Are you an experienced, imaginative, and collaborative educator who believes in progressive gifted education? Do you enjoy creating meaningful learning experiences, and being part of a diverse, supportive and talented community? If so, please consider joining our team at Tessellations. We are currently accepting applications for a full-time Visual Arts Teacher for grades PreK-8 to start in August 2026. Competitive salary and full benefits available.

Tessellations is a modern, innovative PreK-8th non-profit school for gifted learners based in Cupertino, CA. Our mission is to provide challenging experiential education that recognizes and nurtures the individual strengths of gifted learners, empowering them to confidently express who they are, pursue a meaningful life, and advance an equitable and sustainable world. 

At Tessellations, community is a core value. A strong community was instrumental in launching our school during the pandemic and has facilitated our rapid growth and success since then. Our team consists of passionate, qualified and dedicated staff from diverse backgrounds and includes a nationally renowned gifted expert. We believe that it is time to open a new chapter in 21st century gifted education by forging a model that fosters a cultural ecosystem within the school that promotes innovative thinking and intellectual risk taking. Moving on from an antiquated model born during the industrial revolution, we favor transferable skills over compliance and rote memorization, and collaboration over competition. We believe that assessments should function as guidance for depth and complexity of learning rather than for judgment or sorting.

Primary Responsibilities

Educational Instruction

• Design and facilitate a dynamic PreK–8 Visual Arts program that centers the creative process, inquiry, experimentation, reflection, revision, and critique, cultivating students’ artistic confidence, technical proficiency, and capacity for original expression, with quality emerging as a result of disciplined practice.
• Collaborate with other teachers and staff to integrate visual arts into the broader curriculum and support student learning.
• Develop, create and implement a vertically aligned scope and sequence guided by the National Art Standards for Visual Arts and the California Arts Standards.
• Implement lessons, activities, and instruction while adapting to the intellectual, physical, and social-emotional needs of students as they arise.
• Teach one once/week elective to 4th-8th students on a topic about which you are passionate.
• Use a variety of teaching methods, including hands-on activities, projects, and multimedia presentations, to meet the diverse needs of all students.
• Make regular and accurate assessments of a lesson’s effectiveness and the extent to which it achieved its instructional outcomes. 
• Regularly use and maintain documentation of multiple forms of assessment to gauge student learning and inform next steps in teaching.
• Maintain effective organizational systems in physical and digital space.
• Manage the materials in the art room, ensuring adequate supplies.
• Maintain and utilize an effective information system on student progress and learning.
• Maintain engaging and organized learning spaces that reflect school identity, program values, and student identities, voices, and learning.
• Prepare progress reports and report cards.
• Plan and lead art related events to build community and share work with families.

Community of Belonging

• Encourage and motivate students to participate in art class and pursue their interests in the visual arts.
• Develop and maintain a positive and inclusive classroom culture that fosters a love of the visual arts.
• Create and foster a safe and supportive learning environment where all students feel heard, seen, and considered.
• Model and foster respectful and collaborative communication practices across the community.
• Support the Tessellations admissions process as needed.
• Support the Tessellations hiring process as needed.

Staff & Family Partnership

• Regularly communicate with families and colleagues to share classroom learnings and activities and to make student skill acquisition and standards visible.
• Provide clear and detailed communication about individual student strengths, areas of growth, as well as areas of challenge through formal and informal verbal and written communication (such as conferences, report cards).
• Communicate in a timely manner and with the appropriate protocols (SST, Alma Incidents, admin consultations, parent communications, etc) when you have cause for concern about a student.  
• Response to family concern is handled with professional and cultural sensitivity. 

Collaborative Professionalism

• Arrive on time to classes and supervision assignments. 
• Ensure proper supervision of all students under your care.
• Utilize curiosity, questions, respect, and empathy in community conversations.
• Honor professional commitments.
• Seek out opportunities for professional development and/or make an effort to conduct action research and/or try new strategies and approaches.
• Welcome feedback from colleagues and supervisors and take action.
• Actively participate in committee and department meetings, always offering suggestions and helping to carry out action items.
• Seek support and utilize resources as needed to ensure execution of educational program and professional commitments.
• Be proactive in serving the community (such as picking up trash, supporting a colleague, volunteering to help cover an emergency absence etc.).
• Complete other duties and responsibilities as required to ensure student safety and educational instruction.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Art Education or art-related field
• Prior elementary and middle school (or related) teaching experience
• Values collegial collaboration and individual improvement
• Openness and flexibility in designing improved learning experiences
• Enthusiastic life-long learner
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Passing a criminal background check upon hire
• Proficiency with technology (GSuite in particular)

Bonus Points

• Experience teaching gifted learners
• Social-emotional teaching experience
• Curriculum development experience
• Familiarity with and commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion & justice issues
• Connection to nature

Compensation

Salary range: $77,000 - $110,000

Benefits include medical, dental, vision, life, short-term disability, 401(k), flexible spending account, paid time off, holidays, and school breaks.

To Apply

Please submit a cover letter and resume to careers@tessellations.school. For more information about our school, visit http://www.tessellations.school.

Tessellations is an Equal Opportunity Employer — we do not discriminate against any employee or job applicant on the bases of race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, sex, or reproductive health decision making.

About Tessellations

Tessellations is a modern, innovative PreK-9th non-profit school for gifted learners based in Cupertino, CA. Our mission is to provide challenging experiential education that recognizes and nurtures the individual strengths of gifted learners, empowering them to confidently express who they are and pursue a meaningful life. At Tessellations, community is a core value. A strong community was instrumental in launching our school during the pandemic and has facilitated our strong growth and success since then. Our team consists of passionate, qualified and dedicated staff from diverse backgrounds and includes a nationally renowned gifted expert. We believe that it is time to open a new chapter in high school education by forging a model that fosters a cultural ecosystem within the school that promotes innovative thinking and intellectual risk taking. Moving on from an antiquated model born during the industrial revolution, we favor durable skills over compliance and memorization, and collaboration over competition. We believe that assessments should function as guidance rather than judgment.

Connections working at Tessellations