The Madeira School

The Madeira School, founded in 1906 in McLean, Virginia, is an independent day and boarding school for high school girls. Enrollment ranges from 301 to 500 students—a size that lets faculty know students deeply while sustaining robust academic and arts programs. The school's founding mission, to help young women understand their world and gain confidence to lead lives of their own making, shapes hiring and curriculum alike.

Teaching at The Madeira School centers on preparing women leaders. Faculty work in an environment where gender equity is institutional priority, not theory. Classes build analytical rigor and intellectual independence. The student audience is intentional, which means your work as a teacher carries particular weight. Many candidates cite this clarity of purpose as what distinguishes the school from coeducational peers.

The Madeira School hires for English, mathematics, sciences, and humanities, plus French, Latin, Spanish, and English as an Additional Language. Day faculty commute; boarding faculty live on or near campus. Both roles embed you in a residential community where students spend evening hours, weekends, and some summers. This lifestyle appeals to teachers seeking immersion over compartmentalization.

Located near Washington, D.C., the school sits in a region of strong independent school resources and competition. That proximity brings recruiting advantages for faculty: access to professional networks, cultural institutions, and a robust job market for trailing spouses or partners. For teachers committed to single-gender education and girls' leadership development, The Madeira School offers a mission-aligned workplace.