High School Teacher Job Description Template

In plain language: Identifies the exact job title, the academic department, the school name, and whether the role is full-time, part-time, or contract.

Common mistake: Using a generic title like 'Teacher' without specifying grade level or subject. This creates ambiguity when assigning duties or evaluating performance against role-specific standards.

In plain language: A 3–5 sentence overview of why the position exists, what the teacher is accountable for at the highest level, and how the role serves the school's educational mission.

Common mistake: Copying the role summary from another school's posting without tailoring it to the institution's curriculum framework, values, or accreditation standards.

In plain language: Lists the core teaching responsibilities: lesson planning, delivering instruction, differentiating for diverse learners, assessing student work, and maintaining grade records.

Common mistake: Omitting IEP and accommodation responsibilities from the duties list. A teacher hired without awareness of these obligations may claim the duties were outside the agreed scope.

In plain language: Covers non-instructional expectations: attending faculty meetings, parent-teacher conferences, extracurricular supervision, and reporting obligations.

Common mistake: Leaving co-curricular supervision unspecified. Disputes over whether coaching, club supervision, or after-school duties are included in the base role are among the most common teacher grievances.

In plain language: States the minimum education credentials, valid teaching certificate or license, and any subject-area endorsements the candidate must hold at the time of hire.

Common mistake: Listing a certification as 'preferred' when applicable law or accreditation standards actually require it. This exposes the school to regulatory penalties and limits the defensibility of a hire.

In plain language: States that employment is conditional on passing a criminal background check, sex offender registry screening, and any jurisdiction-specific child protection clearances.

Common mistake: Omitting the background check condition from the job description. Hiring without documented clearance conditions creates liability if an incident occurs and the school cannot show it met its duty of care.

In plain language: Identifies who the teacher reports to, how performance will be assessed, the evaluation frequency, and the consequences of unsatisfactory ratings.

Common mistake: Not specifying the evaluation framework by name. Vague performance standards make it significantly harder to document and defend a termination-for-cause decision.

In plain language: States the salary range or pay scale step, payment frequency, and a reference to benefits eligibility — health, dental, pension, and PTO — without locking in specific plan details.

Common mistake: Stating a specific salary figure rather than a range or schedule reference. A fixed number in the job description can conflict with negotiated offer terms and creates misaligned expectations.

In plain language: Describes the work schedule (instructional days, duty-free periods, planning periods), the physical environment, and any physical demands relevant to the role.

Common mistake: Omitting physical requirements entirely. Without this clause, disability accommodation requests and fitness-for-duty assessments lack a documented baseline to evaluate against.

In plain language: States the governing jurisdiction, references any applicable collective bargaining agreement, and includes a standard equal opportunity employment statement.

Common mistake: Omitting the CBA reference in a unionized school district. If the district has a CBA and the job description conflicts with its terms, the CBA prevails — and the omission signals to candidates and arbitrators that the employer did not review the contract.

A high school teacher job description is a formal document that defines the duties, required qualifications, certifications, reporting structure, compensation range, and employment conditions for a secondary-level teaching position. It serves as the authoritative reference for recruitment postings, offer letters, performance evaluations, and — in the event of a dispute — documentation of what the employee agreed to perform.

At minimum: position title and department, a role summary tied to the school's curriculum framework, detailed instructional and administrative duties (including IEP and accommodation responsibilities), required and preferred qualifications, certification and licensure requirements, background check conditions, reporting structure and evaluation framework, compensation range or salary schedule reference, working conditions, and an equal opportunity employer statement. Missing any of these creates compliance gaps or candidate expectation mismatches.

A job description is not a standalone employment contract, but it carries significant legal weight. In many jurisdictions, duties listed in a job description are treated as the agreed scope of work and can be introduced in arbitration or litigation to support or contest a termination-for-cause decision or a grievance claim. In unionized settings, a job description that contradicts the collective bargaining agreement can be challenged as a violation of the CBA.

Requirements vary by jurisdiction. In the US, teachers typically need a state-issued teaching license with a subject-area endorsement for the relevant grade band (grades 9–12). Most states require a bachelor's degree, completion of a state-approved teacher preparation program, and passage of subject-matter and pedagogy exams. In Canada, a provincial Certificate of Qualification is required. In the UK, Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) is the standard credential. International schools may accept International Baccalaureate or Cambridge qualifications in lieu of local certification.

Yes — in virtually every jurisdiction that permits teachers to work with minors, background and safeguarding checks are legally mandated before employment begins. Including the specific required checks in the job description documents the school's awareness of its duty of care and sets clear expectations for candidates. The description should name each check type (criminal history, sex offender registry, child abuse clearance, etc.) and state that employment is contingent on satisfactory results.

In unionized school districts, the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) governs wages, hours, and working conditions. Where any term in a job description conflicts with the CBA, the CBA prevails. A well-drafted job description cross-references the applicable CBA by name and effective date and ensures that duties, schedule references, and compensation language are consistent with current CBA provisions. Discrepancies discovered during a grievance proceeding typically favor the employee.

Yes — and it should be. The duties and qualifications listed in the job description form the baseline against which performance is measured during formal evaluations. Evaluation frameworks like the Danielson Framework or district rubrics are most defensible when tied directly to the documented scope of the role. Teachers whose evaluations reference duties not listed in their job description have successfully challenged adverse ratings in arbitration on that basis.

A job description defines the role — what the teacher is expected to do, the qualifications required, and the compensation range. An employment contract is a binding agreement signed by both parties that creates legal obligations, including notice periods, IP and confidentiality terms, non-solicitation provisions, and severance. Schools should use both: the job description for recruitment and role definition, and a signed employment contract (or union-governed appointment letter) to govern the binding terms of the relationship.

Private schools generally have more flexibility in drafting job descriptions because they are not bound by district CBAs or the same tenure statutes that apply to public school teachers. However, private schools must still comply with applicable state or provincial certification requirements, federal employment anti-discrimination laws, and child safeguarding mandates. Private schools in some US states may hire non-certified teachers if they meet alternative qualifications, but this should be stated explicitly in the job description to avoid candidate confusion.