Company Description

At KIPP Chicago, we are guided by a simple, yet powerful mission: Together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world. Our campuses are located in the Austin, Englewood, North Lawndale, and West Humboldt Park neighborhoods. KIPP Chicago also advises over 2000 KIPP alumni currently in high school or college through our KIPP Forward program.  KIPP Chicago is the highest-performing network of schools in Chicago, as measured by our city’s school quality index.  We attract, develop, and retain a diverse and talented staff of educators. Our students and families choose our schools because our teachers are exceptional educators who work together as a collective to ensure students achieve and thrive.  For more data and information about our successes and vision for the future, visit www.kippchicago.org 

Job Description

**KIPP Chicago is hiring for SY 23-24!**  

At KIPP Chicago, Diverse Learners Teachers usually serve caseloads of high-incidence, cross-categorical students through pushing-in to content classrooms and pulling small groups of students out to a resource room.  DL Teachers are needed across our 8 schools, both our elementary schools and our middle schools, across all grade levels K - 8.  Usually, DL teachers instruct caseloads of students from one to three grade levels. 

KIPP Chicago Schools’ students perform beyond statistical expectations in part because our teachers are exceptional.  They have a “whatever it takes” attitude toward their role in students’ success.   Expectations specific to the Diverse Learners Teacher role are:

IEP Tasks

• Write initial, annual and tri-annual IEPs using Chicago Public School’s IEP system

• Inform general education teachers of IEP goals as necessary

• Monitor and support implementation of goals and objectives in general education classrooms

• Provide and/or support modifications and accommodations as needed in general education classrooms

• Keep IEPs updated as to the achievement of goals and objectives at the end of every quarter

• Issue quarterly progress reports on IEP goals for students & families

• Schedule coordinate, and chair the annual IEP meetings in collaboration with families, appropriate clinicians and general education staff

• Maintain a portfolio of student work samples, anecdotal data, and classroom observations

• Encourage parent partnerships and maintains positive communication with families regarding student progress

• Work with the Principal, Assistant Principal and general education teachers to ensure all students receive appropriate accommodations and modifications during formal and informal assessments

Case Management Tasks

• Assume responsibility for case compliance and student academic progress

• Maintain special education file

• Ensure all evaluation recommendations are followed up and completed

• Work with clinicians to ensure related services are being delivered

• Provide input on clinicians’ performance evaluations as appropriate and necessary

Our expectations for teachers include, but are not limited to, the following:

• A belief that all students can and will be successful at our schools 

• Practice a growth mindset about oneself and all others at the school, including seeking help and engaging in self-reflection in order to constantly refine one’s own teaching

• A commitment to pursuing anti-racism in our schools and work together

• Dependable attendance according to our extended school year and extended school day

• Communicate frequently and consistently with students and families, including after school via phone, regarding academics, behavior, logistics, and homework help

• Use best practices in alignment with school-wide systems to manage student behavior and create a safe, warm, demanding, and joyful classroom environment

• Set specific, ambitious growth targets for all students and identify and leverage all necessary resources to ensure they meet them

• Use best practices to backwards plan weekly and daily instruction that is tightly aligned to prescribed unit objectives and student needs as demonstrated by assessment data

• Assess students daily, weekly, and at the ends of units and analyze and share assessment data through school-wide systems

• Use best practices, including differentiation with instructional technology and other techniques, to execute engaging instruction at a level rigorous for all students

• Collaborate throughout each day with grade level and content teams, sharing responsibility for all students at all times

KIPP Chicago Schools teachers are supported in their demanding work by experienced and dedicated leadership and staff who have themselves proven successful in the teaching role.  Our leaders maintain consistent school-wide systems and procedures -- academic, behavioral, cultural, logistical -- designed to permit teachers to do their best work.

Our supports for teachers’ work include, but are not limited to the following:

• A recent model of Mac laptop computer

• A stipend to support the cost of mobile phone usage

• School-wide Social Emotional Learning curriculum and practices

• Principals and assistant principals who are routinely present throughout the building and day

• One-on-one meetings with a principal and/or assistant principal once per week to discuss student progress and the teacher’s development

• Collaboration with grade-level and content teams 

• Two hours of time each week devoted to analyzing student data and planning responsive instruction

• A daily prep period each day

• Frequent in-building professional development from school leadership

• A rigorous prepared curriculum in ELA, Math, and Science; prepared unit plans and unit assessments for Social Studies

• In-building technology support

• Highly efficient and thoughtful scheduling, including for special events like field lessons or testing windows

• A team of ambitious, talented staff, every single one committed to our important work

Qualifications

The qualifications for Diverse Learners Teacher are:

• Bachelor’s degree (required)

• Illinois teacher license with the endorsement Learning Behavior Specialist 1 (LBS 1) or equivalent out-of-state license that will transfer to Illinois (required)

• Two years’ prior success teaching in urban communities (preferred)

• A cleared CPS Background check.

• All KIPP Chicago staff are required to provide documentation of full Covid-19 vaccination by or before 7/15/2023, unless approved for medical or religious exemption. 

Additional Information

COMPENSATION

KIPP Chicago Public Schools offers a competitive compensation and benefits package:

• Salaries based on experience related to role and responsibilities

• Competitive rates for medical insurance and short-term disability insurance.  Dental insurance, vision insurance, life insurance, and long-term disability insurance are offered at no cost.

• Competitive retirement savings benefits 

STATEMENT OF NON-DISCRIMINATION

KIPP Chicago Public Schools is committed to a policy of equal treatment for all individuals applying for employment. KIPP Chicago does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, national or ethnic background. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.