UNIVERSITY PREP
Position: K-2 Elementary School Teachers
Our Mission:
Building a foundation of skills, knowledge and character, University Prep educates every scholar for a four-year college degree and life of opportunity.
Why You’ll Love Us:
"We have been a part of the University Prep family from the beginning. Over the past school years, I've been so proud to see my child grow, learn, and get the support that I feel every child should receive.” – U Prep Parent
In 2011, University Prep opened the doors to its first elementary campus. Fast forward 14 years and our founding scholars are now enrolled in their first and second year of post-secondary programming. With nearly 90% of U Prep alumni on track for post-secondary success, U Prep is living its mission. Our scholars represent a 3X difference when compared with their peer group statewide (less than 30% are earning a degree or certificate following high school graduation). Our alumni are beating the odds and pursuing their dreams and ambitions as they enter adulthood and make choices about their futures. We couldn’t be prouder of our now college-going alumni, but more importantly, they couldn’t be prouder of themselves. Watch this video to hear from them directly and learn more about who we are as an organization and why we exist.
While you may love us because of the depth of our commitment to our mission and the integrity we carry each day to bring it to life, we believe your initial love will come from the investment we make in our people. Everything starts with our care and commitment to the adults who lead our work. They are the game changes who make everything possible.
Our Investment in You:
Our compensation and benefits package includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Up to $8,000 in moving stipends and signing bonuses.
- Highly competitive salary within the local market.
- $60,000 – $80,000 starting salary.
- New to U Prep teachers have a starting salary dependent on years of teaching experience prior to joining the organization. We honor up to 10 years of previous teaching experience.
- 100% of medical benefit covered for all employees, and options to elect dental, vision, critical illness and accident benefits.
- Up to $600 in contributions to a personal wellness account.
- Participation in the Colorado PERA retirement program, including PERA 401K option.
- Weekly personalized coaching and supports from and instructional coach.
Why We’ll Love You:
Do the following must haves resonate with how you’re wired? If so, we invite you to apply and can’t wait to learn more about you!
You're mission and values-driven. You believe education can be a true equalizer and are devoted to all children, from all backgrounds, receiving an exemplary education. You’re fully aligned with the core values that drive our organization.
You love working with people. While you adore little people, you love big people too. You proactively build meaningful and healthy relationships with your colleagues, and carry a ‘team beats individual’ attitude, recognizing that united teams produce amazing results.
You want to be great. You’re invested in mastering your craft and take full ownership over your growth and development. You get a little better every day because you are committed to truly becoming great at what you do.
You carry deep humility while remaining results-oriented. You bring skill and experience to the role while remaining genuinely open to new ideas and approaches all while keeping the end goal in sight.
You never give up. When things feel impossible, you roll up your sleeves, stay calm and level-headed, and
carry an unyielding sense of optimism. You take on challenges and find a way to get to the finish line.
What You’ll Do:
- Embody mission and vision of University Prep along with the organization’s core values.
- Intellectually prepare for and implement a cohesive, rigorous, and standards-aligned curriculum.
- Engage in deliberate practice with leaders and colleagues to ensure full preparation before delivering instruction in front of children.
- Leverage daily, weekly, interim and end of year assessments to consistently capture student learning/understanding.
- Analyze student work and academic data, and action plan accordingly in collaboration with team members and leaders.
- Provide engaging, motivating, and rigorous instruction in whole-class, small group and individual settings.
- Plan for and deliver academic supports to small groups or individual scholars as needed/scheduled.
- Actively engage with families, children and community members to understand their backgrounds and experiences in order to support an equitable and inclusive school environment.
- Communicate regularly and proactively with colleagues, scholars and families.
- Play a direct role in developing and strengthening a warm, consistent, and focused school culture in which learning time is maximized and all students are fully engaged.
- Draft scholar report cards and intentionally plan for family meetings to ensure meaningful information is shared and the school/home relationship is further enhanced.
- Actively participate in all professional development and learning opportunities, demonstrating a desire toward continual improvement and learning.
- Continuously use feedback from leaders, colleagues and families to make productive changes in instructional practices and overall performance.
- Complete all administrative requirements before given deadlines.
- Participate in additional activities including field trips, intensive academic support sessions, and other required programs as needed throughout year to best serve our children and community.
Position Preferences & Requirements:
- Full commitment to, belief in, and alignment with mission and vision of University Prep.
- Full commitment to organization’s core values and core identity.
- Unyielding optimism that children can perform at or above grade level regardless of where they may be starting their educational journey.
- Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree.
- Highly qualified as defined by ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act).
- Minimum of one year working in urban education and/or with a diverse student population.
- For those with teaching experience: history of leading significant gains in student performance
- Excellent verbal and written skills.
- Experience or familiarity analyzing data and using data to inform decisions and/or instruction.
- Strong organizational skills as evidenced by exceptional time and task management
- Ability to work full-time, including some evenings and weekends along with a “whatever it takes” disposition.
- Ability to work in person/in the school building. This is not remote/telecommuting role.
- Openness to feedback and a strong desire for continual growth and development as a professional.
- Willingness to take responsibility for scholar outcomes and achievement without excuse.
- Demonstrated track record of operating with a growth mindset and deep humility in all previous roles.
- Bilingual strongly preferred (English/Spanish).
As an equal opportunity employer, University Prep hires without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or disability.
