Teaching Fellow (Summer 2019 Start Date)
POSITION SUMMARY
The Ewing Marion Kauffman School is a free, public charter school serving more than 1,000 students in 5th through 12th grades. Focused on student achievement and strong character, the school’s mission is summarized in three words: create college graduates. The school serves a student population of which 87% qualify for free and reduced lunch and 90% identify as students of color. Students are accepted by a lottery that prioritizes the six highest-need zip codes within the district.
Students entering Kauffman School in fifth grade typically scored in the bottom third of the state on their fourth grade exams. After four years at Kauffman School, 8th grade students score at the very top in state exams; in 2015-2016 Kauffman School 8th graders ranked #1 in math, #3 in science, and #12 in ELA in the state of Missouri. Our founding freshman class was the #1 ranked district in Biology and the #2 ranked district in Algebra on Missouri’s end of course exams. These results have allowed us to create a high school that offers AP courses for all students, meaning 100% of students participate in AP courses by the time they graduate from our high school.
In 2015, the Kauffman School was recognized as Missouri Charter School of the Year. In 2016 and 2017, the Kauffman School earned a perfect score on its statewide Annual Performance Rating, one of only 7% of districts statewide to do so. In 2017, Teach For America named the Kauffman School a School To Learn From. Additionally, the Kauffman School became the first charter network outside of New York City to earn the top tier “Platinum” rating from the Leverage Leadership Institute, an extension of the Relay Graduate School of Education. Our school and student results demonstrate our students’ incredible brilliance, passion, creativity, and work ethic. Kauffman School students are empowered by their identities and place in the community and develop a critical consciousness of the world around them. Kauffman School staff actively partner with families to be a school, not just in the community, but of the community.
With a focus on catered development to a beginning teacher’s needs, the Teaching Fellow role allows new teachers at the Kauffman School to receive coaching and mentoring from a veteran teacher. Working with students and in a classroom each day, the Teaching Fellow moves through various development cycles: observing a mentor teacher, practicing with a mentor teacher, delivering parts of the lesson, receiving feedback and coaching about instructional practices and delivery. The goal of the Teaching Fellow role is that, over time, a Fellow will take ownership of a class with confidence having received tailored support.
Teachers in the Kauffman Schools are not classroom teachers, but rather subject teachers who focus on a content-specific subject matter. Because we are a growing charter network, our application and interview process identifies candidates who would be great teachers, no matter the content or grade level. Know that your grade-level preferences will be a point of discussion in future conversations and interviews, and we value teachers being flexible in both content and grade preferences.
This is a full-time, exempt position.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Curriculum Design, Instruction, and Student Assessment
- Develop and adapt curriculum aligned with state and common core standards
- Design assessments and use data to refine curriculum and inform instructional practices
- Approach practice with a sense of urgency, maximizing every minute with students
- Collaborate with content and grade-level teams to promote an environment of critical thinking and academic rigor
- Differentiate plans for individual students based on their unique learning profiles so that all students are engaged and challenged
- Deliver content and instruction to students as assigned with purpose, passion, and a willingness to do “whatever it takes” to help students succeed
Building School Culture
- Use your own authentic teacher persona to build strong relationships with students and engage students in deep learning
- Believe deeply in the mission of the Kauffman School and that all children can meet high academic expectations
- Discuss, celebrate, and reinforce the school’s PREP (Perseverance, Results, Empathy, Passion) values
- Implement school-wide behavior management system consistently with all students
- Be accountable for student’s mastery of academic standards
- Embrace feedback and constructive criticism in the spirit of constant improvement
- Demonstrate maturity, humility, professionalism, confidence, and a strong work ethic inside and outside the classroom
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree required
- Student teaching or prior teaching experience preferred with low-income, minority, or historically underachieving students, with a record of exemplary results
- An ability to meet all state and federal guidelines in order to be fully licensed
- Commitment and complete belief in the Kauffman School’s mission and organizational success
- Personal qualities of maturity, humility, self-reflection, strong work ethic, and “whatever it takes” attitude
- Ability to take feedback well and implement changes immediately
- Acute attention to detail coupled with the ability to think and act strategically
- Entrepreneurial energy and ambition necessary for leading a startup
- Ability to maintain a calm, professional demeanor in the face of competing demands and external pressures
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
The Kauffman School offers a competitive compensation package commensurate with relevant experience and anticipated duties and responsibilities, including comprehensive health benefits.
TO APPLY
Interested applicants should complete a formal application through the Kauffman School Careers page at http://www.kauffmanschool.org/. Your cover letter should address your interest in the Kauffman School Teacher and prior experiences that make you a uniquely qualified candidate:
- Share any significant academic gains you have achieved with students, citing specific evidence and/or data
- Highlight your experience working with low-income, minority, or historically underachieving students
- Provide specific evidence of your alignment with the Kauffman School’s missions of “creating college graduates” and/or the Kauffman School’s PREP Values
The Kauffman School is an Equal Opportunity Employer, welcoming people to flourish in an open and inclusive work environment. A diverse pool of candidates is welcomed and encouraged.