Inquiry Lab Support Staff (2022)

Inquiry Lab Support Staff 2022

Job Description

Inquiry Lab Support Staff

Khan Lab School (KLS), an independent K-12 school in the San Francisco Bay Area, seeks part-time Inquiry Lab Support Staff members. The goal of the Inquiry Lab Support Staff members  is to provide a range of support functions for our after-school program, the Inquiry Lab. 

WHO WE ARE

About Khan Lab School

Khan Lab School (KLS) is a non-profit, mastery-based K-12 school founded by Salman Khan in 2014 to extend Khan Academy’s student-centered philosophy into a physical school environment. Furthering his vision for Khan Academy, Khan wrote and published The One World Schoolhouse, in which he argues for mastery-based, blended, and mixed-age learning coupled with a departure from traditional letter grades. Today the KLS community is bringing that vision to life and also sharing knowledge within education more broadly.

In each academic area at KLS, there is a minimum pace our students must meet, but learning is decoupled from age; the time it takes a student to finish a course will vary but the depth of mastery is constant. We believe that students cannot “master” a course by performing well on one assessment. Instead, students are expected to demonstrate mastery of all skills and content before they can obtain foundational credit, thereby removing “gaps” in their education.  

Every student is assigned to a mixed-age cohort, which they can expect to be part of for two to three years. There are currently seven cohorts for students ages 5 to 18+. Students also partner with faculty to explore their passions and deepen their learning. The quality of learning remains high but as a lab school, instructional methods are constantly being reimagined and tested. Learning is supported through weekly advising, real-world application, and a culture that fosters student agency. Faculty and students do not simply adhere to the status quo in education. As a lab school, KLS is a model for innovation in education. 

The KLS staff and teachers will represent the diversity of the students we intend to serve. We believe that standard hiring practices disproportionately hurt those most marginalized in society — including but not limited to Black and Indigenous people of color, people from working class backgrounds, women and trans/gender-nonconforming individuals, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. We believe that these communities must be at the center of the work we do. Hence, we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other marginalized communities. Our school’s dedication to promoting diversity, multiculturalism, and equity is clearly reflected in all of our content.

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR

The Inquiry Lab Support Staff will provide Term-by-Term support for our after-school program, the Inquiry Lab, and will report to the Inquiry Lab Coordinator.

Hours for this role will be Monday – Friday, 3:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. This role has the option to also work on monthly Friday teacher collaboration days from 12:45 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. 

Role and Responsibilities

• Provide supervision to students during the Inquiry Lab. 
• Ensure student health and safety.
• Engage students in fun, age-appropriate games and activities. 
• Ensure students complete their goal time work and attend Inquiry Lab classes.
• Help with pick-up at the end of the day. 

Note: Planning and delivery of instruction is not part of this role. 

The ideal candidates should possess many of the following qualifications:

Qualifications

1. Experience working with grade school-age students (K-14 yrs) students
2. High School diploma or GED

WHAT YOU’LL BRING

Skills and Capabilities

Successful candidates will have the following qualifications:

• A commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.
• Passion for working with and engaging children in student-driven learning experiences.
• Be reliable and punctual.
• Understanding of youth development principles.
• Ability to effectively manage a classroom. 
• Flexibility 
• Demonstrate a positive attitude and be a team player.
• Be able to implement and organize age-appropriate games and activities.
• Demonstrate strong oral and written communication skills.
• Openness to feedback and continuous growth in a positive way.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills. 
• Work ethic to actively participate in helping build a young school and commitment to continuous improvement. 
• A risk management mindset. 

VERY NICE TO HAVES:

• Current CPR and First Aid certifications preferred
• Tutoring experience a plus

WHAT WE OFFER

Khan Lab School is a community of learners empowering every student to navigate their own path. We get things done and believe that in our highly collaborative environment that anything is possible. All of our decisions are made through the lens of what is best for our students. We tackle tough questions without ego, are results oriented, and have high expectations for school and our students.

Khan Lab School offers a stimulating and unique working environment. We seek team members who possess a unique skill set because this is a multi-faceted teaching and leadership position. To learn more about Khan Lab School, please visit our website. 

Compensation:

Hourly compensation at $20/hour

Start Date: ASAP

End Date: TBD; hired on a Term-by-Term basis with the opportunity to extend their contract based on performance. We are a year-round school with a Summer Term.

Location: Palo Alto, CA

Number of Positions to be Filled: 3

Employment: Part-time

APPLY NOW

To qualify, please provide a resume and a letter of interest using the job link on our school’s Careers webpage. Successful candidates will have a demonstrated familiarity with the Sal Khan’s school model outlined in his book The One World Schoolhouse. 

Khan Lab School is an EOE and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, place of national origin, sex, age, veteran status, sexual orientation or physical handicap in its employment practice.

SPECIAL SCHOOL EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS

All Khan Lab School employees must undergo criminal background checks and TB risk assessments as mandated by California state law prior to their start dates at Khan Lab School. By submitting an application, you acknowledge that your employment with Khan Lab School would be conditioned on satisfactory background check and completion of the TB risk assessment.