FAQs

Your child’s teacher may come from one of many different backgrounds. Some KIPP teachers have worked with educationally underserved students for their whole careers, some teachers are at the beginning of their career in the classroom, and some career changers are entering the classroom after devoting time to another profession.

No matter where these educators began, they all have received a bachelor’s degree and joined KIPP DC to provide the highest quality education to your child. Because we believe that there’s always room to grow, your child’s teacher also receives individualized coaching, instructional toolkits, and resources to share and collaborate with colleagues across the KIPP network.

To maximize your child’s growth and provide more time for academics and extracurricular activities, the KIPP DC school year consists of 191 school days that are 8 hours each.

Visit our Apply Now page to browse current openings and apply online!

To be a KIPP DC teacher, you must hold a bachelor’s degree and have a passion for working with students, often from educationally underserved communities. No matter where you are coming from, at KIPP DC you will be joining a diverse network of empowered teachers and leaders that hold their students to high expectations and strive to help every student reach their potential to succeed.

KIPP was founded on the idea that great leaders create great schools, and that a great school can change the trajectory of a child’s life. To be a KIPP DC school leader, you must possess the unyielding belief in every child’s potential to succeed in top-quality high schools, colleges, and in the competitive world beyond.

Additionally, you should meet the following credentials:

• Instructional expertise in a K-12 classroom
• At least two years of teaching/leadership experience in a low-income school with demonstrated exemplary student results
• A record of success in leading adults
• The capacity to define a vision, build a team, and achieve results
• Broad experience as an instructional leader to teachers of all subjects

The KIPP Foundation recruits school leaders through two, year-long fellowship programs. For more information, you can visit Fisher Fellowship or Miles Family Fellowship.

There are several support roles that are critical to the overall KIPP DC mission of providing the best education to children in Washington, D.C. You can join the KIPP DC team in a support role on the school level, at the KIPP DC headquarters, or within the KIPP Foundation. If you are interested in working with KIPP DC or the KIPP Foundation, check the Apply Now page to view our current job openings.

You should have both professional experience as well as a belief and commitment to KIPP’s mission of helping every child succeed in top-quality high schools, colleges, and the competitive world beyond. Individual job opportunities and requirements vary by role and will be specified in the job description.

You will never stop learning at KIPP DC! We believe there will always be room to learn, grow, and improve at each stage of your career. You will have the opportunity to be developed through individual coaching, school and region-wide professional development, and national leadership training through the KIPP School Leadership Program (KSLP).

The Capital Teaching Residency (CTR) is a nationally recognized, highly selective, three-year teacher training program that provides a pathway for new teachers to develop into outstanding educators.  Your first year in the CTR will be your residency year. During your residency year, you will have the opportunity to obtain your teaching certification while training in the classroom with a highly effective mentor teacher. Following your residency year, you will be committed to two additional years of teaching at KIPP DC or a partner public charter school in Washington, D.C.

The first step is to complete your online application. If the selection team feels that you are a potential fit for the CTR, you will be asked to move forward to a phone interview. The phase following your phone interview will be an in-person interview with the school leaders that directly manage the Capital Teaching Residents. You will be notified of your final status within two to three weeks of your in-person interview.

Although CTR will conduct six application cycles, we encourage you to apply as early as possible. The CTR evaluates applications and hires candidates on a rolling basis. Therefore, there is a significant advantage to applying early in the application season.

CTR is a highly selective program. You will have the highest chance of acceptance if you:

• Have obtained a bachelor’s degree by June of 2019 (required) and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Have not previously served for a full year as a lead teacher
• Once hired, successfully pass your first Praxis II exam, as well as the CORE exam, before you begin your residency year in the fall
• Have a history of achievement and perseverance
• Are growth-oriented, ready to learn the art of teaching, and willing to work extremely hard in order to continuously improve your craft
• Demonstrate an unwavering commitment to students and the mission of KIPP DC
• Are a team player who is willing to work collaboratively with others to support the success of students.

Each year, over 50 percent of the Capital Teaching Residents are placed as Early Childhood Education (ECE) Residents.  ECE Residents are placed in classrooms with students ages three to five. As an ECE Resident, you will benefit from the unique experience of working with D.C.’s youngest students at a critical point in their development.

Preference for selection into the secondary math and science training program will be given to applicants with strong backgrounds in math and science (typically candidates who completed a degree in math or science during their undergraduate careers).

Secondary positions are available at both the middle school and high school levels. Secondary Residents are required to earn a Master of Arts in Teaching during their second year of commitment.

Yes. KIPP DC schools are tuition-free, public schools open to all students who live in Washington, D.C. The KIPP DC network currently serves 6,800 students at 18 schools on six campuses in the District of Columbia.

Charter schools are tuition-free public schools that are open to all students. They are independently operated schools that run with more flexibility than traditional public schools in exchange for increased accountability.

Like all public schools, charter schools are held to state and federal academic standards, open to all students, including those with disabilities, funded primarily through federal, state, and local tax dollars, and are not affiliated with or restricted to a particular religious group.

The “charter” that establishes each school is a contract detailing the school’s mission, program plans, performance goals, and methods of assessment. Every public charter school has an authorizer that is responsible for holding the school accountable for compliance with their operating agreement or “charter.” Authorizers of charter schools often include a district school board, university, Mayor’s office, or non-profit organization.

KIPP DC is part of a national network of schools that operate with the help of the KIPP Foundation. The non-profit KIPP Foundation trains and develops outstanding educators to lead KIPP schools, provides training for excellent teaching and learning, promotes innovation, and facilitates resource and idea exchange within the KIPP network. The KIPP Foundation provides support to KIPP DC to ensure we are able to help children develop the academic and character strengths they need for college and choice-filled lives.

KIPP DC is a KIPP regional organization. Each KIPP regional organization is a separate non-profit that oversees the KIPP schools in their community. KIPP DC provides alumni support, teacher training, leadership development, advocacy, operations, and data analysis to the KIPP schools in Washington, D.C. Each regional organization is governed by a local board of directors and led by an executive director.

KIPP began in 1997 when two former Teach For America teachers, Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin, launched a fifth grade learning program within a public elementary school in Houston, Texas. The program they launched had five core pillars: high expectations, choice and commitment, more time, power to lead, and a focus on results. The following year, Mike and Dave used these principles as the foundation for two new public schools, both named KIPP Academy Middle School. In 2000, the non-profit KIPP Foundation was established to recruit and train outstanding school leaders to open and run KIPP schools in more communities across the country. The five founding principles are guiding 209 KIPP schools today.

KIPP schools are public charter schools that are primarily funded by local and state dollars, along with some funding from the federal government.

Local and state per-pupil funding covers the vast majority of KIPP’s operational costs. To fund KIPP’s expansion and ensure the sustainability of KIPP schools, KIPP regions raise additional funding from local donors and foundations.

KIPP DC relies completely on private funding to support special programs like the Capital Teaching Residency and KIPP Through College & Career.

To learn more about KIPP DC’s funders or to make a contribution to KIPP DC, visit our Get Involved page.

KIPP DC’s KIPP Forward program supports KIPP DC students and alumni throughout their journey to and through high school, college, and as they are introduced into the workforce.

A team of counselors helps students and alumni prepare for and select the right college and career based on their interests and passions. After high school, KIPP advisors will help your child navigate the academic, social, and financial challenges they might encounter while in college or pursuing a career.

All KIPP DC high school students are automatically enrolled in the KIPP Forward program. Students who graduated eighth grade from a KIPP DC school are also eligible for KIPP Forward, regardless of whether or not they attend a KIPP DC high school.

The KIPP Forward program would not exist without the support of private philanthropy. Your contributions allow us to offer the support and services needed to help our students close the college completion gap in D.C.

KIPP was founded on a belief that students need both a strong academic foundation and well-developed character strengths to succeed in college and the world beyond. These two principles are deeply interconnected and KIPP works to make sure one is never sacrificed for the other.

Our approach to character is grounded in seven character strengths that are found to be highly predictive of success in life: zest, grit, optimism, self-control, gratitude, social intelligence, and curiosity. Our character framework was developed by KIPP NYC in collaboration with Dr. Angela Duckworth, Dr. Martin Seligman, the late Dr. Chris Peterson, and in partnership with Riverdale Country School.

A high quality curriculum plays a critical role in unlocking student potential. KIPP schools’ curricula are rigorous, standards-based, and carefully designed to prepare each child to succeed in college, career, and life beyond.

There are plenty of opportunities for you to connect with students, alumni, and teachers by volunteering at KIPP DC! Subscribe to our volunteer update newsletter to stay connected.

Check out our Get Involved page to start the conversation!

KIPP DC aspires to reach even more students in the District of Columbia. In June 2017, KIPP DC received approval from the D.C. Public Charter School board to open a second high school in the District. This is a positive step in the pursuit of our mission to ensure that all students in Washington, D.C. have access to an excellent education.