Be Distinctive
Distinctive Schools offers a competitive compensation package. Distinctive School’s positive culture and explicit emphasis on developing and nurturing the whole child contributes to students’ learning and character development. DS was also named one of Crain’s Chicago Best Places To Work 2021!
Scroll down to learn more about benefits & work perks!
A positive and healthy working culture is a core value of DS. Great efforts are made to ensure that staff is well-taken care of and supported as well. The Culture and Retention Expanded Design Team (C&R EDT) is composed of representatives from each campus ensuring a wide range of perspectives and years of experience. The team provides feedback, critical insights, and advises on employee needs, future initiatives, and methods to maintain the positive culture.
Teachers have daily collaboration opportunities to provide support in co-planning and data analysis. The phrase “by teachers, for teachers, with teachers,” celebrates teacher voice in all processes and decision making. The C&R EDT were crucial in supporting retention and culture efforts: pay raises, increased paid-time-off for years of service, contribution to 401k, and extended family leave for the birth or adoption of children. Culture is measured through the use of the Upbeat survey two times per year and the 5Essentials Survey each spring. Network and campus teams use data to identify key areas for improvement and to create action plans detailing next steps for improvement annually.
