The Ewing Marion Kauffman School is a free, public charter school serving more than 1,000 students in 5^th through 12^th grades. Focused on student achievement and strong character, the school’s mission is summarized in three words: create college graduates. The school serves a student population of which 87% qualify for free and reduced lunch and 90% identify as students of color. Students are accepted by a lottery that prioritizes the six highest-need zip codes within the district.

Students entering Kauffman School in fifth grade typically scored in the bottom third of the state on their fourth grade exams. After four years at Kauffman School, 8^th grade students score at the very top in state exams; in 2015-2016 Kauffman School 8^th graders ranked #1 in math, #3 in science, and #12 in ELA in the state of Missouri. Our founding freshman class was the #1 ranked district in Biology and the #2 ranked district in Algebra on Missouri’s end of course exams. These results have allowed us to create a high school that offers AP courses for all students, meaning 100% of students participate in AP courses by the time they graduate from our high school.  

In 2015, the Kauffman School was recognized as Missouri Charter School of the Year. In 2016 and 2017, the Kauffman School earned a perfect score on its statewide Annual Performance Rating, one of only 7% of districts statewide to do so. In 2017, Teach For America named the Kauffman School a School To Learn From. Additionally, the Kauffman School became the first charter network outside of New York City to earn the top tier “Platinum” rating from the Leverage Leadership Institute, an extension of the Relay Graduate School of Education. Our school and student results demonstrate our students’ incredible brilliance, passion, creativity, and work ethic. Kauffman School students are empowered by their identities and place in the community and develop a critical consciousness of the world around them. Kauffman School staff actively partner with families to be a school, not just in the community, but of the community.

The Kauffman School is seeking a dedicated and inspirational Foreign Language Teacher. The Foreign Language Teacher is an integral part of the total school program and will be responsible for ensuring that students communicate and understand the foreign language. They encourage students to practice vocabularies they have learned and assist them in accurately listening, speaking, writing and reading the foreign language as well as developing student understanding and appreciation of culture of countries where the foreign language is spoken.

Because we are a growing charter network, our application and interview process identifies candidates who would be great teachers, no matter the content or grade level.  Know that your grade-level preferences will be a point of discussion in future conversations and interviews, and we value teachers being flexible in both content and grade preferences.

Curriculum Design, Instruction, and Student Assessment

• Develop curriculum aligned with state and common core standards
• Plan and teach varied content area curriculum including foreign language grammar, spelling, pronunciation, vocabulary and composition; guiding students on conversational foreign language
• Teach students about literature, culture and history of countries where the foreign language is spoken
• Create engaging lesson plans utilizing techniques such as role-playing, dialogue, language games, literature, film, songs, story-telling, and other formal exercises
• Prepare visual aids
• Design assessments and use data to refine curriculum and inform instructional practices
• Approach practice with a sense of urgency, maximizing every minute with students
• Collaborate with content and grade-level teams to promote an environment of critical thinking and academic rigor
• Differentiate plans for individual students based on their unique learning profiles so that all students are engaged and challenged
• Deliver content and instruction to students with purpose, passion, and a willingness to do “whatever it takes” to help students succeed
• Assumes other responsibilities as assigned by the Principal

Building School Culture

• Believe deeply in the mission of the Kauffman School and that all children can meet high academic expectations
• Discuss, celebrate, and reinforce the school’s PREP (Perseverance, Results, Empathy, Passion) values
• Implement school-wide behavior management system consistently with all students
• Be accountable for student’s mastery of academic standards
• Embrace feedback and constructive criticism in the spirit of constant improvement
• Demonstrate maturity, humility, professionalism, confidence, and a strong work ethic inside and outside the classroom

• A bachelor’s degree is required, master’s degree in respective foreign language is preferred
• Must be fluent and literate in the respective foreign language as well as English
• Proven track record of high achievement in the classroom
• Mastery of, and enthusiasm for, academic subject matter
• Relentless focus on student results
• Able and willing to work a longer school day and school year
• Able to build positive relationships with students, families, and colleagues

The Kauffman School offers a competitive compensation package commensurate with anticipated duties and responsibilities, including comprehensive health benefits.

Interested applicants should complete a formal application through the Kauffman School Careers page at http://www.kauffmanschool.org/.  Your cover letter should address your interest in working at the Kauffman School and prior experiences that make you a uniquely qualified candidate:

• Share any significant academic gains you have achieved with students, citing specific evidence and/or data
• Highlight your experience working with low-income, minority, or historically underachieving students
• Provide specific evidence of your alignment with the Kauffman School’s missions of “creating college graduates” and/or the Kauffman School’s PREP Values

The Kauffman School is an Equal Opportunity Employer, welcoming people to flourish in an open and inclusive work environment. A diverse pool of candidates is welcomed and encouraged.