Work at YES
The Answer
It is our belief that teachers are the single greatest factor in the achievement of low-income students and we are currently searching for our country's strongest classroom leaders to help us create a new educational status quo in Houston. Our teachers are from a diverse set of professional and academics backgrounds, but believe deeply that education is the means to creating a better future for our country. Our teachers are winners of Kinder Excellence in Teaching Awards, Goldin Foundation Educational Excellence recipients, and TeachForAmerica Symantec Innovation in Teaching award winners. By joining our team, you join a team of teachers who are committed to ensuring that all students have access to an excellent education. Help us prepare more students for college graduation by applying today.
Our first, priority application deadline is November 13, 2011!
YES Prep is the best place to develop as a teacher and educational leader! We are excited to announce that we will begin accepting and reviewing applications for the 2012-2013 school year – on a rolling basis – beginning September 15th. We anticipate openings for next year based on our projected growth, and though we will not have a complete picture of our exact staffing needs for several months, we encourage you to apply now! We are committed to efficient communication with all applicants and want you to know that applications submitted during the fall semester may take up to 8 weeks to receive a final decision from our team.
Before you apply, please read the following directions/ information:
- PLEASE APPLY FOR ONE POSITION. We will work with you to determine the best position for you based on your qualifications and experience.
- You must upload an official/ unofficial transcript to submit an application. Applicants who do not upload a transcript will not be considered until they do.
- Recommendation letters are optional.
- Minimum Qualifications for Teaching Positions at YES Prep
- Read about the typical day of a YES Prep teacher
- See our blog post on the Ideal YES Prep teacher
- Tips for applying to YES Prep
YES Prep is the best school in Houston
Right now, a sixth grader enrolling in a traditional Houston school has a 10% chance of graduating from a four-year college. Teachers and leaders at YES Prep believe that by providing our students with a transformative education, we can change the city of Houston.
YES Prep is the best school in Houston. For the last ten years, 100% of YES Prep's graduating seniors have been accepted to our country's top colleges and universities. The success of our students is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our great teachers who do WHATEVER IT TAKES to ensure that all of their students are on the path to college.
In the coming years, we will grow to serve 10,000 students at 13 neighborhood campuses in Houston, TRIPLING the number of low-income students from our city that finish a four-year college. We are uniquely positioned to alter the future prosperity of the fourth largest city in the country and will serve as a model for the possibility of public education.
YES Prep & Teach For America
YES Prep was founded in 1998 by Teach For America Alum, Chris Barbic ('92 HOU). Since our founding, Teach For America has been a critical partner in our strategic growth offering a pipeline of the best teachers in the country to work at YES Prep. We are committed to strengthening this partnership by attracting excellent Teach For America Alumni who commit to continue the work they began as Corps Members, deepening their impact as Alums in YES Prep schools and across the Houston community.
Currently, almost half of our teachers are Teach For America affiliated (Corps Members or Alumni). Of the 2009 recruiting class, 54% of our new teachers are Teach For America affiliated, including 34 Alumni, with 11 of those from regions outside of Houston. Our 2007 YES Prep/TFA Corps Members who are recent Alumni are a strong group of teacher leaders. 75% of the '07 Corps Members stayed for a third year and 50% of them are taking on significant leadership roles as Grade Level Chairs, Course Leaders, Community Service Coordinators and Deans. For more information about Teach For America, visit: www.teachforamerica.org
Read blogs from our TFA Corps Members and Alumni:
- YES Prep East End Co-School Director Leah Granacki (HOU '07) talks about teaching high school math at YES Prep.
- YES Prep Gulfton middle school math teacher Heather Kinkade (HOU '09) blogs about her battle with post it notes and student achievement.
- YES Prep Southwest teacher Zach Verriden (Camden '04) discusses his transition from a traditional school to YES Prep.
- YES Prep North Central teacher Erica Bundy wins the 2011 Teach For America Symantec Award for Innovation in Teaching.
If you have been accepted into the 2012 Teach For America Houston Corps and are interested in teaching at YES Prep, you may contact Teach For America to inquire about placement with us!
10,000 Students...
Despite our success, we are still frustrated by the number of students in Houston that do not have a fair shot at an excellent education. In the coming years, we will build 13 high-performing neighborhood public schools that will serve 10,000 students and TRIPLE the number of students from Houston that finish a four-year college.
YES Prep is uniquely positioned to transform the nation's fourth largest city. Houston ranks last among large urban centers in the number of college graduates; additionally, more than half of the city's youth are growing up below the poverty line. Education is a transformative experience and an excellent education can redirect the life path of a student. At YES Prep, college acceptance has become a minimum standard of success. Not only are we growing our infrastructure to support 10,000 students, but we are supporting our students through college graduation.
Read more about our Alumni in our Alumni Spotlights blog.
