Science Department Co-Chair and current 7th grade science teacher Kara Schupp will be shifting to teach exclusively in the Upper School starting August 31.  She first learned of the opening in an email sent to the science department faculty by Assistant Principal Ruth Jurgensen on February 20.  The purpose of the added science position in the upper school, according to Druger, is to reduce the substantial workload burdening many of the members of the Upper School Science Department.

Although she enjoys her job in the middle school, Schupp has always wanted to teach high school students again.  Schupp taught high school for four years prior to joining the Parker faculty at three different high schools.  

Jurgensen’s February email came in observance of policy set forth in the Parker faculty union’s collective bargaining agreement.

“When it comes to various openings that are created throughout the school,” upper school history teacher and co-chair Andrew Bigelow said, “we have argued that if there is an opening in the upper school, middle school, or lower school, before we open up the position to anyone outside of Parker, we need to make sure that position is advertised to the entire Parker faculty.  When the upper school science position was announced, it was announced to the entire faculty at first and anyone–in any division–who’s interested can contact the division head.”

Following the collective bargaining agreement, Parker alerted the faculty about the need to fill Schupp’s current position in the seventh grade. “We posted her position internally, and no one applied,” upper school science teacher and Science Department Co-Chair Elizabeth Druger said. “We opened that up nationally.”

While the department is in the process of accepting and reviewing applications, Schupp is excited about teaching new material, the nature of which–just like her new job description–won’t be announced until late April.

“I always knew that I would get back to the upper school teaching,” Schupp said. “Then when I saw the job posting, I was like, ‘I’m going to throw my name in, and we’ll see what happens.’”

Starting her career at Millard South High School in Omaha, Nebraska, Schupp gained a year’s worth of work experience as she developed a love for teaching, specifically in the high school. Although she enjoyed her experience at Millard South, her husband’s job in the energy industry pushed her east and the school year had already started, which allowed her to experiment with other opportunities in the science world. In Maryland she worked as a pharmaceutical sales representative.

“I wasn’t interested in subbing, but I was still interested in doing something related to science,” Schupp said. “I had a chance to see another side of science and people.”

Because of her husband’s job opportunity in Southern California, Schupp was able to rekindle her past excitement in teaching high schoolers at Milken Community School in Los Angeles. “I would literally tell my colleagues, ‘Pinch me–this is the best job ever,’” Schupp said. “I really enjoyed it.”

Having to rise at the crack of dawn to meet the endless pileup of cars on Southern California streets, Schupp decided to shift to teaching high school in nearby Pasadena. Her husband, Jeremy Schupp, then switched jobs and ended up in Chicago, where he currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer at Agera Energy, LLC.

In Chicago Schupp first joined the faculty at Bernard Zell Anshe Emet. “It was just a welcoming community,” Schupp said. “It was a great fit.”

A middle school science teaching opening at Parker attracted Schupp, who wanted to work at a school to which she wished to send her children.

“As much as I loved Anshe Emet, I don’t happen to be Jewish, so in terms of my kids coming to school with me, it wasn’t what we practiced,” Schupp said. “It’s a big commitment to take Hebrew every day and Jewish Studies every day.”

Schupp moved to Parker where she has taught 7th grade science for five years.

Both the science department and the administration are planning on meeting to work out the logistics of her new position for the 2017-18 school year. In the meantime, Schupp has been talking to some of her former students about the possibility of teaching them again.

Freshman Rohan Jain is excited at the prospect. “Ms. Schupp is an energetic, intelligent, and very likable science teacher,” Jain said. “I am excited to get to share my love for science with her on the high school level.”

Schupp shares the excitement about such a possibility.  “Well, that’d be so cool,” Schupp said.  “Years later to be able to see students in a different light and have follow-up conversations.  I’m hopeful that’ll be a unique experience I’ll get to have.”