Part Time Kindergarten Assistant Teacher

Cooperative Elementary School Seeks Part-Time Kindergarten Assistant (30 hrs/wk)

KapKa Cooperative School is seeking a creative, responsive, and collaborative assistant teacher to assist in our play-based kindergarten classroom. The approximate start date is August 25, 2025 and work hours will follow the school calendar.

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.

Job Description

A KapKa teacher is dedicated to the mission and philosophy of the school, demonstrates cultural competency and a commitment to social justice, embraces outdoor education, is invigorated by collaboration, and values community.

We are looking for a dynamic, child-centered, and nurturing assistant teacher to join our early learning team. As the kindergarten assistant, you will work closely with our experienced kindergarten teacher, supporting curriculum and instruction, as well as student learning, behavior, and social communication and problem solving. While our kindergarten is a stand alone classroom, the kindergarten and first grade teaching teams work closely together to create opportunities for multi-age learning and connections.

In KapKa’s kindergarten and first grade programs, children spend time learning about themselves and their natural environment through a balance of purposeful play and direct and project-based instruction. The balance is weighed toward open-ended exploration in kindergarten, shifting to more structured learning time in first grade. Play in both programs is largely inspired by the open-ended, ungendered, “loose parts'' provided by nature.

This approach allows children to explore elements of social studies, science, literacy, mathematics, and art in integrated, real-world contexts. The curricular focus is on asking questions, exploring answers, and thinking about oneself as a learner, all while practicing student behaviors. Foundational aspects of literacy and math like phonemic awareness, letter recognition and formation, number sense and comparisons are playfully introduced and explored in kindergarten. Our first-grade program then builds upon these foundations, while maintaining the experiential and engaging components that make learning meaningful and fun.

Position Details

• Supervisor: Head of School
• Classification: Part-time, non-exempt, hourly employee
• Hours:
  • 8:00 am - 3:30 pm, Monday/Thursday
  • 8:00 am - 1:00 pm, Tuesday/Wednesday
  • 8:00 am - 1:30 pm Friday
• Work Calendar: Approximately August 25, 2025 - June 18, 2026, following the school calendar for holidays and breaks

Responsibilities

• See and celebrate the unique gifts and perspectives of every learner
• Create safe space for feelings, appropriate risk-taking, and mistakes as learning opportunities
• Value and incorporate diverse perspectives in daily interactions and within the curriculum
• Help maintain an inviting, safe, and organized classroom and outdoor play space
• Assist in the preparation of the indoor and outdoor learning environments (ex: preparing materials and supplies, cleaning up, properly storing materials in collaboration with the children)
• Assist the lead teacher to facilitate child centered, play and project based learning experiences in the classroom
• Safely transition students between specialist classes and classrooms; accompany students to specialist classes
• Assist the lead teacher to document children’s growth and learning, throughout the entire year, using photographs, notes, and work sample collection
• Develop and nurture relationships with families as partners in their child’s learning and development
• Participate in all required meetings, school events, and weekly duties, including outdoor play and lunches as scheduled
• Other related duties as assigned

Qualifications & Skills

• Associates degree in Early Childhood Education or a related field, preferred
• Minimum one (1) year of related experience
• CPR/First Aid certified, or able to become certified soon after hire date
• Ability to multi-task and maintain professionalism in a creative and changing environment
• Flexibility and adaptability to meet the needs of the children and program
• Energetic, caring and love working with children
• Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills with the ability to communicate effectively and respectfully with all constituents
• Enthusiasm for working collaboratively with colleagues

Physical Requirements

• Able to lift up to 35 pounds
• Can work outside in good and inclement weather
• 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

• Hourly Pay Range of $24 - $28, commensurate with qualifications and experience
• Paid Time Off
• Professional Development Stipend
• Participation in an Inclusive, Caring, and Justice-oriented Learning Community

To Apply

Please email your cover letter and resume to resumes@kapkaschool.org with “K Assistant Teacher 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)

Candidates with a complete application, and whose skills and experience match the job description, will be contacted by phone for an initial conversation and finalists will be invited to interview on campus. Job offer to the most successful candidate is contingent upon a successful passing of a criminal background check.

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.