Company Description

By 2025, KIPP DC will build upon two decades of proven results to develop into a more impactful, innovative, and inclusive school system, that provides joyful, identity-affirming learning experiences so that all students and alumni achieve extraordinary outcomes. We are a network of eighteen schools educating nearly 7,000 students and employing 1,200 teachers, leaders, and staff members dedicated to our mission. As part of the KIPP network's 255 schools, we share best practices and innovations with our peers across the city and country.
Our work is grounded in a commitment to excellence, equity, and justice. We believe all students have the right to rigorous, relevant, and joyful learning experiences led by exceptionally talented and diverse educators who promote student achievement and a sense of belonging. We pride ourselves on providing unparalleled professional development and leadership opportunities. We acknowledge the demands of the teaching profession and continually seek to improve sustainability, benefits, and supports for teachers. We are seeking teachers who are passionate about educational equity, driven by student and family relationships, and constantly seeking to grow.

Job Description

Become a Founding Teacher:

The early childhood school at the Wheeler Campus is our newest early childhood school as of August 2021 and will be led by KIPP DC leader Salvatore Negrete. In Fall 2021, our new early childhood school will open with a little over 150 students in grades PK3-K, with plans to expand student enrollment the following year. Our school is currently in the process of being named by staff and families at our existing middle school on the Wheeler Campus.

We are seeking exceptional early childhood teachers to be a part of the founding team for our newest early childhood academy for the 21-22 school year. We anticipate hiring the following team members:

• Lead Teacher: Lead classroom teachers in grades PreK3 - PreK4 provide play-based learning in a homeroom environment that promotes students' academic, self-regulation, and social-emotional skills. Kindergarten lead teachers provide reading, writing, and math instruction in a homeroom environment.
• Specials Teachers: Specials, or electives, teachers in early childhood schools vary by school. Current specials offerings in our early childhood schools include physical education, art, music, and Spanish.
• Special Education Teachers: Special education teachers work with students to accomplish goals on their individual education plans (IEPs) in both a push-in and pull-out setting. While most schools follow the inclusion model, some early childhood schools also support students who need more individualized instruction through a co-teaching model in their general education classroom.

Principal Salvatore Negrete seeks founding teachers who are..

• Passionate about the work. Being an impactful teacher is what drives them. They are excited to work with our youngest students and their families everyday.
• Committed to acknowledging, reflecting, and growing from their failures. When they stumble, these teachers are willing to pick themselves back up and do the hard work to be better.
• Dedicated to creating a learning environment where all stakeholders feel connected, valued, and celebrated. Staff bring their whole authentic selves to work and create spaces where students and families feel they can do the same.
• Genuinely caring for others, and constantly work to build and maintain strong relationships with their team, students, and families.
• Committed to continuing the work towards being an anti-racist organization

Qualifications

KEY REQUIREMENTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Unquestioned integrity and commitment to KIPP DC's mission and to advancing its antiracist ambition through their work with staff, students, alumni, and families
• Subscribe to the Vision for Teaching Excellence and commit/contribute to constant professional growth and development
• Build trusting relationships with staff, students, and families
• Believe in providing authentic and rigorous play-based learning experiences for early childhood students
• Ability to work in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and make adjustments as needed to support students and families
• Show initiative in generating ideas and solutions; solves problems and achieves results beyond what is expected
• Display an incredible work ethic and a passion for being part of a team-oriented, mission-driven school culture
• Internalize and teach challenging and engaging lessons informed by instructional data
• Build a classroom culture that empowers students, affirms their identities, and creates a sense of belonging for all students
• Implement the school-wide and classroom management policies and practices
• When applicable, mentor a Capital Teaching Resident (CTR), if assigned to your classroom, by modeling excellent teaching, gradually releasing classroom teaching responsibilities, and implementing weekly coaching and feedback conversations
• While students receive instruction from 8:00am-4:00pm, KIPP DC teachers are on duty in school Monday through Friday from 7:30am to 5:30pm two times a week, and 7:30am to 4:35pm three times a week.
• Perform morning, lunch, and afternoon duties as assigned
• Perform clerical duties, as required, relating to textbooks, instructional supplies, student reports and records, attendance reports, etc.
• Attend staff meetings, professional development sessions, and team meetings
• Respond to student and family phone calls as soon as possible
• Pass a criminal background check, as required by law
• Additional responsibilities may arise during the school year. This could include but not limited to: attending staff and student field trips, open houses, parent-teacher conferences, home visits, and other events involving parents and students as needed. They will be communicated to all employees with as much notice and flexibility as possible.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree (Required)
• At least two years of lead teaching experience in a traditional public school or public charter school (Required)
• Commitment to working with students from communities with limited access to quality educational opportunities (Required)
• KIPP DC prefers all teachers to be "Highly Qualified", which includes a Bachelor's degree and passing the appropriate Praxis exam(s) (Preferred)
• Bachelor's degree in content area (Preferred)
• Experience/strength in content area (Preferred)
• Experience teaching in a predominantly African-American environment (Preferred)
• Experience founding a school (Preferred)

Additional Information

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

KIPP DC offers an extremely competitive compensation and benefits package:

• Salaries for staff are competitive with added compensation for KIPP DC's extended day and year.
• KIPP DC offers its employees competitive rates for medical, dental, life, and long-term disability insurance. KIPP DC's plans include options for Health Savings Accounts, Flex Spending Accounts, and access to OneMedical.
• KIPP DC also offers its employees a 403(b) retirement account with employer contributions and matches vesting after three years.
• All employees who use public transit are eligible for pre-tax deductions for transportation costs through a partnership with WMATA
• Teachers are provided with a laptop computer for work and access to a discounted cell phone plan for staff/student/parent calls.
• Teachers have access to KIPP DC's additional development and enrichment opportunities such as RELAY's Masters of Arts in Teaching program, Special Education Fellowship, School Culture Champion Grants, Classroom Innovation Grants, and various fellowship and pilot programs launched each year
• KIPP DC has various support programs in place during the pandemic, including extended sick leave and robust health and safety protocols and training programs

To Apply:

Be prepared to answer the following short responses for your application and ready to share a link to a video of you teaching.

1. Why do you want to be a founding teacher? (max 1000 characters)
2. What do you think it takes to be a founding teacher? How have you demonstrated this in your work? (max 1000 characters)
3. What has been your most impactful form of learning you've done related to identity, racial justice or anti-racism recently? (max 1000 characters)

Please apply immediately, as applications are accepted and roles are filled on a rolling basis. All interested applicants should visit https://www.kippdc.org/join-our-team/apply-now/ . For questions or issues with your application, please contact careers@kippdc.org .

KIPP DC Public Schools does not discriminate against, or tolerate discrimination against, employees or applicants for employment on any legally-recognized basis or protected class including, but not limited to, actual or perceived race, color, national origin, immigration status (except as necessary to comply with federal, DC, state, or local law), religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, gender (including gender identity or expression), marital status (including domestic partnership status), genetic information, political affiliation, pregnancy, family responsibilities, personal appearance, veteran status, uniform service member status, status of being unemployed, status of victim a survivor of domestic violence, sexual offense or stalking, matriculation or any other protected class under federal, state, DC, or local law.

Click here or here to review KIPP DC's non-discrimination policy and KIPP DC's Title IX Coordinator's contact information.

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