Company Description

About KIPP Chicago

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

The [Covid-19 Relief] Teacher At Large is a new role for the 21-22 and 22-23 school years to support the unique, evolving conditions of this school year.  The Teacher At Large role is an immediate, full-time position for this school year.  The Teacher At Large will be based at just one campus, as a full member of the team at one of our primary or middle schools.  The unique responsibilities of the Teacher At Large role may differ by campus, but will likely include: small group instruction, student support, substitute teaching, or interventionary instruction.  

Ideal candidates for the Teacher At Large are strong relationship-builders with the ability to engage students in class and in small group learning.  Candidates with a desire to grow into school-wide leadership are strongly encouraged to apply, as those hired in this Teacher At Large position will have an opportunity to interview for other teacher, staff, and leadership roles with KIPP Chicago for the 2023-2024 school year.  

KIPP Chicago currently has 2 open Teacher At Large positions, due to high teacher retention and strong hiring for the 22-23 school year.  Our hiring process for open positions will be expedited and will include:

• Phone interview with a Talent Recruiter

• Reference check

• Final interview with a School Leader.

• Candidates who have video of their classroom teaching experience will be prioritized. 

Once hired, new teachers will have a condensed but robust onboarding process with their school leader. Note that all KIPP Chicago teachers and staff are now required to provide documentation of full Covid-19 vaccination, unless approved for a medical or religious accommodation.  

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, including students who present challenges

• Commit to the demanding task of working with “low income” students and families toward the goal of college graduation

• 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

• 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 monthly stipend to support the cost of mobile phone usage

• Common behavioral expectations upheld by all school staff and recorded through our student paycheck system with attached school-wide incentives and disincentives

• 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 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, mission-aligned, talented staff, every single one committed to our important work

Qualifications

The requirements for a Teacher At Large are:

• Bachelor’s degree (required)

• Meet testing requirements of Illinois Charter Law (the appropriate content-area test) (required)

• Illinois teacher license (strongly preferred)

• Two years’ prior success teaching in “low-income,” urban communities (strongly preferred)

• A cleared CPS Background check.

• All KIPP Chicago staff are required to provide documentation of full Covid-19 vaccination by or before 10/15/2021, unless approved for medical or religious exemption. (Updated 8/24/2021). 

Additional Information

COMPENSATION

KIPP Chicago Schools offers a competitive compensation and benefits package:

• Salaries based on experience related to role and responsibilities

• Contributions to the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund in accordance with Illinois state law

• 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.

• An optional 403(b) retirement account

• All KIPP Chicago staff are required to provide documentation of full Covid-19 vaccination by or before 10/15/2021, unless approved for medical or religious exemption. (Updated 8/24/2021).  

INTERVIEW & ONBOARDING PROCESS 

To apply, please submit your application and resume for the role. The interview process for this position includes a phone interview, references and final round interview via Zoom with a panel of regional leaders  The position starts immediately for the 21-22 school year, with a start date of July 31, 2021.

STATEMENT OF NON-DISCRIMINATION

KIPP Chicago 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.