Why Uncommon?

We are a team of mission-driven educators who are dedicated to preparing our students to succeed in college and beyond. We invest deeply in every professional, supporting your growth and achieving exceptional results for our students.


Elementary Schools:

In Uncommon elementary schools, we cultivate a love for learning in every child. Our teaching is fast-paced, rigorous, and fun—with plenty of celebratory cheers built into each lesson. We build community around values like respect, hard work, and kindness, shaping the hearts as well as the minds of our students. Our goal is for students to love school from the very start.


Middle Schools:

In middle school, Uncommon students learn the academic skills they need to succeed in high school, while developing their own identities as citizens of their communities and of the world. They learn to think deeply, to debate passionately, and to engage thoughtfully with new people, places, and ideas.


High Schools:

Uncommon high school students make the transition to becoming the young adult leaders of tomorrow. They build their intellectual expertise through rigorous coursework and AP classes. They develop their passion and leadership through a broad range of activities: they raise their voices in debate, take action in their communities, bring us inspiration through the arts, design new prototypes, compete athletically, and so much more. They graduate ready to thrive in college and beyond.


To and Through College:

Every Uncommon high school student works closely with a counselor to find the college that will enable them to achieve their dreams. Ninety-nine percent of Uncommon high school graduates have earned admission to a 4-year college since 1997. When they get to campus, they are never alone: We offer dedicated alumni support to help them navigate the challenges they may face on the road to graduation and to achieving their dreams.


Professional Development:

At Uncommon Schools, we are national leaders in educator training and development for one reason: we believe our students deserve our best, so we strive to get better every day. As a teacher, leader, or team member at Uncommon, you will receive high-quality one-on-one coaching, support, and professional development from a team that believes in your success.


Teacher Diversity:

We have proudly built schools where more than 50% of our teachers identify as people of color - over twice the national average - where our leadership team reflects the diversity of our staff, and where diversity and inclusion practices inform how we work together as an Uncommon team. We cultivate and strengthen our diversity through hiring, retention, and leadership development practices, as well as through our innovative Summer Teaching Fellowship program. Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team develops deeply reflective staff training sessions, facilitates a regional speaker series, and supports authentic student and staff discussions across our schools, and more to help ensure that our school and workplace culture allows all of us to bring our whole selves to work every day.


Our Curriculum:

Our students engage in cross-cultural studies each year starting in Kindergarten, covering topics such as the Harlem Renaissance, Latino/a heritage, and the civil rights movement. Evolving our curriculum continuously to include and value a wide range of voices and perspectives is central to our mission. We teach our students to value themselves and each other. We ask them to read diverse authors, to debate their ideas in class, to engage with global issues during and after school, and to be part of a strong community. We develop our students’ voices not only because they will need them to succeed, but because the world needs to hear them.