[2026-2027] High School ELA Teacher

Job Description

The High School ELA Teacher delivers rigorous, engaging instruction that strengthens students’ reading, writing, and critical-thinking skills while cultivating a classroom culture where all students feel affirmed, supported, and challenged. This teacher brings deep content knowledge in English Language Arts and consistently demonstrates strong classroom management, ensuring a focused, safe, and productive learning environment. They analyze student work to inform instruction, communicate regularly with families, collaborate with colleagues, engage in coaching and professional development, and uphold all KPPS culture systems and core values.

Key Responsibilities:

Classroom Responsibilities

• Ensure that all children feel affirmed, valued and challenged every day
• Create rigorous, engaging unit and daily lesson plans leveraging provided curricula/resources (in most cases)
• Infuse core values into daily lessons and every school practice, implementing school-wide student culture systems and positive classroom management strategies
• Maintain a productive, organized, safe, neat and focused learning environment
• Regularly analyze student work and academic data to adjust lessons, refine curricula and inform instructional practices
• Provide necessary accommodations and modifications for growth and success of all students
• Maintain accurate student grades/records and strong lines of communication with families regarding students’ growth and progress
• Model and implement all school policies within the classroom
• Serve as a role model for students

Professional Responsibilities

• Take ownership for the development of your craft (meet 1x/1-2 weeks with an instructional coach, implement feedback, engage in active practice, etc.)
• Actively engage in all school-wide professional development
• Serve as a positive, contributing member of a grade team, collaborating with colleagues to tackle common challenges and implement grade-wide
• Share candid, solutions-oriented feedback with peers and school leadership on a regular basis
• Embody KPPS core values: Children First, Cultural Competence, Ownership, Community
• Enroll in/complete a teacher certification program (if applicable)

School Responsibilities

• Attend designated school functions outside of school hours (Back to School Night, Report Card Conferences, Community Events, etc.) 
• Contribute to the planning and execution of all school-wide events
• Develop strong relationships with the families of students through home visits, participation in school events and phone calls home
• Perform necessary support duties including (but not limited to) bus, lunch, and dismissal duties
• Chaperone field lessons/field trips
• Additional responsibilities may arise during the school year. They will be communicated to all employees with as much notice and flexibility as possible.

Who You Are:

• You love and see the high potential of all children.
• You have experience driving student growth and achievement and creating a warm, inclusive, rigorous learning environment.
• You have passion for facilitating professional learning, including a desire to continuously grow and learn as a leader.
• You operate with cultural competence and a commitment to inclusion, anti-racism, and the eradication of anti-Blackness. 
• You believe that teachers are the primary drivers of student growth, learning and achievement.
• You have high expectations for students and teachers; and the ability to motivate, inspire and hold others accountable.
• You are solution-orientated and have an eagerness to adapt in order to solve problems.
• You have strong classroom management skills.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of full-time ELA teaching experience (outside of substitute teaching) in an urban setting strongly preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Pennsylvania State certification Level I or II strongly preferred. If uncertified, must –
  • enroll in a PA-approved certification program within one year of hire.
  • submit transcripts upon hire (required for emergency permit application)
• Complete all required criminal and child abuse background checks prior to start date:
  • PA State Police Clearance
  • PA Child Abuse Clearance
  • Cogent Federal Fingerprinting

Additional Information

Compensation:

• The salary range for this position is commensurate upon experience and certification status:
  • Uncertified Range: $56,650 – 79,000+ 
  • Certified Range: $60,000 - $88,500+
• Teacher salaries at KPPS are equitable and transparent. To maintain equity, teacher salaries are determined by a combination of years of teaching experience and certification status. All candidates are welcome to ask their recruiter how their experience and credentials will translate to their salary.
• All full-time team members at KPPS enjoy a comprehensive health benefits package (including vision and dental, a telehealth option, and flexible spending accounts) for themselves and their families as well as a 403B matching program for retirement savings and free access to financial advising services.
• Uncertified teachers have access to $5,000 in tuition reimbursement to pursue certification at a Pennsylvania-approved certification program.

Note To Applicants:

• KIPP Philadelphia Schools is an equal opportunity employer. Employees are selected on the basis of ability without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation, in accordance with federal and state law.