Elementary School Teacher

Job Description

Job Description

ABOUT KIPP MICHIGAN

At KIPP Michigan, 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.

Currently, KIPP Michigan operates 1 school: KIPP Detroit Imani Academy Elementary School. KIPP Detroit Imani Academy is the state of Michigan’s first KIPP school, and the first KIPP school in the city of Detroit. KIPP Detroit Imani Academy opened in the fall of 2022 in the Warrendale neighborhood on the west side.

We believe the destiny of students from Detroit are limitless and students should not be bound by their circumstances. Unfortunately, in America, there is still a link between socioeconomic status and educational attainment. KIPP Detroit Imani Academy seeks to eradicate this injustice. KIPP Detroit Imani Academy will become the highest performing school in the city of Detroit; and, to do so, we attract, develop and retain a diverse and talented staff of educators. Our students and families will choose our schools because our teachers are exceptional educators who work together as a collective to ensure students achieve and thrive.

JOB DESCRIPTION 

In school year 2022-2023, KIPP Imani launched with Kindergarten and has added grades each year; it will eventually serve students in grades K-5. The founding team at KIPP Imani has included classroom teachers, teachers of Diverse Learners, Paraprofessionals, and Enrichment Teachers. KIPP Imani is also supported by an Operations Team that ensures a strong foundation for the school’s continued founding and growth.

Elementary Teachers  inherit skilled readers and mathematicians from the strong foundational instruction that takes place in KDIA Kindergarten. As such, all teachers are expected to  maintain this tradition of instructional excellence and strong culture.

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

• Share a commitment to the success of the mission, vision and goals of the KIPP Detroit Imani Academy
• A belief that all students can and will learn and be successful at our schools
• Demonstrate genuine concern for the students and the staff by maintaining high personal standards and strong work ethic
• Being consistent and reliable; attendance is an essential function to assure the proper operation of KIPP Detroit Imani Academy
• An understanding that organizational success is accomplished in collaboration and cooperation with teammates
• Maintain standards of professionalism and ethical behavior/decision-making that help create a results-driven culture of joy and belonging amongst teammates
• 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
• Set specific, ambitious growth targets for all students and identify and leverage all necessary resources to ensure they meet them
  

KIPP Michigan 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 laptop computer
• Instructional Leaders who are routinely present throughout the building each day
• Quality observation, team collaboration, and coaching weekly to help develop teachers content knowledge and classroom management skills
• One-on-one coaching with an Instructional Leader biweekly to discuss student progress and teacher development
• A protected daily prep period
• Monthly in-building professional development
• Rigorous prepared curricula
• In-building technology support
• Highly efficient and thoughtful school scheduling
• A team of ambitious talented staff who are all committed to our important work

• Bachelor’s degree or better from an accredited university or college (required)
• Active Michigan Teachers Certification or active teachers license that can be transferred to MI (required)
• At least two years’ prior success teaching in urban communities (strongly preferred)
• A cleared Criminal Records Check.
• Established skill in backwards planning weekly and daily instruction that is tightly aligned to prescribed unit objectives and student need(s), as demonstrated by assessment data
• Urgency in assessing students daily, weekly, and at the ends of units, and the analysis & action upon shared assessment data through school-wide systems
• A collegial spirit that drives collaboration throughout each day with grade level and content teams, that takes ownership for student mastery
• Partnership with the Diverse Learning Team that provides support for students with IEPs and 504 plans within general education settings
• A commitment to pursuing anti-racism in our schools and working together
• Dependable attendance according to our extended school year and extended school day
• Use best practices in alignment with school-wide systems to manage student behavior and create a safe, affirming, warm/demanding, and joyful classroom environment