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Application Process

Application Tips

Do your research. How much you researched KIPP is clear in the quality of your application essays and will be significant in our decision to further consider you. Read about KIPP and St. Louis. Check out our Facebook page.

Compose essays in advance. Our online application does not allow you to save your application. Consider writing your essay response in a Word document, then cut and paste directly into the application.

Write a thoughtful essay. Essays take the place of cover letters; they should be formal, carefully crafted writing samples. Essays with word counts far below the limit will earn low scores.

Be specific about experience and results. Provide detailed information about your teaching role,responsibilities and—most importantly—your results! Tell us how your students achieved significant, measurable academic gains. Use bullet points. Highlight your accomplishments and expertise in education.

Candidate Selection Process

1. Online Application

Teaching applicants must submit an online application by one of the two deadlines.

  • Complete the application form
  • Submit essays in response to the following questions (300-400 words per essay: low word-count essays will receive low scores):
    • KIPP schools share a core set of operating principles known as the Five Pillars. Which one of the Five Pillars aligns most with your educational philosophy, and why do you want to teach at KIPP?
    • What does success look like in your classroom? What do you do to achieve this success? Stated alternatively, what academic goals have you set for your students, and what evidence do you have of their progress toward those goals?

2. Initial Phone Interview

  • Primarily for candidates outside of commuting distance to St. Louis.
  • Approximately 30-minute phone interview to discuss your teaching experience and answer any questions you have about KIPP.

3. Formal Interview

Candidates who advance from the initial screening stage will be invited to interview formally, usually on-campus and include a sample lesson.

4. References

Following the formal interview,we will request candidate references.

5. Notification of an Offer

Offers of employment are usually made within four to six weeks of application deadlines.