BCPS Teaching Careers Brochure

Build Your Teaching
Career at BCPS!
We believe supporting our students must
start with supporting our teachers.
Learn more about our benefits and professional growth opportunities!

Join a District That’s
Transforming for the Better
Battle Creek Public Schools (BCPS)
is a district in Southwest Michigan
serving nearly 4,000 students from
pre-K through 12th grade.
In 2017, we unveiled a five-year plan to achieve success
for every BCPS student, with support from a historic
$51 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg
Foundation. Since then, we’ve launched new schools
and academic programs, built strong community
partnerships, rolled out individualized support for students,
and invested more resources than ever before into our staff.
DISTRICT DATA
Demographics:
• 38% Black
• 31% White
• 14% Multiracial
• 13% Latino
• 3% Asian/Pacific Islander
• .3% American Indian
Students eligible for free or
reduced price lunch: 56%
There’s never been a better time to join BCPS!

Experience First-in-Class
Benefits at BCPS!
At BCPS, we offer several opportunities for additional compensation, meaning your total compensation can go
far beyond your base salary. Base salaries are dependent on each candidate’s education and experience and
range from $40,170 – $71,946 for the 2022–23 school year.
You can earn more than $40,000 in bonuses and incentives in your first
two years, including:
Signing bonus
District retention bonus
$5,000 in first year
$5,000 (available beginning in the second year of employment,
based on teacher evaluations)
Teacher attendance incentive
Up to $700 per year based on attendance
Probationary teacher stipend
for effective ratings
Coaching and advising
Paid professional
development
Educational reimbursement
Retirement benefits
Home purchase assistance
Rental assistance
Loan forgiveness
$500 per year (for teachers who have not yet reached tenure)
$1,500 – $5,000+ per year
Up to $2,000 in first year and up to $1,000 in subsequent years
for completing district-provided courses
Up to $5,250 per year for approved coursework
Automatic participation in the Michigan Public School Employee
Retirement System and opportunity to participate in 403(b)
Up to $20,000 toward down payment and closing costs for
qualifying homes
Up to $4,500 in rental funds for qualifying, new 12-month leases
Up to $5,000 in federal tuition loan forgiveness after five complete
and consecutive years of teaching (special education teachers and
secondary science and math teachers may be eligible for up to
$17,500 in loan forgiveness)

Build a Home
in Battle Creek
Battle Creek offers the best of the Midwest.
In Southwest Michigan, you’ll find lakes, winter
sports, breweries, wineries, and more — all situated
within driving distance to major hubs like Detroit
and Chicago, but with a significantly lower cost of
living. And with close proximity to major employers
like Kellogg Company, Post Foods, DENSO
Manufacturing, and Stryker Corporation, our
community offers plenty of job opportunities for other
family members.
We offer funds so you can put
down long-term roots and build
your future here — for renting or
purchasing your own home.
BCPS teachers are eligible for:
Up to $20,000 towards down
payment and closing costs, or to
reduce monthly mortgage expenses,
for the purchase of a home in the area.
Eligible applicants are new home
buyers within the district boundaries and
must remain employed by BCPS and use
the home as their primary residence for
at least three years.
Up to $4,500 in rental funds for
new 12-month leases in an eligible
property. Eligible applicants must
remain employed by BCPS and use the
rental as their primary residence for the
duration of the 12-month lease.

Get Covered with
Generous Health
Insurance Options
BCPS offers a generous array
of health insurance coverage
options to support your health and
wellbeing. These options cater
to individual and family needs,
with no waiting period. Coverage
costs vary by plan and start at a
$0 monthly premium.
Note: Employees who are covered
by other sources are eligible for cash
payments in lieu of coverage, up to
roughly $2,500 per year.
Benefits offered at no
cost to employees
include:
Life Insurance
Dental Plan
Vision Service Plan
Free confidential
counseling and
referral services

Grow Your Career as
an Educator
We invest in the future of every member of the Bearcat family — and that includes our teachers. Our teachers
are 100% committed to our students; and at BCPS, we are 100% committed to our teachers. Our district is not
just a great place to work, but a great place to stay and grow.
SUPPORT IN THE
CLASSROOM
We offer expansive support staff teams in every
building so you can focus on what you do best
— teaching. Here, you can experience:
• “Bearcat Coaches” and Behavior
Interventionists in every building to
provide additional adult supervision
and caring support.
• Additional staff in kindergarten, 1st,
and 2nd grade classrooms, reducing the
student-to-adult ratio.
• Communities in Schools Site
Coordinators who collaborate with
parents and community partners to improve
attendance, achievement, and parent
involvement by removing barriers.
• Certified Literacy Specialists and Tutors
in all elementary schools to assist students
who are below grade level academically.
SUPPORT FOR YOUR
FUTURE
We know that to be able to thrive and love
where you work, you need to be able to
continue growing and honing new skills. As a
BCPS teacher, you can take advantage of:
• Paid professional development courses
covering topics like student goal-setting,
reading skills, and English learner strategies.
• Mentorship opportunities, connecting
you with faculty members from Grand
Valley State University and with other
BCPS teachers to problem solve and share
best practices.
• Reimbursement opportunities for
approved coursework.
• Teacher certification support for
educators who are pursuing Michigan state
teaching credentials through Teachers of
Tomorrow and local university partners.
• Funding opportunities for school supplies,
classroom needs, field trips, and other
special projects.

You teach to make
a difference.
We offer the support you
need to make it happen.

Build your teaching career at BCPS
and join the Bearcat Family!
Learn more about open positions at
all grade levels and APPLY TODAY at
battlecreekpublicschools.org/careers