Job Description

Orinda Academy is seeking a full-time math and science teacher for the remainder of the 2023-2024 school year. The ideal candidate has an advanced degree and experience teaching environmental science, physics, and high school math to students in grades 8 through 12 with learning differences. Experience teaching computer science is a plus. The position requires work hours on campus Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., some evenings and weekends, as needed, and annual “Educational Adventures” travel. Start date: December 4, 2023

Who you are:

• You work with students and challenge them to develop strengths while addressing areas in which the students need greater understanding.
• You have experience working with students with mild to moderate learning differences, ADHD, anxiety disorders, and know how to teach using a variety of teaching methods and types of assessment.
• You really like working with teenagers; they give you energy. 
• You are well versed in student engagement and technology.
• You recognize the need for differentiation to reach all types of learners.
• You have a compassionate, mindful approach to working with each student.
• You are comfortable and skilled speaking and working with parents and guardians, colleagues, students, and student support staff. 
• You are trustworthy and discreet with sensitive information about students and families.
• You are obsessively responsive, proactive, and communicative. 

• You are prepared to attend and participate in independent school activities such as (but not limited to) Back-to-School Night, conferences, student advisory, all-school retreat, club sponsorship, and open houses.

• You are a lifelong learner.
• You have loads of empathy and patience for students who need lots of reminders and support.
• You have a sense of humor and fun.

Who you will work with:

• You will report directly to the Head of School.
• You will occasionally collaborate with other staff for projects and committee work.

Responsibilities:

• Actively instruct students, create lesson plans, assign and correct homework, manage students in the classroom, take daily attendance, maintain an accurate gradebook, communicate with parents, and help students prepare for standardized testing. 
• Serve as a student advisor, monitor study halls, and sponsor clubs and a week-long Educational Adventures program that includes domestic and international travel.
• To create and maintain a climate of trust and positive regard for students.
• Collaborate with colleagues and administration to tailor instruction best suited for our neurodiverse population of students.
• Support and nurture students’ intellectual and social/emotional development.
• Attend weekly staff meetings, Back-to-School Night, Field Trips, Parent Conferences, Open Houses, and school activities.
• Perform other duties as determined by the Head of School.

All faculty and staff employed by Orinda Academy must submit results of a negative TB test and obtain fingerprints for a Live Scan criminal background check by the California Department of Justice. 

Interested candidates are asked to submit a cover letter and resume to the Head of School at nancy@orindaacademy.org.

Salary range: $65,000-$80,000 - salary commensurate with experience and education level. Health, dental, 403b benefits offered.

Orinda Academy is an inclusive and welcoming school that celebrates diversity, including race, color, religion, national and ethnic origin, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, age or any other status protected by applicable law. We welcome candidates representing the diversity of today’s global world.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree
• Experience in special education preferred
• Experience working with teenagers
• Independent school experience preferred
• Ability to collaborate with faculty, staff, admin, and parents
• Strong writing and organizational skills
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, verbally and in writing
• Positive attitude, flexible approach, and a sense of humor

About Orinda Academy

Orinda Academy is an intentionally small independent school serving grades 8-12 in the town of Orinda, California, in the East San Francisco Bay Area. The majority of our students have a diagnosed learning difference, and they come to OA - and stay - because our high-support learning environment helps them to get organized, know themselves and their learning profiles better, and take ownership of their education. We aim to send our graduates out into the world with self confidence, pride, and a good sense of how they are going to make themselves better and make the world a better place. We are committed to honesty, justice, clarity, and the pursuit of knowledge. We want our students and faculty to understand that the things that make us different as individuals make us stronger as a community. We know that all students learn differently, and with our inclusive mission as a foundation, we provide pathways to solid core and elective class offerings that fully prepare each graduate for college, or for any career path they choose. Our teachers and staff members care, and it shows!

Connections working at Orinda Academy