STRIVE Prep is a community of public charter schools that challenges each of our scholars to learn to change the world. Our network was founded nearly 15 years ago with the belief that students from all backgrounds deserve a college preparatory education regardless of race, economic circumstance, or previous academic achievement. At STRIVE, we are committed to achievement, justice, and perseverance. STRIVE Prep operates 10 schools spanning throughout Far Northeast, Northwest, and Southeast Denver. Check us out on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for a look at life at STRIVE!

STRIVE Prep is a Denver-based community of public charter schools that challenges every student to strive for college and thrive throughout life by helping them to discover and develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence necessary to succeed in college and beyond. We encourage you to read our 2021 Impact Report and learn more about what a career at STRIVE Prep is like here.

We seek dedicated educators that live STRIVE Prep’s core values of achievement, justice, & perseverance every day and are committed to growing as an anti-racist educator.

As a Lower Elementary Teacher, you will have a classroom of 20 students. Class sizes are kept intentionally small at the primary level in order to support teachers being able to get to know their students personally and to best meet their learning needs. Lower Elementary Teachers teach multiple content areas including English Language Development (ELD), Literacy, and Math. They also lead their classrooms in daily “Morning Meetings” to build community and social-emotional skills.

The salary for this position is 50,000 TO 69,000 based on years of teaching in K12 and level of education.

The following outline the must-haves for a candidate at Ruby Hill. These must-haves are skills, mindsets, attitudes, and beliefs that are requirements to be successful at our school

• You love academics. You believe that the foremost role of the school is to provide a high-quality academic education. You believe in standards-aligned curriculum and instruction and push for students to work with grade-level materials. You are excited to dive into standards and academic data and curricular resources to provide the best possible instruction for our students.
• You teach until they learn. You work hard, and when the challenges become greater you work even harder. You stay solutions-oriented and are always looking for ways to support teachers and students to achieve goals and overcome obstacles. You think creatively and collaborate with others and believe that your work is not done until each student has learned the lesson’s content.
• Feedback is your friend. You relish the opportunity to receive feedback and to learn and grow in your instructional practice. The idea of being observed regularly and being given feedback before, during, and after a lesson is exciting to you because you are committed to improving your craft and maximizing your impact on student achievement. Feedback given and received is always in a spirit of generosity and “assuming the best” of the other person.
• You believe in structure and accountability. You are comfortable with a warm-strict approach to classroom management and believe in fair and consistent consequences. You believe that student safety comes first and that normed systems, routines, and approaches to classroom “management” contribute to a safe environment and one in which students can excel academically.
• You build community through communication. You are a strong collaborator and work well with staff, students, and families. You love to both give and receive feedback. You are a strong communicator and collaborate and communicate well across lines of difference. You are flexible and are always willing to lend a hand to another staff member, family, or visitor.

SUMMARY of ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Instruction:

• Analyze student assessment data and determine the next steps.
• Become an expert in normed curriculum resources (Eureka, Core Knowledge Language Arts, EL Education, etc) and adjust instruction to best meet the needs of students.
• Provide fair, accurate, and constructive feedback to students on their progress.
• Collaborate with other teachers, school leaders, curriculum specialists, and the special education team to ensure that instruction is always meeting the needs of all learners.

Culture

• Establish systems and routines in order to create a safe, purposeful, and welcoming classroom environment.
• Build strong relationships with students that build excitement and engagement throughout the school day and ensure all students feel safe, seen, and supported at school.
• Build strong relationships with families and utilize communications skills to effectively both solicit their input and share student social and academic progress.
• Provide supervision of students during lunch, recess, and other times throughout the school day.

Development

• Participate in STRIVE Prep’s Summer Training Institute in July/August as well as professional development throughout the school year.
• Attend and participate in weekly staff and grade-level meetings.
• Participate in regular instructional coaching meetings.
• Additional Duties as assigned

Strive Requirements

• We do not require a Colorado Teaching License for our general education teaching positions. However, you do need to possess a Bachelor of Arts or Sciences degree and achieve Qualified Teacher Status within six weeks of your start date through one of the approved channels outlined by the Colorado Department of Education. More questions about this? We highly encourage you to connect with the folks at TEACH Colorado!

Nice to haves!

• Speaks Spanish and/or has experience working with English Learners
• Demonstrated success working with students of color

Benefits – TOTAL REWARDS

• Employee retention is a top priority at STRIVE Prep. Therefore we offer competitive compensation and benefits including the following:
• Excellent Healthcare Plan: 100% of employee-only monthly premium paid by STRIVE Prep.
• Time Off To Refresh: Industry high  6+ weeks of annual vacation/PTO. Hard work is rewarded with ample time to refresh.
• Based on the hire date, employees are eligible for up to 8 days of PTO
• All employees receive 2 floating religious holidays
• All employees receive summer vacation based on work location and position
• Community: Opportunity to work with passionate, mission-driven colleagues who are invested in your personal and professional growth. Join one of our Affinity Groups to build connections with staff across the network who share common identities.
• Career Support: Access to our Talent Team to support the internal movement. We want you to grow your career at STRIVE!
• Family & Well-Being Focus: Parental and medical leave of 6 weeks paid and 6 weeks unpaid for a total of 12 weeks.
• Mental Health Assistance: We value the wellness of our students and staff. That’s why we offer access to mental health support through our Employee Assistance Program with Optum.
• Resources and Development For Success: Equipment provided: laptop, Weekly coaching sessions
• Retirement Planning: Participation in the Colorado PERA retirement program, including a PERA 401k option.
• For more information, you can view our compensation and benefits FAQ here.

For most of our positions, we hire on a rolling basis. Therefore, we recommend that you submit your application as soon as you are able. Most processes include a 30-minute phone interview with a member of our Talent Team, and then a 1-2 hour final interview over Zoom unless otherwise noted by your interviewer. You can read more about our process as well as get tips on preparing for an interview here!