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

KIPP Chicago has had record high teacher retention and strong hiring for the 21-22 school year.  We are proactively posting for immediate openings should they become available. 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 that they can share 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 by 10/15/21, unless approved for a medical or religious accommodation.  

At KIPP Chicago, elementary schools include grades K - 4.  Currently, we have four elementary schools in various stages of growth - KIPP Ascend Primary (K - 4), KIPP One Primary (K - 4),  KIPP Bloom Primary (K-2) and KIPP Academy Chicago Primary (K - 1).  The schools that are still growing will add a grade level each year until they reach capacity at K - 4.  When you apply for a position with KIPP Chicago, you will be considered for openings at all campuses that match your prior experience.  It’s possible you will interview at multiple schools and receive multiple offers. 

Kindergarten teachers share their classrooms with Co-Teachers.  Teachers at grades 1 - 4 are the only teachers in their classrooms for most of the day, with support from Paraprofessionals and Diverse Learners Teachers as required by students’ IEPs.  Teachers in grades K - 2 teach all subjects, and teachers in grades 3 and 4 are departmentalized.

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.  They are remembered by students and families as inspirational.

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

The requirements for a Classroom Teacher 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).  

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

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

• Salaries based on experience

• 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.

• Contributions to the Chicago Teacher’s Pension Fund in accordance with Illinois state law

• An additional, optional 403(b) retirement account

• Robust professional development

STATEMENT OF NON-DISCRIMINATION

KIPP Chicago is committed to a policy of equal treatments for all individuals applying for employment. KIPP Chicago does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, national or ethnic background.