SY 24/25 Junior Teacher Cohort - DC Prep

Junior Teachers

Start Date: August 2024

Role Type: Full-Time

Location: Washington, DC

FLSA Status: Exempt

WHO WE ARE

DC Prep is a high performing network of public charter schools serving over 2,100 preschool through 8th-grade students across six campuses in Wards 5, 7, and 8. We’re proud of the high bar we set for ourselves to achieve results–our students deserve our best! We recognize that how we support our students to be successful is just as important as the results we achieve, which pushes us to reflect on questions such as: 

• How can we facilitate our students’ academic, social, and emotional development?  
• How can we support our team members’ professional growth and personal ability to do this work long-term? 
• How can we engage our students’ families as our own? 

While this work is hard, it’s worth it – we believe in the transformative power of education, the can-do-it-ness of our students and staff, and the joy that comes from engaging in meaningful work with people we care about and trust!  

Here’s how we drive results: 

• Rigorous academic focus.  Our Preppies receive the highest level of academic preparation through standards-based instruction, daily targeted interventions, and meaningful assessments.

• Social-emotional learning. We have always had a dual mission of academic and social-emotional skill development.  Our research-based SEL curriculum is integrated into daily instruction, helping students leverage their personal values to strengthen their self-awareness, social awareness, and responsible decision-making skills and create a school-wide culture of empathy and reflection.

• Commitment to reflection and refinement.  Our results tell us that we are moving in the right direction, but there’s further to go to ensure that every student receives a transformative education. As a team, we regularly reflect on our programmatic model to see what’s working and where we can get better.  

Are you interested in learning more about the DC Prep Way? If so, check out our website to find out more about what we’re working towards and how we’re doing it.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Junior Teacher Program is an opportunity to join DC Prep through a teacher pipeline pilot program.  Through this program, we select talented, values-aligned individuals who are excited to learn the craft of teaching in a strong network of schools, in the classroom of a high-performing veteran teacher, and with a combination of on-the-job coaching and formal professional development via the Relay Master’s program. 

Junior Teachers will be paired with a high-performing, veteran lead teacher.  For the first 6 to 9 weeks of school, the Junior Teacher will work alongside the lead teacher 5 days a week to establish a strong and thriving classroom community. Junior Teachers will learn how to plan and lead strong small group instruction to support academic interventions.  Once a strong foundation is in place, the veteran teacher will be out of the classroom 1 day per week to work on other projects that benefit the school community (e.g., program development, curriculum design, small-group academic intervention). This will give the Junior Teacher the opportunity to lead instruction 1 day a week.  Upon successful completion of the program, Junior Teachers may interview for a lead teaching position with DC Prep.

At DC Prep, we use our hearts, minds, and actions to achieve great results for students. The Junior Teacher Program is an excellent opportunity to:  

• “Aim High”  Junior Teachers will receive multi-faceted development opportunities through weekly professional development and coaching alongside their DC Prep colleagues as well as participation in the Relay Graduate School of Education Master’s program.  Successful Junior Teachers will implement learning and feedback to grow in their craft and help students’ achieve their goals.  
• “Belong Together”  DC Prep teachers are full people and support one another to bring their individual best to help achieve our shared goals. As a member of the DC Prep Team, a growth mindset and flexibility are key for success in this role as we are constantly working to support the needs of our students.  
• “Be Brave”.  The program year will provide you with opportunities to both support behind the scenes and to lead a classroom. You may feel failure many times, but what is important is that you are eager to learn from your mistakes and come back stronger for your students, colleagues, and self every day. 
• “Do the Work” We are deliberate in our efforts to further inclusivity - in our mindsets, systems, and team. Junior Teachers will be part of a diverse community of passionate and prepared adults who are united in their commitment to being responsive to students’ needs and reflective about how to better work in service with students and their families.

SALARY: $50,000.00; a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage; and tuition for the 2 year Relay Graduate School of Education master’s program(Optional).  Junior Teachers can decide to opt into Relay or forego this benefit.

WHO YOU ARE

You’re passionate about the need for students from underserved communities to learn without limits, the importance of addressing the intersection of race and public education in the U.S., and the transformational power of talented, mission-aligned people working together to advance a goal.  You’re open to feedback, eager to grow, and bring your best to everything you do. You look for joy in your day-to-day and want to work with others who do, too!  

Additionally, you are a reflective, results-driven professional with:

• Interpersonal skills and emotional constancy to build and maintain strong relationships with students, families and colleagues
• A growth mindset about yourself and others
• Effective written communication skills 
• Organizational abilities (enabling you to set priorities, then organize what needs to happen when to meet deadlines)
• Optimism, maturity, and personal resiliency
• A demonstrated belief in DC Prep’s vision, mission, and values, including our commitment to diversity and inclusion

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree from a competitive college or university required
• Strong interest in pursuing a teaching career in a public charter school
• Passion for DC Prep’s mission to provide every student with the academic and social skills to be successful in life
• Desire to learn and grow through feedback

Additional Requirements

• DC Prep teachers are on duty at their assigned campus Mondays through Fridays from 7:15 am to 4:15 pm and must be prepared to receive students in the classroom at 7:30 am.  On Wednesdays, DC Prep staff report until 5:00 for Professional Development. 
• • Occasionally, staff may be required to report to a different campus for professional development or all network event.
• All DC Prep staff perform clerical duties related to instructional supplies, student reports and records, attendance reports, assessments, etc.
• DC Prep staff regularly perform morning, lunch, and afternoon duties as assigned by their principal
• Additional responsibilities may arise during the school year.  This could include: attending staff and student field trips, after school events, family-teacher conferences, home visits, and other events involving parents and students, as needed. This list is not exhaustive. DC Prep will communicate mandatory events outside of school hours with ample notice.

Physical Demands

The physical demands and environmental conditions described below are representative, but not exhaustive, of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the role.  All of these physical requirements should be able to be performed with clarity, coherence and connectedness to DC Prep’s vision.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

• Must be able to sit and work at a desk/computer for extended periods of time
• Must be able to spend the majority of the day standing or mobile throughout the classroom, as well as talk, hear, grasp, reach and lift up to 30lbs with or without accommodations
• Ability to concentrate in active and noisy environments such as cafeterias and playgrounds, to more moderate situations such as classrooms or large group professional settings
• Must be able to have repetitive wrist/hand/finger movement to work on computer and/or related office equipment
• Ability to handle potential high stress conditions

JOIN US

Do you believe that Learning Has No Limits? Are you eager to join a supportive, innovative, and collaborative community of educators? Are you committed to growing your strengths as an educator through individualized professional development and coaching? Apply today!

We’re an equal opportunity employer and hire without consideration of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or disability. We strongly encourage diverse candidates to apply.