Annie Wright is seeking a Lower School Art Teacher to begin on August 21, 2026. This is a full-time position and reports to the Lower School Division Director. 

Mission Statement

Annie Wright’s strong community cultivates individual learners to become well-educated, creative, and responsible citizens for a global society.

About AWS

Tradition meets innovation at Annie Wright Schools, where we honor our rich history and traditions, embrace the present, and continue always to move forward. Founded in 1884, Annie Wright Schools serve students from age three through high school. The Lower and Middle Schools offer co-ed programs in Preschool through Grade 8, while separate Upper Schools for boys and girls offer day and boarding options in Grades 9 through 12, welcoming students from Tacoma and around the world. We are proud to be an International Baccalaureate World School, delivering IB programs in every division.

Position Description

The Lower School Art Teacher at Annie Wright is an enthusiastic educator, passionate about exploring the world of art with our young students. This person has the knowledge to bring art to life for our students through inquiry and discovery about themselves and the world around them. The Lower School Art teacher leads the students through the Primary Years Programme, guiding students on this pathway of learning that includes the development of significant conceptual understandings, relevant knowledge and skills, and the attributes of a life-long learner and global citizen. 

The Lower School Art Teacher provides students with a wide range of artistic opportunities to respond to their own experiences and engage with historical, social, and cultural perspectives. The Lower School Art teacher guides students to think and to articulate their thoughts in new ways, and through a variety of media and technologies, providing multiple experiences for learning, communication, and expression. This person facilitates learning about and through the arts for the development of the whole student, promoting creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and social interactions. The Lower School Art Teacher plans opportunities to reflect on aesthetic experiences, to engage the imagination, and to explore concepts and big ideas.

The Lower School Art Teacher is skilled in differentiation and appreciates a developmental approach to learning. Through professional and personal experience, this person has developed a deep understanding of meeting the range of needs of five through 12-year-olds and finds joy and love in it. The Lower School Art teacher honors the agency of each learner and incorporates their questions and interests into classroom activities and inquiries, building a sense of self and understanding of the world around them. The Lower School Art teacher fosters the development of Studio Habits of Mind, empowering students to make choices in how to express themselves.

The work of a Lower School Art Teacher is unique and is most successful when done as part of a team. The Lower School Art Teacher actively engages with grade-level teaching teams, Specialist teachers, the Primary Years Programme Coordinator, and students in a continual process of creating, refining, implementing, and reflecting on the transdisciplinary units of inquiry that captivate, illuminate, and stretch both students and teachers. This collective work culminates in the completion of in-depth unit planners, which document and hold teaching teams accountable for teaching and learning best practices. Through regular collaboration with the teaching team, the Student Success Team, and the family, the Lower School Art Teacher understands that the student is best served when they are kept at the very center. Drawing on their strengths and supporting the students’ whole selves, the Lower School Art Teacher creates a positive learning environment so that all students can thrive.

Position Overview: Duties and Responsibilities

The Lower School Art Teacher:

• teaches art in alignment with the mission and philosophy of Annie Wright Schools and with the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) framework; 
• designs and teaches PYP units and educational experiences in collaboration with other grade-level teachers, subject specialist teachers, the PYP coordinator, and learning specialists;
• collaborates with other faculty, the Director of Lower School, specialists, and the Lower School Counselor to develop programming and monitor student progress; 
• builds and maintains a professional relationship with parents, providing them with feedback through conversation and other correspondence as needed; 
• participates in collaborative planning and faculty meetings and fulfills other duties as assigned. 

Qualifications

The Lower School Art Teacher will demonstrate key elements of the listed expertise and experiences. This is an aspirational list, and Annie Wright Schools encourages candidates to apply who may not currently possess, but are working on building, all of these qualities. The Lower School Art Teacher:

• has a minimum of three years of experience as an Art Teacher and is familiar with independent schools; 
• is familiar with the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme; 
• demonstrates familiarity with best practices in learning, differentiation, and teaching;
• demonstrates flexibility;
• Is familiar with the Eight Studio Habits of Mind from Harvard Project Zero; 
• has proficiency in using technology as a learning support tool; 
• has an understanding of and enthusiasm to work with and care for Lower School students; 
• demonstrates the desire to collaborate as part of a team;
• is a strong communicator and empathetic listener;
• practices cultural humility in personal interactions;
• is eligible to work in the United States. Note: Under our current employment policies, we are unable to sponsor work visas and do not offer positions to candidates who are not yet eligible to work in the United States.

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to sit and stand for extended periods of time;
• Must be able to move comfortably around a classroom, accessing materials and assisting students as needed;
• Must be able to communicate and exchange information with young students, other teachers, and families.  

Salary and Benefits

This position offers a salary range between $60,000 and $90,000, depending on qualifications and experience. Benefits available to the hired candidate include the following, subject to the terms of the applicable benefit plan:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Life insurance
• Accidental death & dismemberment insurance
• Long-term disability insurance
• Paid sick leave (known as Wellness Days): Each regular full-time employee earns 80 hours of Wellness leave per accrual year
• Eighteen (18) paid Holidays in 2026
• Fifty percent (50%) Tuition remission in accordance with school policy. All fees and incidental expenses are the sole responsibility of the employee-parent
• All children of benefited employees of AWS, who are currently enrolled at AWS, are eligible for extended day services at no charge when school is in session. Charges apply for faculty in-service days or similar days  
• A 403(b) retirement plan with a 6% company match, with a 3% employee contribution

Application Process

Annie Wright Schools remain firmly committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity. Annie Wright shall hire, promote, transfer, terminate, and make all other employment-related decisions without regard to an employee’s race, color, creed, sex, religion, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, political ideology, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or any other basis prohibited by law. Annie Wright Schools are actively seeking to create a more culturally diverse school community, and accordingly, applicants of color and underrepresented backgrounds are encouraged to apply. 

To apply, email a cover letter, resume, email, and telephone contact information for 3-5 professional references, and this completed and signed application, all in PDF format, to Mrs. Erin Gann, Executive Assistant to the Head of Schools, at erin_gann@aw.org. In accordance with Annie Wright Schools’ strategic focus on issues related to social justice, candidates should anticipate being asked to address how their past work, as well as future contributions, might serve to advance Annie Wright’s commitment to a more diverse and inclusive community. Applications for this position will be accepted until filled.

Qualifications

The Lower School Art Teacher will demonstrate key elements of the listed expertise and experiences. This is an aspirational list and Annie Wright Schools encourages candidates to apply who may not currently possess, but are working on building, all of these qualities. The Lower School Art Teacher:

• has a minimum of 3 years experience as an Art Teacher and is familiar with independent schools; 
• is familiar with the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme; 
• demonstrates familiarity with best practices in learning, differentiation, and teaching;
• demonstrates flexibility;
• Is familiar with the Eight Studio Habits of Mind from Harvard Project Zero; 
• has proficiency in using technology as a learning support tool; 
• has an understanding of and enthusiasm to work with and care for Lower School students; 
• demonstrates the desire to collaborate as part of a team;
• is a strong communicator and empathetic listener;
• practices cultural humility in personal interactions;
• is eligible to work in the United States. Note: Under our current employment policies, we are unable to sponsor work visas and do not offer positions to candidates who are not yet eligible to work in the United States.

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to sit and stand for extended periods of time;
• Must be able to move comfortably around a classroom, accessing materials and assisting students as needed;
• Must be able to communicate and exchange information with young students, other teachers and families.  

About Annie Wright Schools

Tradition meets innovation at Annie Wright Schools, where we honor our rich history and traditions, embrace the present, and continue always to move forward. Founded in 1884, Annie Wright Schools serve students from age three through high school. The Lower and Middle Schools offer co-ed programs in Preschool through Grade 8, while separate Upper Schools for boys and girls offer day and boarding options in Grades 9 through 12, welcoming students from Tacoma and around the world. We are proud to be an International Baccalaureate World School, delivering IB programs in every division.

Connections working at Annie Wright Schools