Fine Arts Teacher

Rise Academy is a fully accredited Christian high school serving students in Richmond's East End. Our mission is to cultivate the God-given potential of students through learning opportunities that equip them to flourish. We are committed to academic excellence, spiritual formation, and creating a supportive, student-centered environment where every student is known, valued, and challenged to grow.

Rise Academy seeks a dynamic and engaging Fine Arts Teacher who is passionate about developing students' creativity, confidence, and artistic expression. The successful candidate will teach a variety of Fine Arts courses that may include film production, podcasting, digital music creation, visual arts, media arts, drama, and art exploration. Through innovative and hands-on learning experiences, the teacher will help students discover and develop their artistic talents while exploring creative pathways for self-expression, storytelling, and future opportunities.

The ideal candidate possesses strong content knowledge, a commitment to student growth, and the ability to create engaging learning experiences that connect the arts to students' lives and communities. We seek educators who view students as whole people and are committed to trauma-informed, relationship-centered teaching practices.

This position requires an awareness of the urban student's context, a commitment to culturally responsive teaching, and the ability to thrive in small classroom settings where strong relationships are at the center of student success.

Essential Responsibilities

Instruction & Student Learning

• Plan and deliver engaging Fine Arts instruction in areas such as film production, podcasting, digital music creation, visual arts, media arts, drama, and art exploration for students in grades 9–12.
• Foster creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and self-expression through project-based and performance-based learning experiences.
• Provide students with opportunities to create, perform, produce, and showcase original artistic work across multiple creative mediums.
• Integrate technology and digital tools to support artistic expression, storytelling, collaboration, and innovation.
• Design lessons that are culturally responsive and relevant to students' experiences and interests.
• Differentiate instruction to meet the diverse academic, social-emotional, and artistic needs of students.
• Assess student progress through a variety of formative and summative measures and provide meaningful feedback.

Classroom Culture & Student Support

• Create a positive, inclusive, and structured classroom environment where students feel safe, respected, and encouraged to take creative risks.
• Utilize trauma-informed practices to support student engagement and well-being.
• Build strong relationships with students and families that promote student success.
• Maintain high expectations while supporting students through individualized encouragement and accountability.

School Community & Collaboration

• Collaborate with faculty and staff to support interdisciplinary learning opportunities and school-wide initiatives.
• Contribute to school performances, exhibitions, showcases, chapel programs, and community events as appropriate.
• Participate in professional development, staff meetings, and other school activities.
• Perform assigned duties and responsibilities that support the overall mission and operations of the school.             

At Rise Academy, educators are more than teachers—they are mentors, advocates, and role models. Our small class sizes, supportive community, and mission-driven culture provide opportunities to build meaningful relationships with students and make a lasting impact on their lives.

Join us in cultivating the God-given potential of students in Richmond's East End through the transformative power of creativity, innovation, and the arts.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts, Art Education, Music Education, Media Arts, Film Studies, Theatre/Drama Education, Communications, Digital Media, or a related field required.
• Experience teaching multiple Fine Arts disciplines, including digital media, film, music production, podcasting, visual arts, or drama.
• Demonstrated ability to engage students through creative, student-centered instruction.
• Strong classroom management and relationship-building skills.
• Commitment to trauma-informed practices and culturally responsive teaching.
• Ability to support and uphold the Christian mission and values of Rise Academy.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in Title 1 schools
• Experience teaching high school students preferred.
• Virginia teaching license or eligibility for licensure preferred.

Base salary of $49,701.54 for a full-year contract

Additional compensation for job-related pay factors (education, license, etc.)

Benefits include competitive health insurance plans with dependent care, vision insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, parental leave, mental health benefits, PTO, and more.