Teacher FAQ
Q: What positions are you hiring?
A: The Kauffman School has an extensive expansion plan to grow a grade every year, from fifth to twelfth grades, and ultimately develop into two middle schools and a high school. Due to the expansion plan, the school is hiring exceptional teachers as well as dedicated individuals for positions in operations and administration. The application process and open jobs are available on our Current Opportunities page.
Q: How is teaching at the Kauffman School a unique experience?
A: Kauffman School teachers receive ongoing professional development, weekly observations, and feedback from instructional coaches. Systems and structures are in place to allow teachers to focus on excellent teaching; the Kauffman School offers an operations team to complete extra duties and teachers have three hours of planning built into the school day. Teachers receive additional support through the Director of Special Education and the Dean of Students.
Q: How does your school live out commitments of being culturally responsive educators?
A: The Kauffman School has an extensive expansion plan to grow a grade every year, from fifth to twelfth grades, and ultimately develop into two middle schools and a high school. Due to the expansion plan, the school is hiring exceptional teachers as well as dedicated individuals for positions in operations and administration. The application process and open jobs are available on our Current Opportunities page.
Q: How is teaching at the Kauffman School a unique experience?
A: Kauffman School teachers receive ongoing professional development, weekly observations, and feedback from instructional coaches. Systems and structures are in place to allow teachers to focus on excellent teaching; the Kauffman School offers an operations team to complete extra duties and teachers have three hours of planning built into the school day. Teachers receive additional support through the Director of Special Education and the Dean of Students.
Q: How does your school live out commitments of being culturally responsive educators?
A: As an organization, we engaged in a series of conversations about what it means for us to be educators that value the identities, perspectives, and lived experiences of our students. To us, that means the following:
- We show belief in every student through setting and holding them to high expectations while building relationships. I build connections and relationships with each student side by side while providing excellent, rigorous content in order to value the individual child. We do not allow differences in identity or our personal biases to cause us to lower expectations because we know that when supported, our students can achieve.
- We do not hide the ball from students. We show care through direct and clear communication of our high expectations rather than allowing them to ‘slip through the cracks’ by assuming they will know how to meet our standards without telling them. We also know that one of our roles is preparing our children for a world as college students/graduates that might play by different “rules” than they have previously experienced and it is our job to help them understand how to navigate, challenge the norms of, and dismantle that world. We believe that use of a clear behavior system that prioritizes true student engagement over compliance allows us to have consistency across classrooms and ensure that the learning environment is allowing every student to learn.
- All of our actions are executed with the purpose and intent to empower every student to reach their full potential. We also believe that as educators, we are called to assess the impact of our actions and adjust course if they are not meeting the intent. Positive intent cannot mean we ignore the impact of actions and we believe continually assessing and reassessing practices to ensure they are effective is a critical reflection process to ensure we are being culturally responsive. As an organization, we are committed to being humble and assessing our practices regularly to ensure we are achieving the impact we want for our community and our students.
- We approach rigorous learning as an activity that is responsive to students’ cultural contexts and pushes them to think critically. We seek opportunities for them to engage with and respond to the world around them - both in their immediate lives and in their broader society - while being pushed intellectually at all times.
Q: What are the requirements for teaching at the Kauffman School?
A: Teachers with at least two years of teaching experience, excellent academic gains, and a “whatever it takes” attitude are encouraged to apply.
The Kauffman School also offers a Teaching Fellow position to strong candidates who may lack the necessary experience, but who have a deep desire to develop into an excellent lead teacher.
Q: What is the application process?
A: The application process can be started with an online application. The process can vary based on experience, but applicants can expect a phone interview, teaching video submission, sample teach and debrief, and reference check. For more information about the application process, click here.
Q: What is the salary of a Kauffman School teacher?
A: Due to the high expectations and longer hours that it requires to teach at the Kauffman School, the school offers a competitive compensation package commensurate with anticipated duties, experience, and demonstrated record of results with students. Salary ranges are discussed during a phone interview with the Talent Recruiter.
Q: Do I need to be certified to teach at the Kauffman School?
A: All teachers must be certified in their area of teaching once employed. However, if you are not certified, the Kauffman School may work with individuals to obtain certification.
