Frequently Asked Questions

For common questions, select by category below. For further inquiries, please contact apply@kipp.org.

Candidate Experience, Backgrounds, & Qualifications

What is the experience and background of a typical KIPP teacher or school leader?

KIPP teachers are a diverse group, including experienced teachers who have worked in schools serving underserved students, new teachers who are just beginning their careers, and career changers who are entering the classroom after succeeding in another profession.

Across our network, nearly 38 percent of our teachers are African-American or Latino, about 32 percent are Teach For America alumni, and 32 percent hold master's degrees.

KIPP school leaders experience and background are similar to our teachers, but typically have spent a longer time in the classroom. As of August 2012, 69 percent of KIPP school leaders were former KIPP teachers, and 57 percent held graduate's degrees or higher.

What are the requirements for teaching at a KIPP school?

The primary requirement for teaching at a KIPP school is a belief in a very simple concept: that we will do whatever it takes to help each and every student develop the character and academic skills necessary for them to lead self-sufficient, successful and happy lives.

KIPP schools comply with any applicable state and federal laws, and certification requirements for charter school teachers vary by state. While many KIPP schools look for candidates with at least two years of prior teaching experience, several also have programs designed specifically for those new to teaching. Click here to learn more.

Each KIPP school is managed locally, and hiring decisions are made at the level of the individual school. For more information about the requirements to teach at a specific KIPP school, please visit our School Directory to access an individual school’s website. Please note that to be considered for a teaching position at a KIPP school you must have legal authorization to work in the United States.

What are the requirements for school leader candidates?

An excellent candidate possesses the unyielding belief in the potential of every child to succeed in top quality high schools, colleges, and the competitive world beyond.

Additionally, all candidates should have:

Instructional expertise in a K-12 classroom (all applicants must have at least two years of experience in a K-12 setting as a teacher or administrator)
A record of success in leading adults
The capacities to define a vision, build a team, and achieve results despite tremendous obstacles.
At least two years of teaching and/or leadership experience in a low-income school with demonstrated exemplary student results ("low-income school" is a school in which over 50 percent of the student population qualify for the federal free and reduced meals program).
Broad experience to allow you to serve as an instructional leader to teachers of all subjects

What if I am a current KIPP employee applying for a Fisher or Miles Family Fellowship in a different region from where I currently work?

If you are a current KIPP employee applying for another KIPP region, we highly recommend you notify your current supervisor/region early in your application process as we will confirm with your current region if you are to advance through the selection process.

Are you planning to open a KIPP school in [city / state]? Why not?

In order to focus on the growth within our current regions and to provide needed targeted support to our current new cities, KIPP is not currently selecting new cities for expansion. However, many of our existing KIPP regions do plan to expand over the next few years. Please check the School Directory for a current list of all KIPP school locations and updates on our plans to open new KIPP schools.

Teacher Application & Selection Process

How do I apply for a teaching job?

As of July 2012, please complete the following steps to apply to a job via our national KIPP Careers system:

1) Visit our Job Listings page to view teaching opportunities from around the country.

2) Select the job or jobs you would like to apply to, and click on “Apply to selected jobs."

3) If you do not yet have a profile in our KIPP Careers system (which is new as of July 2012), you will be prompted to create one. If you have previously created a profile, you will be prompted to login to your account.

4) Once you have created your profile or logged in successfully, you will be directed to our teaching application. Please note that you may save and return to your application at any time, and that you will be asked to complete two short essay questions as part of your application:

KIPP schools share a core set of operating principles known as the Five Pillars. Which one of the five KIPP Pillars resonates most with you, and why do you want to teach at KIPP?
What academic goals have you set for your students, and what evidence do you have of their progress towards those goals?

5) Your application will be submitted when you press the “Confirm” button on the final confirmation page. At that time you will receive a confirmation email and your application will be sent directly to the KIPP school or regional organization you are applying to.

6) After you submit your application online, the remainder of the application process will be handled by the individual KIPP school or region you apply to. Please note that each of our locations has their own hiring processes. While the teacher selection process varies by location, typical steps include a phone interview, an in-person interview with the school leader and other staff members, and a sample teaching lesson. If you have any questions about your application status or next steps in the hiring process, please contact the KIPP school or region directly. Contact information for all of our locations is available in our School Directory.

Please note: You must have legal authorization to work in the United States in order to apply for a teaching position at a KIPP school.

How can I tell if I’ve applied for a job already?

When you are logged in to KIPP Careers you can access your job cart at any time by selecting “my job cart”. Within your job cart you can view positions you have saved to apply to later, and by scrolling down the page you can view positions you have applied to in the past in the “positions I’ve applied to” section.

If you are having trouble submitting your application through the KIPP Careers system, please try the troubleshooting tips outlined below.

Use Chrome, Firefox or Internet Explorer as your browser, and do not use Safari. Our site works best with the Chrome, Firefox or Internet Explorer browsers, and using Safari can sometimes cause errors. If you have experienced technical difficulties with the application using Safari, please try a different browser, which should resolve any issues you experienced.
Do not apply from a tablet or mobile device. While we do have a mobile version of our website, the application system is not fully functional on tablets (e.g. iPads) and phones.
Submit attachments as PDF files. It is always a best practice to submit your resume and other attachments as PDF files. Most programs (such as Microsoft Word) allow you to Save As PDF.
Answer ALL required questions. If a question does not apply to you, be sure to type or select “N/a” or “Opt Out”.
Compose your cover letter or essays thoughtfully in advance. Teaching applicants are asked to complete two short answer essay questions, which take the place of a cover letter. Non instructional applicants are asked to submit a cover letter as part of the application process. If you are applying for a teaching role, please scroll to the bottom of the application and review the short answer questions before you begin completing the application so that you can set aside time to compose your responses.
Look for a confirmation message. If you click submit and you are returned to your application, scroll to the top to review errors in your application. You will know your application has submitted successfully when, after hitting “submit” you receive an email confirming that your application has been successfully submitted. If you do not receive an email, your application was not submitted. Please log back in to KIPP Careers and access your job cart to submit your application and view the status of previously submitted applications.

If, after trying the steps listed below, you continue to have trouble with your application, email helpdesk@kipp.org and include a detailed description of your issue. Screen shots are always helpful!

What happened to the profile I had in the KIPP Teach system?

As part of our effort to improve the applicant experience, we have recently upgraded our application system with a new look and improved functionality. As a result of this upgrade, as of July 2012 all users who previously had a profile in our national KIPP Teach database will need to re-create their profile in our upgraded KIPP Careers system. We appreciate your patience as we undergo this transition and apologize for any inconvenience it may cause.

School Leader Application & Selection Process

I have multiple kinds of data for my classroom/school. What should I submit?

You should submit the assessment that most accurately and thoroughly demonstrates the academic outcomes your students achieved. If you have state test results, please submit those.

What if I don’t have state tests results to report?

If you don’t have state test results, please send the in-class assessments you used to measure student academic progress (e.g. Terra Nova).

I don’t know what the results were for my most recent years teaching – what should I do?

We recommend you reach out to your school (or previous school) to ask them to provide you with this information.

I’m in my second year of teaching – can I submit data for this year?

All applicants must submit at least one full year of student achievement data to be considered for the Fisher Fellowship or Miles Family Fellowship; you may submit data for up to the three most recent years you have been a teacher or administrator. Please submit as much data as possible, i.e.:

If you have been a teacher or administrator for three full years or more, please submit data for all three years
If you have been a teacher or administrator for two full years, please submit data for your two full years, plus as much data as you have from this year.
If you have been a teacher or administrator for one full year, please submit data for your first full year, plus as much data as you have from this year.

I can’t share data about my students because of privacy issues. What should I do?

You don’t need to share your students’ names or individual scores. You can share aggregate results at the classroom or school level.

How do I submit a lesson plan and video if I am not currently teaching?

We prefer that you are request the opportunity to teach a lesson in your old school, a neighborhood school, or another school within your network.

As a last resort, if you are unable to locate an opportunity on your own, we can connect you with a KIPP school in or near your region to teach a guest lesson.

If I apply for the first deadline and am denied, can I reapply at a later deadline in the same year?

Candidates may only apply once per application year. We do encourage candidates to re-apply in future years should they feel they are better prepared as a candidate based on additional experience they have gained.

How are candidates evaluated at the Selection Event? Are there different qualifications for the Fisher Fellowship and the Miles Family Fellowship?

All candidates are evaluated by the Leadership Competencies - read more about the Leadership Competencies.

Candidates are offered the Fisher Fellowship if they demonstrate strong skills and readiness to open a KIPP school according to our selection criteria, and candidates are offered the Miles Family Fellowship if the selection committee believes that they are high-quality candidates with the potential to develop into strong Fisher Fellows in one year.

If I am offered a Fellowship but do not accept it for that year, can I apply for a deferral?

You can apply for a one year deferral. The request for deferral must be submitted to the Director of National Recruitment.

During this time, we ask accepted Fellows to work in a role that will continue to prepare them for being school leaders at KIPP. The Director of National Recruitment will decide what will qualify as preparation for school leadership at KIPP.

Fisher Fellowship Year

Do I have to attend the summer institute for the Fisher Fellowship if I have already completed coursework toward my administrative/supervisory certification?

Attendance is a mandatory and crucial part of the Fisher Fellowship, and all Fisher Fellows are required to attend the full session.

Will I have my administrative certification after completing the Fisher Fellowship?

You can opt into a program through National-Louis University (NLU) to get a Master's degree in Educational Leadership and apply for an administrative certificate upon completion of the degree. The optional program allows participants to receive course credit for the training provided during the fellowship year.

Participants in the NLU program will receive nine semester units at the end of the Institute and then will participate in ongoing coursework through NLU. The Master's program runs from July through April. Tuition payments are the responsibility of the individual participants.

What are the living arrangements during Institute?

During Institute, Fellows live and work together in dormitory-style housing; housing and meals are paid for by the KIPP Foundation.

Because of the demanding schedule of Institute and the need to collaborate with other participants and faculty, all Fellows are required to live in the housing for the duration of Institute.

The KIPP Foundation may be able to arrange family housing for Fellows who choose to bring family members to the Institute. However, Fellows are responsible for any costs incurred for the lodging of family members.

Is there a guarantee that my school will open once I complete the Fisher Fellowship training?

The ability to open a school will be made based on a variety of factors which include the region's ability to find a facility, secure a charter, and acquire necessary funding to open your school. Given this, there is no guarantee for Fisher Fellows that they will open schools once they have completed their Fellowship training year.

What kind of support does the KIPP Foundation provide after the Fisher Fellowship?

The KIPP Foundation provides a variety of support to school leaders once they have opened their school. School leaders can reach out to KIPP Foundation staff for support in operations (legal, financial, facility, accounting, public relations, and marketing); instructional leadership; specific professional development retreats for teachers and office staff; or direct professional development support.

In addition, our regional structure provides schools with oversight from regional Executive Directors. Each region also shares a school support center, which provides joint administrative, operational, and academic resources across the region. Most importantly, the region shares a strategic plan-a roadmap for consistent execution in identifying and cultivating school leaders, maintaining high levels of quality and performance, promoting the sustainability of individual schools, and assessing future growth possibilities.

Miles Family Fellowship Year

What roles are most Miles Family Fellows assigned in the region during the Fellowship?

Most of the Miles Family Fellows teach and fulfill a leadership role on campus such as a grade level chair or department chair. The role is determined, and aligned with the fellow’s individualized leadership plans, after a candidate is selected for the Miles Family Fellowship.

How does the Miles Family Fellowship prepare me to apply for the Fisher Fellowship?

The Miles Family Fellowship is a partnership between the KIPP region, the Miles Family Fellow, and the KSLP team. The region ensures that the fellow is placed in appropriate teaching and leadership roles and receives ongoing feedback from the host school leader. The fellow reflects on his or her strengths and areas for development to outline an Individualized Leadership Plan and actively utilizes this plan to seize opportunities for growth and feedback. In addition to the leadership development opportunities provided through Orientation and the three Intersessions throughout the year, the KSLP team provides Miles Family Fellows individualized leadership coaching through the KSLP Coaching Program and at least two site visits.

Am I guaranteed to get the Fisher Fellowship if I do the Miles Family Fellowship?

Miles Family Fellows are not guaranteed a Fisher Fellowship; Miles Family Fellows must apply for and be selected for the Fisher Fellowship at the end of their Fellowship year.

Learn more about the KIPP School Leadership Programs by registering for one of our regular online Information Session webinars.

KIPP is committed to equal treatment for all individuals. KIPP does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, disability, age, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.