Upper School Mandarin Teacher (Part-time)

Start Date: August 2026

The Position: What Will You Do & How Will We Collaborate?

The Upper School Mandarin Teacher will be an experienced, reflective educator with a strong foundation in secondary world language instruction and a collaborative approach to teaching and learning. The role includes teaching Mandarin across the Upper School and contributing deep expertise in language pedagogy as part of a close-knit and collegial faculty.

Working alongside other Mandarin faculty, the teacher will help refine the core Mandarin program while contributing to the development of advanced coursework that supports continued language growth. This role builds on a strong JK–8 Mandarin foundation and offers a meaningful opportunity to help shape an evolving Upper School Mandarin program that emphasizes communication, cultural understanding, and real-world language use.

The Hillbrook Employee: Who Are You?

Do our Core Values – Be kind. Be curious. Take risks. Be your best. – align with how you show up as a professional? Are you committed to building and bridging inclusive communities? Do you believe learning should be an active and relational process? Do you enjoy nurturing and maintaining best practices and continuity of programs, while also evolving programs in response to new information? Are equity and impact at the forefront of what you do?  Are you entrepreneurial? Do you thrive in small collaborative environments? Do you seek opportunities for interdisciplinary, experiential learning? Do you believe that students are capable changemakers at any age and stage? A Hillbrook employee will emphatically say yes to each of these questions.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

• Actively participate in a collaborative employee culture that is committed to being at the leading edge of JK - 12th grade education.
• Teach 2-4 sections of Mandarin across a range of levels
• Advise 12+/- students, and support students in their HEx community engagement projects
• Provide a hands-on, inquiry-based style of teaching that exemplifies how student wellness, intellectual rigor, and a deep commitment to social impact and DEI are critical to a Hillbrook learning experience
• Effectively manage flexible, collaborative learning experiences with various sized groups of students
• Participate in the design of the new campus and classrooms
• Thoughtfully integrate technology into the curriculum
• Collaboratively design and teach 2, 3-week Reach Beyond Immersives (transdisciplinary, project-based courses using the city and the world as our classroom)
• Actively participate in a faculty culture that is committed to being at the leading edge of JK-12 education
• Report to the Head of Upper School

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, & Action

As noted in our Commitment to Community & Belonging, we strive to reflect the extraordinary diversity of Silicon Valley, believing that educational excellence and equity depend on the creation of a diverse and inclusive community where all students, families and employees feel a full sense of membership. To live up to our DEI Teaching Philosophy Statement, all employees contribute to developing culturally competent students and building an educational institution committed to social justice and reaching beyond. We offer a wide range of opportunities for all employees to engage in work that furthers these goals, from personal dialogues that help us understand different perspectives, to pedagogical training designed to support equitable instructional practices and build habits to disrupt bias whenever we see it. Ultimately, we hope that this work helps all of our constituents—employees, students, and families—be more aware, empathetic, globally-minded, and justice-oriented.

A highly collaborative community, we use the following norms to guide our communication with each other:

• Assume good will
• Come from your own experience
• Be more curious than certain
• Hold yourself and others capable

Our commitment to these norms makes it possible for us to partner meaningfully, disagree productively, and lean into conversations that are both challenging and generative.

Each and every day our students will be challenged to live out our Core Values - be kind, be curious, take risks, be your best - as they engage with an exceptional team of educators committed to helping each student reach their highest potential in school and in life. Our program is also guided by the core questions of the Scott Center for Social Entrepreneurship - “What matters to you? What are you doing about it?” Simple yet provocative, these two questions inspire all members of our community as they convey two foundational beliefs: learning must be purposeful and have enduring impact, and leveraging student interest drives both engagement and success. Hillbrook, unlike any other school, not only calls on its students to make the world a better place, but also explicitly prioritizes the skills and habits that prepare them to do so, activating and empowering students to make immediate and lasting social impact during their JK-12 years while launching them into a lifetime of social impact work.

To Apply

Salaries are competitive. Benefits include: ample retirement planning; a generous holiday schedule; religious/cultural holidays following each employee’s faith and background; access to the latest state-of-the-art educational technology; and a strong commitment to engaging and personalized professional development.

Hillbrook School is an Equal Opportunity Employer and seeks candidates from diverse backgrounds.  Hillbrook School is committed to fostering and sustaining a learning community and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.  This policy applies to, but is not limited to, educational policies, admission, financial aid, hiring and employment practices, use of school facilities, athletics, and other school-administered programs and activities.

The annual salary range for a full time role is $80,000 - $145,000 dependent on years of experience. Please apply by submitting your resume/CV and letter of intent via this application form.

The School: Who Are We?

For almost 90 years, Hillbrook School has been a junior kindergarten-8th grade independent school located on 14 acres of oak woodland in Los Gatos, CA - and in the fall of 2023, we opened the doors to the founding class of our high school. Founded in 1935, the school remains deeply connected to its historical roots as a place where children are known, learning is authentic and active, and success is measured one child at a time. Over the years, we have grown and evolved from a small boarding school serving wards of the state to one of the leading independent schools in the Bay Area, and yet our vision remains the same—to inspire children to achieve their dreams and reach beyond themselves to make a difference in the world.

We are now embarking on one of the school’s most ambitious strategic initiatives ever: the expansion to a JK-12 with the addition of a new high school in downtown San José. We are driven by a foundational belief - that our 8th graders and other students deserve an extraordinary educational experience in high school that builds upon the exceptional foundation we provide our JK-8 students. The core differentiators for our current program - the placement of choice and engagement at the center of the learning experience, integrated, real world education that challenges students to reach beyond and make a difference, and a deep commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion - will translate seamlessly into a 9-12 environment, allowing us to extend our innovative approach into a market in need of a new model of secondary school education.

Location

Hillbrook has two campuses located in Los Gatos and San José. These locations in the heart of Silicon Valley are 35 minutes south of Stanford University, 30 minutes north of Santa Cruz, and 1 hour south of San Francisco. The Bay Area is home to world-class universities, museums and restaurants, farmers markets and wineries, and outstanding outdoor opportunities for biking, hiking, surfing and more.

Qualifications

• Desire and ability to work in a collegial, highly collaborative environment
• Demonstrated commitment to teaching and learning in a diverse, dynamic, and progressive school community
• A commitment to anti-racism and demonstrated skill designing equitable and inclusive educational experiences and learning environments that incorporate themes of diversity and justice
• Bachelor’s degree in Education with a focus in Mandarin or related field.
• Experience with competency-based education preferred
• A love of and experience in teaching high school-age children
• Proficiency in and curiosity about educational technology
• A growth mindset, sense of humor, and excellent organizational and communication skills

About HILLBROOK SCHOOL

Hillbrook School is a junior kindergarten-12th grade independent school located on 14 acres of oak woodland in Los Gatos, CA and in downtown San Jose. Founded in 1935, Hillbrook School remains deeply connected to its historical roots as a school where children are known, learning is authentic and active, and success is measured one child at a time. During the past 85+ years, we have grown and evolved from a small boarding school serving wards of the state to one of the leading independent schools in the Bay Area, and yet our vision remains the same—to inspire children to achieve their dreams and reach beyond themselves to make a difference in the world. Our talented faculty delivers a program that provides 380+ students of all genders with a unique blend of challenging and engaging academics, diversity, equity, and inclusion practices, visual and performing arts, physical and wellness education, passion-driven projects, and opportunities to serve and partner with others in our community beyond campus. Hillbrook School is a recognized leader in innovation, earning designation since 2010 as an Apple Distinguished School. Our 1:1 iPad program, Hub Makerspace, Center for Teaching E...xcellence, and Scott Center for Social Entrepreneurship all stem from a commitment to implementing best practices in education. Our faculty members present at conferences across the globe each year on topics ranging from ways we have audited our curriculum for greater inclusion to research studies conducted on-campus examining the impacts of classroom design on learning. A community of highly engaged, lifelong learners, Hillbrook is intentional about, and deeply committed to, collaboration and professional growth in all facets and roles. As noted in our Statement of Inclusivity, we strive to reflect the extraordinary diversity of Silicon Valley, and believe that educational excellence and equity depend on the creation of a diverse and inclusive community where all students, families and employees feel a full sense of membership. To live up to our JK-8 DEI Teaching Philosophy Statement, all employees contribute to developing culturally competent students and building an educational institution committed to social justice and reaching beyond. We offer a wide range of opportunities for all employees to engage in work that furthers these goals, from personal dialogues that help us understand different perspectives, to pedagogical training designed to support equitable instructional practices and build habits to disrupt bias whenever we see it. Ultimately, we hope that this work helps all of our constituents—employees, students, and families—be more aware, empathetic, globally-minded, and justice-oriented. A highly collaborative community, we use the following norms to guide our communication with each other: Assume good will Come from your own experience Be more curious than certain Hold yourself and others capable Our commitment to these norms makes it possible for us to partner meaningfully, disagree productively, and lean into conversations that are both challenging and generative. Hillbrook is located in the heart of Silicon Valley, 35 minutes south of Stanford University, 30 minutes north of Santa Cruz, and 1 hour south of San Francisco. The Bay Area is home to world-class universities, museums and restaurants, farmers markets and wineries, and outstanding outdoor opportunities for biking, hiking, surfing and more. Salaries are competitive. Benefits include: full medical, dental, and vision coverage; ample retirement planning with TIAA-CREF; a generous holiday schedule; religious holidays following each employee’s faith; access to the latest state-of-the-art educational technology; and a strong commitment to engaging and personalized professional development. Hillbrook School is an equal opportunity employer. Opportunities are open to all individuals without regard to race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, or handicap.

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