Job Description

The Treehouse: a Forest Garden School 

Milwaukie, OR

Waldorf Inspired, Outdoor Early Childhood Education 

School Assistant

Who We Are:  
The Treehouse: a Forest Garden School is a Waldorf inspired program that holds a unique balance of being a certified Center through the Early Learning Division with beautiful indoor classrooms, while operating more as a Forest School, with our Saplings and Oaks being in our outdoor classroom for the majority of our school day. We are a place where children learn to love themselves, others, and the earth as we engage the head, heart, and hands of each child.

Our Acorn class (Infant - 23months) follows RIE principals and has a lovely "Little's Garden" attached to their indoor classroom so our youngest studnent's get ample outside time as well. 

 

We offer a fruitful nature-based curriculum and an immersive outdoor experience in our budding Forest Garden on our 1/3 acre. Students enjoy natural & handmade toys, daily activities of yoga, painting, finger plays, music and gardening.

 

We serve 6 weeks - 6 year olds: Infants, Toddlers, Preschool and Kindergarten. ​

Compensation:

• 40 hrs Paid Time Off + 2 Weeks during the Summer.
• All Co-teachers and Lead Teachers are salaried, receiving 23 paid days off a school year.
• $50/monthly Health Reimbursement (most often goes towards your healthcare premium).
• $100/annual Gear Reimbursement.
• Please see our current Staff Pay Brackets for a breakdown ('25-'26 rates will be released in the Spring). 
• Lead Teachers will receive a $150 monthly bonus to be used at their discretion. 
• The teacher cupboard will be stocked monthly according to teacher requests and budget approval. 
• Examples: Free herbs, supplements, tea, vitamins, Kombucha, Elderberry Syrup. 
• One week of paid Staff Development: teacher training, stress management and self awareness training. 
• 50% off of tuition for employee's dependents of age 6 weeks - 6 years, if space allows in our programs. Contract still applies, as do our Financial Aid protocols. Preference given for a child to enroll in a classroom different from their parents. 

Commitment: We ask for a minimum of a 1-year commitment for Teachers. 

Full Time School Assistant:

• Position starts on August 25th for a week of all school Teacher Training. 
  • May sub over the summer. 
  • May have some training dates over the summer, especially towards the end of August.
• This position is our built-in substitute. They also support all three classes in special projects, when teachers are in meetings, or when student ratios need to be lowered due to a child or class needing more support.
• DRAFT: School Assistant Compensation Agreement 2025-2026 
  • M-F 8:30-3:45 is the base schedule but will vary based on substitute needs. We are looking for someone with availability until 5pm. 

Required certificates include (may be obtained upon employment):

• Pediatric CPR and 1st Aid Certificate.
• Oregon Food Handlers Card.
• Enrollment in the Background Registry.
• Introduction to Child Care Health and Safety (ICCHS).
• Safe Sleep Training.
• Foundations for Learning.
• Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect.
• Additional RIE infant training is needed in the infant classroom and may be obtained after hiring.

Basic Physical Requirements:
Working in early childhood education and especially working at a Forest Garden school requires specific physical abilities:

• Physical ability to lift and carry children and equipment.
• Ability to lift up to 40 lbs.
• Ability to lift or carry 13-40 pounds regularly, depending on what class you work in.
• Ability to move safely over uneven terrain.
• Ability to respond quickly to sounds.
• Ability to see and respond to dangerous situations.
• Ability to work in an all weather environment - outside for up to 8hrs (were closed for snow days and follow the wind-heat-chart.pdf which means we may be outside on 90+ degree days) Please highly consider if teaching at The Treehouse is the right fit for you if you are sensitive to heat or cold. 
• Will be exposed to illness causing bacteria and viruses
• While we have a strict sickness policy at The Treehouse, teachers are naturally exposed to illness, especially because young children are still gaining basic hygiene skills, and infants do not possess these skills at all. Please highly consider if teaching in early childhood is the right fit for you if you have a lower or compromised immune system as it is vital for the sustainability of our program to have staff that are not out sick often. 

Knowledge of and/or experience in Waldorf early childhood, REI is highly sought after!

All Lead Teachers must be “Teacher Qualified” through the Early Learning Division 
Requirements on Page 75. 

Application Instructions:

Please email required application materials to desirae.thetreehouse@gmail.com (see below) with the email subject titled "Acorn Lead Teacher Applicant".

Please Note: Applications will be dismissed if any of the following is negated.

Please do not call the school to follow up - we do not have a receptionist.

Application Materials Include:

• Resume.
• Names and phone numbers of three work and/or teaching-related references
• Cover letter with answers to the following:
  • How has your experience prepared you for the responsibilities of this position?
  • We follow the Waldorf philosophy and teach through an emergent curriculum. How would your approach combine with ours?
  • Our Forest Garden is a dynamic part of our curriculum. Elaborate on your experience and awareness of the Forest School movement and/or Outdoor Education. 
  • We encourage our whole staff to use their interests to enrich the overall experience we provide to both children and families. How could your interests and skill set enrich our program?
• If applying for Infant care: 
  • What is your knowledge and experience of RIE?
  • What describes the ideal infant teacher, highlighting the joys and difficulties of infant care?

After an interview, qualified applicants will show the ability to foster and lead a healthy working environment through a working interview.

Please review our website before applying.

About The Treehouse: A Forest Garden School

The Treehouse: a Forest Garden School is a nonprofit Waldorf-inspired program for children 6 weeks - 6 years, established in 2010. After a recent move and expansion from an in-home school, we are now stewarding a 1/3 acre just outside of Portland, Oregon where we are developing a food forest, permaculture learning garden, and offer a holistic education for children to truly thrive! Our core intention at The Treehouse is to develop curiosity by surrounding children with an environment of security, beauty, creativity, and wonder. We are a place where children learn to love themselves, others, and the earth as we engage the head, heart, and hands of each child. At The Treehouse, we support the child, their family, and their community. With our recent expansion to our new center, we have plans to start adult education through community workshops! We offer a unique opportunity for families as a state-certified center providing an indoor classroom dedicated to beauty and a fully equipped outdoor classroom in our forest garden where children will be outside in all weather for up to 6 ½ hours a day. Offering high-quality outdoor education has us pushing the envelope on what state-licensed schools typically offer. Treehouse’s program follows the local school year calendar for children 6 weeks - 6-year-olds and offers a Forest School Summer Program for children through the age of 12. We are eternally grateful for the resources that we have the opportunity to steward and have us striving to give back from our abundance.

About The Treehouse: A Forest Garden School:

The Treehouse: a Forest Garden School is a non profit Waldorf inspired program for children 6 weeks - 6 years, established in 2010. After a recent move and expansion from an in-home school we are now stewarding a 1/4 acre just outside of Portland, Oregon where we are developing a food forest, permaculture learning garden and offer a holistic education for children to truly thrive! We offer a unique opportunity for families as a state certified center providing an indoor classroom dedicated to beauty and a fully equipped outdoor classroom in our forest garden where children will be outside in all weather up to 6 ½ hours a day. Offering high quality outdoor education definitely has us pushing the envelope on what state licensed schools typically offer. Treehouse’s program follows the local school year calendar for children 6 weeks - 6 year olds and offers a Forest School Summer Program for children through the age of 12. We are eternally grateful for the resources that we have the opportunity to steward and have us striving to give back from our abundance.

Job Tags

Full time, Contract work, Summer work, Local area, Outdoor,

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