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 Grade-Level teachers, Diverse Learning teachers, Paraprofessionals and Elective Teachers. KIPP Imani will also be supported by an operations team and student support team to ensure a strong foundation for the schoolās continued founding and growth.
Lead Kindergarten Teachers understand that critical foundations for school and student success are built at the kindergarten level. At KDIA, this means we expect kindergarten teachers to create the conditions for KIPPsters to exit Kindergarten reading. In order to achieve this ambitious goal, we expect instructional excellence and strong culture in all classrooms. To support these aims and beliefs, Lead Kindergarten teachers at KDIA share their classrooms with Co-Teachers. The purpose of a Lead & Co model is to create a student:teacher ratio that maximizes individualized attention which yields student mastery; especially, at this critical foundational grade.
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
- 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
- Being consistent and reliable; attendance is an essential function to assure the proper operation of KIPP Detroit Imani Academy
- 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 oneās own teaching
- Set specific, ambitious growth targets for all students and identify and leverage all necessary resources to ensure they meet them
- Use best practices to backwards plan weekly and daily instruction that is tightly aligned to prescribed unit objectives and student needs as demonstrated by assessment data
- Assess students daily, weekly, and at the ends of units and analyze shared assessment data through school-wide systems
- Use best practices, including differentiation with instructional technology and other techniques, to execute engaging instruction at a level rigorous for all students
- Collaborate throughout each day with grade level and content teams, sharing responsibility for student mastery
- A commitment to pursuing anti-racism in our schools and work together
- Dependable attendance according to our extended school year and extended school day
- Communicate frequently and consistently with students and families, including after school via phone, regarding academics, behavior, logistics, and homework
- Use best practices in alignment with school-wide systems to manage student behavior and create a safe, affirming, warm/demanding, and joyful classroom environment
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 teachersā work include, but are not limited to the following:
- Principals and assistant principals who are routinely present throughout the building each day
- One-on-one meetings with a principal and/or assistant principal once per week to discuss student progress and teacherās development
- Quality coaching to help develop teachers content knowledge and classroom management skills
- Collaboration with grade-level and content teams
- A daily prep period
- Frequent in-building professional development from school leadership
- A rigorous prepared curriculum
- In-building technology support
- Highly efficient and thoughtful school scheduling
- A team of ambitious, talented staff, who are all committed to our important work