[Priority Listing] Lead Grades Teacher 2026-27

Are you thinking ahead to the 2026-27 school year? Dreaming of a more soulful life and a place where your Waldorf teaching, your ideals, and your love for children all belong?

Running River School, nestled in the awe-inspiring red rocks of Sedona, Arizona, is seeking a Waldorf-certified lead grades teacher to begin in the 2026-27 school year. This is an ideal opportunity for someone planning ahead and looking for a lifestyle change rooted in purpose, beauty, and authenticity.

We are a small, independent, non-profit school inspired by Waldorf education. Here, you'll find a collaborative faculty, engaged families, a close knit community, supportive leadership, and a child-centered approach.

What Makes Us Who We Are

• A faculty body with a strong foundation in anthroposophy that values creativity, flexibility, and collaboration
• A dynamic school culture rooted in respect, direct communication, and grounded spirituality
• A 4-day school week honoring work/life balance (with some Fridays for festivals, hikes, in-service, or outings)
• Regular teacher-led hikes in the surrounding red rock wilderness for bonding time in nature (fitness required for hiking rated ‘moderate’ or ‘intermediate’)
• A welcoming parent community that values warmth and connection
• High importance held for enriching field trips and local adventures using the world around us as an extension of the classroom (school van to use with good driving record)
• A safe and health-conscious small town environment, an outdoor wonderland statewide to explore, high desert climate with hardly a day you can’t be outside
• An independently-minded school community that honors and respects diverse viewpoints, while staying rooted in human development and anthroposophy rather than institutional trends and politicization.

Who You Might Be

• You see teaching as a calling of the heart, not just a career
• You are Waldorf-trained (or experienced and eager to pursue certification)
• You are drawn to the wide high desert skies, warm community, and deep sense of place we offer
• You are steady and warm, organized and imaginative, with loving boundaries and consistent form
• You see each child as a unique individual and bring presence, objective observation, and inner quiet to support their unfolding
• You thrive in a close-knit school, small community, intimate class sizes, and appreciate team life
• You may be seeking a shared new path with a partner or family who values meaningful work and quality of life in a slower-paced setting

What We Offer

• Designed to sustain joyful teaching and a meaningful pace of life our compensation model offers a locally-competitive salary scale, relocation support, a 4-day school week, a flexible health/wellness stipend, summer professional development support, and small class sizes
• A 4-day school week with space for rhythm, planning, and life outside the classroom
• A flexible reimbursement benefit to support your well being that you can use toward the care and coverage that best supports you: from health insurance to traditional or holistic modalities
• Professional development stipend for a summer course in your upcoming grade
• Class sizes that allow teachers to truly see and meet each student while building the kind of relationships that make teaching feel purposeful and alive
• Financial support for Waldorf grades certification (for the right candidate)
• Strong collegial support and a collaborative faculty culture
• A creative teaching environment that honors the full integrity of the Waldorf curriculum and the individuality of the class and students
• For teachers eager to initiate meaningful learning beyond the classroom and make field trips and outdoor learning part of their lived curriculum, we offer support, flexibility, and encouragement
• A lifestyle change opportunity ideal for those seeking a slower-paced life, simplicity, beauty, and purpose
• A high-desert wonderland in Northern Arizona offering small-town living, mild winters, sunny skies, fresh air, wide-open skies, creekside afternoons, year-round access to trails, the beloved red rocks, mountains, and outdoor living
• A soul-rooted school where teaching is seen as a path of service, growth, and real human connection

If this feels like the right next step in your teaching journey, we invite you to reach out.

To apply, please send:

• A letter of interest
• A short biographical sketch
• Your resume w/ references

[email protected]

* no visa sponsorship available at this time