Westland School

Westland School is an independent elementary day school in Los Angeles serving roughly 150 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. The school has no religious affiliation and builds its program on progressive education. Teachers work together to design and teach an integrated, hands-on curriculum centered on social studies rather than following preset textbooks or mandated lessons.

What sets teaching here apart is real collaborative input. You are not executing a fixed scope-and-sequence handed down from administration. Instead, you shape what students learn and how they learn it alongside your grade-level team each year. The school prizes child-centered instruction that builds self-motivation and curiosity over competition and grades. For elementary teachers tired of rigid curricula, this cooperative model offers genuine autonomy and professional voice.

At 150 students across six grades, you know nearly every child and their family personally. That enrollment size creates relationships with students and colleagues that larger schools cannot sustain. Each student understands their role in a community focused on collective growth rather than individual ranking or achievement hierarchies.

Financial strength supports faculty retention and classroom resources. Westland maintains solid net assets and steady fundraising growth. That stability means less budget strain than many smaller independent schools face. Teachers can focus on teaching instead of worrying about school survival.

Westland School hires for elementary teaching positions across all grade levels, plus administrative and support staff roles. The school offers a day program in Southern California for educators seeking progressive values and child-centered learning as lived daily practice—not just marketing language.