Speech & Debate Coach – Multiple Events

About Us

The Palo Alto “Paly” Speech & Debate Program (PASD) is one of the most successful high school forensics programs in California, ranked #5 out of 250 programs in the state and in the top 50 nationwide by the NSDA. With a 20+ year history, we enjoy a strong alumni community, excellent school relations, and a supportive parent and family network. Our no-cuts, no-tryouts membership includes 175+ students and a long line of accomplished, beloved coaches. Our mission is to develop critical thinking, public speaking, and debating skills; to create an inclusive and supportive forensics community; and to promote the values of intellectual inquiry and competitive integrity. We offer Congressional Debate, Extemporaneous Speaking, Interpretative Speech Events, Lincoln Douglas Debate, Original Oratory & Platform Events, Parliamentary Debate, and Public Forum Debate and compete in 40+ tournaments each year, including a wide range of CFL/CHSSA, UKTOC, NPDL-TOC and NSDA.

Role Description – Coach (Multiple Events)

Across multiple events, we’re hiring part-time, on-site coaches for the 2025-2026 season, with strong potential to return for multiple years. The typical time commitment is 4-6 hours per week, including once-a-week in-person practices on site at Palo Alto High School on Monday or Tuesday evening, plus a supplemental weekly virtual practice or office hours by appointment. Coaches are expected to attend 1-2 local/regional tournaments per semester, but are welcome to chaperone additional tournaments. Compensation for all coaches starts at $30/hour. Coaches with prior experience interested in taking on leadership roles may also receive district-funded stipends, which range from $2,000-$6,500 per year.

Experience & Qualifications

• Experience in competing and/or coaching speech and debate, with demonstrated expertise in one or more of the events our program offers.
• Strong interest in developing foundational teaching skills, such as lesson planning, instructional design, and classroom management.
• Local to the San Francisco Bay Area with consistent weekday evening availability from approximately August 2025 through May 2026.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, an organized self-starter who is responsive and consistently follows through on their commitments.
• Desire to work with students of varying skill levels and diverse cultural backgrounds, including students without prior speech & debate experience, English Language Learners, and other under-represented populations.

Please email Kyle Hietala, Program Director & Head Coach, at khietala@pausd.org to express interest. In your email, please share a resume/LinkedIn profile URL and your event expertise/interest.