Meet the KIPP NYC Team and Family
Hear from some of our teachers
Mitch Brenner
8th Grade History Teacher & Director of Solutions, KIPP Academy
With KIPP NYC since 2001
What keeps you at KIPP?
Teaching here is a profession, not a job. A doctor wouldn’t leave in the middle of an operation at 5 pm and go home. I was teaching the kids about World War I. They didn’t get it, so we worked on it after school. At KIPP, there’s a professional attitude about what education is. We value our customer here. Our relationships with kids and parents are different; they are our customers. We desire to build relationships. If you don’t build relationships in business, you lose your clients. At KIPP, the best people have the skills but also know how to be personally invested in the people they’re trying to serve.
How is teaching at a KIPP school different from teaching at your previous school?
We have accessible school leaders who are supportive and involved in the school. This school is a personal place. All doors are open here. Channels are open for criticism and support. Also, we all look professional. There is no business casual when we’re with our clients. Seeing ourselves as professionals says something to the kids. They want to look their best and be their best, because we’re giving our very best.
Why should teachers consider teaching at a KIPP school?
Teachers should consider coming to KIPP if they want to be in education as a career and if they see education as the most important industry in society. They need to have passion. They have to believe in themselves and also believe that they can both learn from and teach something to everyone. It is a constant, pressure-filled day, but I love it. I never wake up not excited. This place is energizing. Everybody is energized by what they do, involved in what they do, passionate about what they do, and wants to be successful at what they do.
