Upper School Photography and Visual Arts Teacher (2026-27)

Riverdale Country School • Bronx, NY

9h

About The Position

Riverdale Country School, a Pre-K through Grade 12 independent all-gender school in New York City, is dedicated to inspiring students to live meaningful and purpose-driven lives. The school achieves this by fostering a culture of academic excellence, critical thinking, and curiosity, supported by a diverse and inclusive community. Riverdale emphasizes both high challenge and high support in its approach to education, encouraging students to engage deeply in interdisciplinary learning, research, and experiential education, both inside and outside the classroom and beyond our campuses. This holistic approach aims to develop well-rounded individuals who are prepared to make a positive impact on the world. At Riverdale, we strive to reflect the diversity of the New York metropolitan area in our students, faculty, and staff. We believe that a diverse and inclusive community enriches the educational experience and is integral to our mission. With a student body of approximately 1,300 students from 117 different zip codes, Riverdale is a vibrant community where 48% of our students identify as students of color. We seek to employ educators and leaders who bring a student-centered approach, passion for their work, a commitment to DEIB, and a desire to contribute to the growth and development of our entire school community. The Upper School Photography and Visual Arts Teacher in the Art and Design Department is a full-time, academic-year faculty member responsible for designing and delivering a comprehensive photography curriculum in the Upper School, including Photo I and Photo II, plus related electives. This role blends technical instruction (camera operation, studio lighting, digital workflow, film processing) with conceptual development, storytelling, critique practice, and portfolio preparation to help students build visual literacy and prepare for advanced or creative studies at a university level. In addition to classroom/studio teaching, the teacher will manage a small film lab and a photography studio: overseeing film processing workflows, chemical safety, studio equipment and scheduling, and routine maintenance and procurement. The ideal candidate brings strong photographic practice and pedagogy, experience supervising lab/studio spaces, and a commitment to inclusive, student-centered learning and co-curricular program support.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Photography, Fine Arts, Art Education, or related field required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Strong technical proficiency with DSLR/mirrorless and film cameras, studio lighting, digital post-processing (Adobe Lightroom/Photoshop), and printing workflows; film processing experience required
• Demonstrated experience teaching introductory and advanced photography courses at an upper school level, including curriculum design and assessment
• Classroom management, communication, and organizational skills
• Experience managing lab and studio spaces, including inventory, scheduling, and safety compliance
• Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and to mentor students of varied skill levels
• Commitment to equity, inclusion, and fostering a “high challenge, high support” learning environment

Responsibilities

• Teach a variety of photography and related visual arts courses in the Upper School
• Develop and deliver age-appropriate curricula aligned with department goals and school-wide learning objectives
• Create detailed course syllabi, project plans, assessment rubrics, and learning outcomes for each course
• Maintain, manage, and supervise a small film lab and a photography studio
• Teach technical skills (camera operation, lighting, film processing, digital workflow) and conceptual/critique skills (visual literacy, storytelling, editing, curatorial thinking)
• Provide timely, constructive feedback and grades including narrative reports
• Participate in department, faculty, and other school meetings
• Maintain professional development through workshops, conferences, and current best practices in secondary education, as well as the craft of photography, storytelling, and visual expression
• Potentially collaborate with colleagues across arts and other departments on interdisciplinary projects, school events, curriculum development, and co-curricular opportunities as available

Benefits

• Transportation: Shuttle service is available to/from the 242nd St / Broadway subway station. Limited stops are also available near transit hubs in Manhattan including the Metro North Harlem Station and subway lines – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, N, Q, R, A, B, C, and D. If there is need in the community, we can also run a shuttle from the Henry Hudson Parkway / 246th St bus stop which connects to the #7, #10, and Express Buses to/from Manhattan.
• Professional Development: A generous professional-development budget provides for conferences, skills training, and onsite training in areas such as mindfulness, coaching, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
• Grants and Stipends: All employees are eligible for Frankel Fellow grants, known as “passion grants,” which pay for enrichment activities. More than 120 grants have been made to faculty and staff since the program started in 2014. Stipends are available for coaching, affinity group facilitation, advising clubs with significant out-of-school time, and chaperoning trips (including global trips!).
• Sabbatical: Full time teaching faculty are eligible for a sabbatical after 10 years of employment.
• Health Benefits: Riverdale offers and subsidizes health, dental, and vision insurance. In addition, the school offers a flexible spending account through which employees can use pre-tax dollars to pay for health-related expenses.
• Retirement: Employees are eligible to join our Defined Contribution retirement plan through TIAA. The school contributes 7% of an employee's annual salary to their retirement account.
• Vacation: Riverdale Country School has a generous time-off policy for staff in addition to vacations afforded by the school calendar.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time