Debate Coach

About the Employer

Overview

Job Title: Debate Coach - Job Description: Colchester High School is seeking a Debate Coach for the 2026-2027 school year!

Responsibilities

• Coordinating Transportation
• Facilitating Practice
• Researching and discussing topic breakdowns per monthly debate topic
• Running practice and trial debates with structured feedback
• Judging at tournaments (depending on number of judge volunteers)
• Recruitment of players and judges
• Communicating with the team and families

Description

The Vermont Debate and Forensics League (VDFL) oversees competitive speech and debate in Vermont. The style of debate in Vermont is Public Forum, which is a 2v2 format. Teams prepare both pro and con cases to argue in front of a lay judge. Tournaments consist of three rounds at various member schools in Vermont. There are 7-8 tournaments in the season, which usually run from November through February with a state tournament in March. The top two teams at the state tournament are eligible to compete at the NCFL Grand National Debate Tournament over Memorial Weekend.

Team Performance (2024-2025)

Last year, the Chs debate team had two of the top four teams in the state and narrowly missed winning the state championship while finishing 2nd and 3rd. This year, the team won 1st and 4th place at the state championship.

Practice Schedule

• Debate practices begin mid-September
• Two practices per week (2:30-4:00pm)
• Tournaments are on Saturdays (9:00am-3:00pm) throughout the season and are statewide (Burr and Burton, South Burlington, CVU, Thetford Academy, Montpelier High School, Chs)

Reports to

Building Principal or Designee

Working Conditions

• Noise level in the work environment is moderate
• Occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions

Physical Demands

• Regularly required to sit, use hands to finger, or handle
• Regularly required to talk and hear
• Occasionally required to stand and walk