Teach with Us
As Co-Chairs of the Teacher Leadership Council, we welcome you to our school. Down Under is honored to be one of the only independent studios in this country to have a teacher-written employment agreement, a Teacher Leadership Council for accountability, formal HR with multiple avenues for teacher feedback, as well as employee benefits that include matching retirement, sick days, maternity/paternity and unemployment benefits, and health care for full-time teachers. It is our faculty-focused model and smart strategy that ensured that every Down Under teacher remained employed during a pandemic that saw many teachers lose their jobs.
We, as teachers, created our own employment contract, a simple, language-accessible document that we are deeply proud of. We invited a faculty-appointed employment lawyer to answer our questions and ensure our document was credible. If you join the faculty, you will have a choice of multiple levels of commitments, so all teachers can choose the employment arrangement that best suits them and change it as they see fit. There is no non-compete and all levels of commitment receive the same employee benefits (sick days, matching retirement, access to healthcare for full time, maternity, unemployment) as well as Down Under's unique faculty support including: seasonal faculty meetings with multiple Directors, support of our front of house team (outreach, student care and availability 7am-8pm) and support from Education and Marketing. Pay rates are negotiated based on criteria that include a teachers' credentials and years of experience, uniqueness of their offerings and other factors. This nuanced structure allows us as Co-Chairs to weigh in on all manner of circumstances for example where the value of an offering is simply not equated with a popularity contest or individual circumstances or there may be specialized therapeutic, social justice, or inclusivity benefits to a practice.
Our Teacher Leadership Council is composed of teachers from every tradition and internal school at Down Under and we meet seasonally to oversee all major decisions, shape the school's trajectory, raise issues or spotlight areas we can evolve further. Our Council wrote our Codes of Conduct & Collaboration affirming the supportive, respectful environment we all currently work in and so our teachers hold each other accountable for professional excellence and inclusivity, in partnership with HR. Down Under has always prioritized outstanding teachers who like to collaborate, who put students first and who play nicely with others. Our HR team are well-respected administrators, Dr. Stephen Gresham and Christie Cianciulli (a teacher and non-teacher) and should any teacher wish to bypass management entirely, they can raise issues or questions directly at the Leadership Council through Dr Sabbi Lall, our BIPOC Faculty Collaborator or the Co-Chairs of the Council.
Over the last two decades, Down Under has grown from a group of friends in a parish hall to one of New England’s premier yoga schools with multiple studios, featuring three generations of teacher-to-student lineage and unparalleled credentials, and a breadth and vitality of offerings that declare yoga is for everyone. Down Under offers a stunning array of programming: Daily yoga, meditation and movement classes at all levels and styles from dawn to dusk; Workshops, registration series and festivals; Teacher Training (200 & 300 hour Trainings, Iyengar/Prenatal/Meditation Trainings, Art of Assisting, Ayurvedic Health Counselor Trainings and more); Social Justice programming including Accomplice Circle; Satellite classes, privates and more. The beauty of Down Under is that teachers of wildly different traditions and teaching philosophies cohabitate happily under the same roof, deeply respecting each others’ integrity. Read more about our philosophy.
Welcome to our community. With deep appreciation,
Kate Heffernan, Co-Chair, Teacher Leadership Council | Vinyasa School
Nadja Refaie, Co-Chair, Teacher Leadership Council | Iyengar School
Dr. Sabbi Lall, Co-Chair, Teacher Leadership Council | Restorative School and BIPOC Faculty Collaborator
Down Under Makes the Political Personal
Every teacher on faculty is an official employee: accorded sick days, retirement funds that we match, one of the highest pay rates in the region, maternity/paternity and unemployment benefits and healthcare for full-time teachers. Additionally, our Faculty Director and senior management meet individually with each teacher seasonally to work on realizing their professional goals. Down Under's purpose is to redress the current paradigm of exhausted teachers running all over the city with haphazard schedules, trying to cobble together an income. We commit to slowly but surely changing this model. Nearly two decades ago years ago we committed to creating a space of teaching and learning where faculty and students could make a yoga home. We have never wavered from this vision.
Read our school's philosophy and core values: WHO WE ARE.
Down Under is a great fit for teachers who love the idea of digging in and creating a yoga home.
We value a teacher-studio relationship characterized by a high level of communication in all aspects, transparency, and commitment. For a glimpse into what this looks like, read posts by Jojo Flaherty, Gregor Singleton, and Kate Heffernan.
A Mutual Bond of Trust: What We Give to Our Teachers
Employee Status & Social Security: No more "self-employment" tax as an independent contractor
Sick Time: For you, kids, or even for taking your parents to appointments
Retirement Plans: Employer-matched retirement contributions
Maternity and Paternity Leave: Supporting our families.
Zero-deductible Healthcare: for all full-time teachers (12 or more classes per week)
Full-time Professional Desk Managers: no volunteers behind the desk but knowledgeable managers checking classes
Marketing Support: A full-time marketing team ensures Down Under faculty are promoted in an educational and inspiring manager. Support includes: personalized photography sessions, individual faculty pages, and promotion across social channels.
Seasonal Faculty Meetings: With Faculty Director and senior management helping professional development and support.
Free Drop-in Classes & Discounts on all In-Depth Learning: great teaching stems from great practice
Timely Direct Deposit Pay: No more waiting or going to the bank
Additional Income Streams: From our upcoming 'Tips for Teachers' options to leading workshops & series, corporate & private yoga, festivals & events or even being part of our management team, our brilliant strategic team devotes significant energy to figuring out how to put bread on our teachers' tables.