Orinda Academy

Orinda Academy is a small, independent day high school in Orinda, California, in the East Bay hills east of Berkeley. Enrollment sits below 100 students across all high school grades, with no religious affiliation. The school's mission centers on creating a safe, inclusive community where students build character, intellect, and creativity.

Teaching here means working in a setting where you know every student and most families by name. Class sizes stay small, and you retain real autonomy over curriculum decisions. Your instruction lands visibly; your voice shapes school direction. The school emphasizes American Sign Language and Spanish alongside core academics, reflecting a commitment to accessible communication and multilingual learning. This focus draws faculty who value inclusive pedagogy.

Day school positions eliminate evening dormitory duty. Most hires occur before the academic year, though mid-year openings arise periodically. Roles span core academic disciplines—English, mathematics, sciences, humanities—and specialized positions supporting the school's language and inclusion commitments.

Orinda Academy maintains stable financial footing with modest but steady fundraising growth. Operating on a lean budget means teaching roles involve direct engagement with school operations rather than layers of administration. The lack of bureaucratic overhead can be either liberating or demanding, depending on your appetite for hands-on school life.

For teachers seeking meaningful influence in a small, day-school setting where their voice shapes daily decisions and where they are genuinely known by students and families, this Bay Area independent school offers something increasingly rare in California's education landscape.