Employment FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions About Working at Peak to Peak
Does the school use the Boulder Valley School District’s pay scale?
No. Peak to Peak has its own base salary pay scale for instructional staff.
How are salaries determined for incoming faculty?
Peak to Peak uses established salary scales that are based on market comparative analysis. Please see the Peak to Peak Pay Scale and the Guidelines for Initial Placement to understand how years of teaching experience are honored when joining Peak to Peak.
Are Peak to Peak teachers employed by the Boulder Valley School District?
Are Peak to Peak teachers employed by the Boulder Valley School District?
No. They are employed by Peak to Peak Charter School.
Does Peak to Peak have any religious, political, or cultural affiliations?
No. As a part of the Boulder Valley School District, Peak to Peak is a K-12 charter public school offering a liberal arts, college preparatory curriculum that gives students a foundation for a lifetime of learning and discovery. Just like every other school in the district, Peak to Peak is funded through federal and state tax dollars and does not tolerate discrimination or harassment against anyone regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, or national origin.
Peak to Peak was originally born of the dream of parents who envisioned a school dedicated to outstanding scholarship that would challenge students to achieve their academic potential. Those founding parents also believed that Peak to Peak's focus on solid academics would not be complete without an emphasis on character education. Consequently, respect, responsibility and other universally valued character traits are embedded in the curriculum and school culture and modeled by community members with the goal of equipping students for long-term success in life. Students learn to exercise their intelligence with integrity and consider how their decisions and actions affect both themselves and others. The faculty and administrators encourage students to exercise character in practical ways through leadership and participation in service opportunities at school and within our community. Peak to Peak high school students must complete a minimum of 100 hours of community service in order to earn a diploma.
Does Peak to Peak have any religious, political, or cultural affiliations?
No. As a part of the Boulder Valley School District, Peak to Peak is a K-12 charter public school offering a liberal arts, college preparatory curriculum that gives students a foundation for a lifetime of learning and discovery. Just like every other school in the district, Peak to Peak is funded through federal and state tax dollars and does not tolerate discrimination or harassment against anyone regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, or national origin.
Peak to Peak was originally born of the dream of parents who envisioned a school dedicated to outstanding scholarship that would challenge students to achieve their academic potential. Those founding parents also believed that Peak to Peak's focus on solid academics would not be complete without an emphasis on character education. Consequently, respect, responsibility and other universally valued character traits are embedded in the curriculum and school culture and modeled by community members with the goal of equipping students for long-term success in life. Students learn to exercise their intelligence with integrity and consider how their decisions and actions affect both themselves and others. The faculty and administrators encourage students to exercise character in practical ways through leadership and participation in service opportunities at school and within our community. Peak to Peak high school students must complete a minimum of 100 hours of community service in order to earn a diploma.
No. Peak to Peak, like most other charter schools, has waived the certification requirement for teachers in its contract with the district. Although a teaching license is not a direct requirement for employment at Peak to Peak, we do prefer candidates who are accredited through certification by the Colorado Department of Education or an Alternative Teacher Licensing program.
Additionally, Peak to Peak seeks teachers who are proficient not only in their subject area but also in the field of education. Such proficiency may be demonstrated in a variety of ways, classroom experience, training and coursework in pedagogy, methodology, research, foundations and educational practice.
Does Peak to Peak hire individuals who are seeking a career change or who are coming to the end of their professional careers and would like to consider teaching?
Peak to Peak values individuals who have had successful professional careers and who are interested in applying content knowledge and skills in a K-12 school setting. Students at Peak to Peak benefit in a variety of ways from teachers who have real-world experience.
The ideal teaching candidate is a student-centered, life-long learner who is philosophically aligned with the mission and the vision of the school and eager to take advantage of the many opportunities provided for both students and staff.
What kind of professional development opportunities are offered to faculty?
Peak to Peak has a differentiated professional development program designed to support the school’s vision of itself as a teaching school where all faculty members regularly reflect on and seek to improve their instructional practices. Toward that end, the program allows individual teachers to tailor their professional development to their own individual needs while at the same time providing support and expertise to colleagues through the use of induction, coaching, book studies, a diverse menu of monthly workshops, and targeted professional goals.
All teachers, counselors and administrators new to Peak to Peak take part in a year-long, teacher induction program designed to ease the transition to a new school, better clarify the expectations for Peak to Peak faculty, and support areas of growth through professional development. The program includes four days of New Teacher Orientation in early August and ongoing professional development meetings and workshops throughout the year. In addition to working closely with the Director of Professional Development and the principals, every teacher in the program also meets weekly with a peer mentor, and monthly in small cohorts.
Are Peak to Peak teachers members of the teachers’ union?
No. Teachers are not members of the union nor does the school grant tenure. All Peak to Peak teachers work at the school because they believe in the school’s mission and vision and have mastery of the required skills and content.
Does Peak to Peak use years of experience to calculate salary for new faculty members?
Yes. Peak to Peak uses established salary scales that are based on market comparative analysis. Please see the Peak to Peak Pay Scale and the Guidelines for Initial Placement to understand how years of teaching experience are honored when joining Peak to Peak.
Do teachers with National Board Certification receive additional compensation?
Yes. National Board Certified teachers receive additional compensation.
What is included in the employee benefits package?
Yes. Peak to Peak uses established salary scales that are based on market comparative analysis. Please see the Peak to Peak Pay Scale and the Guidelines for Initial Placement to understand how years of teaching experience are honored when joining Peak to Peak.
Do teachers with National Board Certification receive additional compensation?
Yes. National Board Certified teachers receive additional compensation.
What is included in the employee benefits package?
Faculty and staff members holding a position of .5 FTE or higher are offered medical, dental, and retirement benefits at no cost to the employee. Employees may add on family members or partners at a cost to the employee.
Do staff members’ children receive automatic admission?
Yes. Faculty members’ children are offered admission at the time of hire. Children of employees who are compensated on an hourly basis and who work at least ten hours per week are granted admission through the regular Open Enrollment process on a space-available basis.
Is on-site childcare provided?
Yes. Afterschool care is available through a partner service provider at a discounted rate.
How is Peak to Peak impacted by the Boulder Valley School District?
Peak to Peak is a public school of choice. We are chartered through the district but have autonomy over our own curriculum, budget, and hiring practices. Our students all take the same state tests (CMAS) as students at any other public school in Colorado. We are accredited through the school district and state accountability system. Peak to Peak also has a higher graduation requirement than any other school in the district.
How do students enroll at Peak to Peak?
Students enroll in Peak to Peak through the district’s open enrollment lottery process. There are no admission requirements nor does the school charge tuition. Peak to Peak’s student body generally reflects the demographics of the larger district, with a slightly smaller SPED and slightly higher TAG population.