2nd/3rd Grade Cooperating Teacher (0.5 FTE - 0.7 FTE)

Cooperative Elementary School Seeks 2nd/3rd Grade Cooperating Teacher (0.5 FTE - 0.7 FTE)

KapKa Cooperative School is seeking a creative, responsive, and collaborative teacher to join our mixed-aged 2nd/3rd grade classroom. The approximate start date is November 1, 2025 (or as soon as filled).

Who We Are

Our Mission Statement

Together we empower passionate learners and creative problem solvers, rooted in community, to build a more just and sustainable world.

Founded in 1989, KapKa Cooperative School is a small, cooperative elementary school in Seattle. We are an independent, non-profit, state-approved school and candidate member of the Northwest Association of Independent Schools. Located on the border of the Fremont and Phinney neighborhoods just one block from Woodland Park, we spend a good part of each day engaging with the natural world.

We believe children are curious and capable learners. At KapKa, teachers nurture a child’s abilities and passions using experiential, democratic, and anti-racist learning approaches. We believe education happens best in relationship with self and others. We aspire for children to become integral members of the school community, as well as the larger community beyond.

Our program balances intellectual, social, and emotional learning using a progressive and emergent curriculum. We foster creativity, compassion, collaboration, and curiosity, as well as an understanding of, and dedication to, social and ecological justice.

Parents are active participants at KapKa. They support learning inside and outside the classroom. Under the guidance of teachers and staff, they help create space for young learners to take compassionate, self-actualizing and courageous actions that grow the individual and the community.

For more information, visit our website at www.kapkaschool.org.

Please see our Mission and Values Statements to read about how we support children in their learning at KapKa.

The Position

KapKa Cooperative School is seeking a creative, responsive, and collaborative teacher to join our mixed-aged 2nd/3rd grade classroom. In this position, you will work alongside another teacher with the support of 2 assistants. You will be responsible for teaching several small literacy groups, the 2nd grade math group, and the lesson planning, material preparation, and progress tracking that go along with them.

In our 2nd and 3rd grade program, our dynamic team nurtures young learners through the blossoming of their academic talents, and continues to foster their social and emotional skills. Students look inward as they develop the skills of reading, writing, mathematics and other academic disciplines, and begin to understand themselves as learners. Having a growth mindset is emphasized in the classroom, as students develop skills at their own pace, using the tools and supports that are appropriate for them.

Students also look outward to their peers, teachers, parents, and the greater community of Seattle and beyond, to gain an appreciation for a diversity of thought, perspective, culture, and identity. Our second- and third-grade learners are ready to investigate how things work, challenge their assumptions, and learn that there can be more than one right answer.

Position Details

• Supervisor: Head of School
• Classification: Part-time, exempt
• Approximate Hours (there is some flexibility):
  • 8:00 am - 12pm, Monday/Friday
  • 8:00 am - 1:30 pm, Tuesday/Thursday
  • 8:00 am - 1:00 pm Wednesday
• Work Calendar: Approximately August 25, 2025 - June 18, 2026, following the school calendar for holidays and breaks

Responsibilities

• Plan and implement a differentiated literacy program, using the school’s adopted literacy curriculum and other supplements, in alignment with the science of reading and current best practices
• Plan and implement the grade level math program using the school’s adopted math curriculum and supplemental resources
• Collaborate with the other classroom teachers to create an environment that fosters a sense of belonging and significance, creates a safe space for feelings, appropriate risk-taking, and views mistakes as learning opportunities
• See and celebrate the unique gifts and perspectives of every learner
• Communicate and collaborate, formally and informally, with parents/caregivers via phone, email, and/or conferences about their student’s progress and experience; prepare progress reports
• Value and incorporate diverse perspectives in daily interactions and within the curriculum
• Provide supervision during scheduled lunch and/or recess periods (~1x/wk)

Qualifications & Skills

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Washington State Teaching Certification, required
• Experience working with children in the early elementary years
• Enthusiasm for working collaboratively with colleagues
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal skills

Physical Requirements

• Can work outside in good and inclement weather
• Able to lift up to 35 pounds
• Can stand and sit for long periods of time
• Able to climb stairs, walk on uneven surfaces, and escort groups of students to and from classes both inside and outside of school buildings

Compensation and Benefits

• Annual Salary Range of $30,740 - $67,315 (based on 0.5 - 0.7 FTE of the full-time salary range of $61,480 - $96,165). Compensation is commensurate with qualifications and experience and will be prorated based on start date.
• Paid Time Off
• Professional Development Stipend
• Generous Contracted Planning Hours
• A Collaborative Teaching Model
• Creative Freedom in Curriculum Development and Adaptation
• Small Class Size
• Participation in an Inclusive, Caring, and Justice-oriented Learning Community

To Apply

Please email your cover letter and resume to resumes@kapkaschool.org with “2/3 Teaching Position” in the subject line

• A cover letter, outlining interest in and qualifications for this position
• A current resume
• At least 2 professional references (we will inform candidates before contacting references)

KapKa Cooperative School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation. We value diversity and are actively seeking candidates who bring underrepresented identities and perspectives and who wish to find a community in which they will be welcomed and valued as their whole selves.

• Paid Time Off
• Professional Development Stipend
• Generous Contracted Planning Hours
• A Collaborative Teaching Model
• Creative Freedom in Curriculum Development and Adaptation
• Small Class Size
• Participation in an Inclusive, Caring, and Justice-oriented Learning Community