Washington International School

Washington International School opened in 1966 and now serves about 900 students from preschool through grade 12. The school runs two day campuses in northwest Washington, DC, and has no religious affiliation. Many families come through diplomatic posts, the World Bank, or academic appointments. That turnover gives most classrooms a steady mix of nationalities and home languages.

Teaching here rests on two pillars: language immersion and the International Baccalaureate. Early grades run full immersion in French or Spanish. Mandarin and Italian come in later. Faculty teach the IB Primary Years, Middle Years, and Diploma programs, often in a second language. Near-native fluency in French, Spanish, Mandarin, or Italian is common for classroom roles, though English-track subjects also hire.

The finances are steady. With roughly $50 million in annual revenue and $89 million in net assets as of 2023, the school funds competitive DC day-school salaries, medical and dental coverage, retirement contributions, and ongoing IB workshop training for faculty. That training matters. IB certification travels well to international schools on every continent, which makes a stint here a real career asset.

Open faculty jobs typically span world languages, humanities, sciences, math, and the arts, plus learning support, admissions, advancement, technology, and operations roles across both campuses. Turnover is modest, so each hire shapes a department for years. New teachers tend to arrive from IB or international school backgrounds rather than traditional US independent schools.

For candidates who want an IB classroom, a global student body, and a day schedule in DC, Washington International School rewards a close look.