. Lamplighter's 2023 financials — about $16.8 million in revenue, $58 million in net assets, and fundraising up 1.3 percent — suggest stable budgets for classroom aides, supplies, and conference travel.

Most openings at The Lamplighter School are faculty teaching positions in the lower grades, along with specialists in art, music, library, and physical education, plus periodic admissions and advancement roles. Hiring usually picks up in late winter for the following academic year.

For teachers who want to stay close to young learners in a well-resourced Dallas day school, The Lamplighter School rewards a close look.