The Chapin School, an independent K-12 day school for girls located in New York City, seeks a part-time Upper School Debate Coach for 2026-27.

All candidates are encouraged to be familiar with Chapin’s website and mission.

Job Overview

The Upper School Debate Teacher and Coach instructs and coaches students in Classes 9-12 participating in Chapin’s growing debate program. Reporting jointly to the Head of Chapin’s K-12 Speech and Debate Program and the Head of Upper School, Chapin’s Debate Coach is expected to work with members of the Debate Team through weekly team meetings and individual coaching sessions, as well as attend all tournaments, which take place chiefly on weekends. This individual will collaborate with the Coordinator of Upper School Speech and Debate, who handles all tournament logistics, from registration and travel arrangements, to the securing and training of faculty chaperones and parent judges, to managing the program budget.

Specific Responsibilities

• Under supervision of the Head of the Speech and Debate Program, recruitment and onboarding of Debate Team students, including advertising at annual extracurricular fair and paperwork and orientation for students

• Support and Coaching of Debate Students

• Design and facilitate Tuesday afternoon team meetings, with student leadership, for effective team-building and skill-strengthening

• Coach debate techniques and strategies for Public Forum, Congressional, and Lincoln-Douglas Debate

• Individual meetings with students, as needed, to practice debate skills

• Under supervision of the Head of Speech and Debate Program, and alongside the Coordinator of Upper School Speech and Debate, mentor student debate leadership

• Communicate disciplinary matters to the Head of the Speech and Debate Program

• Debate Tournaments

• Communicate clearly with Coordinator of Upper School Speech and Debate to ensure smooth running of registration processes

• Judges and Chaperones: communicate clearly with Coordinator of Upper School Speech and Debate to confirm all judges and chaperones have been secured by the Coordinator

• Attend local and away debate tournaments in order to observe and critique performance quality as well as to provide logistical support for all members of the team 

• Support Coordinator of Upper School Speech and Debate by regular maintenance of NSDA point record entries

• Support maintenance of program budget by providing relevant records and receipts to Coordinator of Upper School Speech and Debate

• Coordinate and communicate with Upper School Office of Student Life, team members, families, chaperones, and judges to ensure the smooth running of the program

Time Commitment

The Upper School Debate Coach will be expected to be on campus during the school year on Tuesdays, 1:00-5:30 p.m. and is expected to prepare students for and attend the following tournaments over the course of the 2026-27 school year:

• 6-8 Manhattan Debate League tournaments, held Fridays, generally 3:00-7:30 p.m.

• 8-10 Local debate tournaments, sponsored by the Tri-State Debate League and/or the New York Catholic Forensic League, held Saturdays

• Yale Invitational (October 2-4, Fri-Sun)

• NYC Invitational “Big Bronx” (October 16-18, Fri-Sun)

• Villiger at St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia (November 20-22, Fri-Sun)

• Princeton Classic Tournament (December dates TBD, Fri-Sun)

• Lexington Invitational, Lexington, MA (January dates TBD, Fri-Mon)

• Harvard National Tournament, Cambridge, MA (February 12-15, Fri-Mon)

• Last-Chance Qualifiers for State Tournament, NYC (Feb 20, Sat)

• NSDA Debate Districts, NYC (February 27-28, Fri-Sat)

• Grands (qualifier for National Catholic Forensic League Nationals) (March 7, Sat)

• New York State Championship, Bronx, NY (April 17-18, Sat-Sun)

• Catholic Forensic League Nationals, Minneapolis, MN (May 28-30, Fri-Sun)

• NSDA Nationals, Phoenix, AZ (June 13-18)

Any substitute or additional tournaments will be scheduled in consultation with and at the discretion of the Head of the Speech and Debate Program.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s Degree

• Experience coaching competitive high school debate

Preferred: Experience competing in high school or collegiate debate

Compensation: The salary for this part-time position is $33,000. This position is not eligible for participation in group healthcare benefits

How To Apply: Submit your cover letter and résumé. The committee will consider applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled.