History / Social Studies Teacher (Part-Time)
Davis Chicago · Chicago · $13,000–$18,000 (stated in the posting)
Part-Time Founding Teaching Position · Reports to the Principal · Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s preferred in History, Social Sciences, or Social Science Education · Illinois Professional Educator License in high school social science preferred and National Board Certification a major plus · 3+ years of secondary (grades 6–12) teaching experience preferred; high school (grades 9–12) teaching experience highly preferred · College-preparatory, independent, Jewish day or faith-based school experience is a plus. Being Jewish is not a requirement for this role. Fewer years but exceptional craft? We hire for mastery, not seat time.
Are you a history teacher whose classroom runs on sources, argument, and evidence rather than trivia? Do you believe the social sciences teach students to think about how the world actually works? Are you excited to teach the founding history course of a new college-preparatory school? If so, Davis School Chicago wants to hear from you.
The Dream Team
Davis School Chicago is a proudly Jewish, college-preparatory high school opening in fall 2027 in downtown Chicago, in a state-of-the-art building at the heart of a great city for learning. Every adult at Davis Chicago is an educator and a culture-builder. We hold two expectations at the same time: deep human warmth and uncompromising intellectual excellence. High health and high results, never one at the cost of the other. This is a summary of the characteristics that describe our dream team. Please read the full Profile of the Ideal Davis Chicago Educator and more information about our opportunities before you apply.
To thrive here you are:
Warm and intellectually formidable. Genuinely kind and seriously bright. We hire for intellectual horsepower; only sharp minds grow students to their full potential.
You bring the room to life. Passion people feel, loud or quiet, with the range to teach, support, and lead.
A builder who owns it. Startup grit, a real growth mindset, open about mistakes, gives the gift of feedback, and the drive to create what doesn’t exist yet.
Teach how to think, not what to think. Rigor, evidence, and a love of hard questions, including the controversial ones. Students reach their own conclusions.
Rooted in tradition, built for what’s next. Ancient wisdom and modern tools, AI included, aimed at today's problems.
Unapologetically Jewish. Israel has a right to exist; that is not up for debate. Everything else is fair game, including spirited debate about Israel’s actions. You’re excited to help build a proudly Jewish, pro-Israel school.
What Davis Chicago Needs
Davis Chicago is hiring a part-time History / Social Studies Teacher for the founding year. Sections are drawn from the required ninth-grade course, History of the Land of Israel and Ancient Societies, and its Honors variant, with additional sections possible in AP Human Geography, the ninth-grade advanced-entry option, and social-science electives such as Psychology and Debate as they are scheduled. If you are interested in a full-time role and have the ability to teach English in addition to history, Davis School Chicago is also hiring a founding Humanities Department Chair. This role is a teacher-leader who builds our English and history program and teaches in it every day.
Who Thrives in This Role
Warm, Relational, and High-Performing – Kind, emotionally intelligent, intellectually rigorous, and committed to excellence.
A Historian in the Classroom – Sources, argument, and evidence over trivia.
A Discussion Leader – Runs the room where hard questions get honest treatment.
An Entrepreneurial Builder – Thrives in ambiguity, solves problems, and creates programs, systems, and traditions from the ground up.
A Curious and Courageous Thinker – Embraces learning, evidence, critical thinking, and meaningful debate.
Rooted and Forward-Looking – Honors tradition while embracing innovation, technology, and AI.
Committed to Jewish Life and Community – Values Jewish identity, the diversity of Jewish thought, and meaningful engagement in Jewish life.
A Collaborative Culture-Builder – Balances accountability, care, and results while elevating everyone around them.
The Role
The History / Social Studies Teacher is responsible for delivering engaging, rigorous, and student-centered instruction in the founding history and social science courses, beginning with History of the Land of Israel and Ancient Societies and its Honors variant. This educator will develop students’ reading, sourcing, and argumentation habits, the habits that carry students into the school’s AP sequence in world history, United States history, and the social sciences.
The successful candidate will run a classroom built on sources, argument, and evidence rather than trivia, where hard questions get honest treatment and students reach their own conclusions. As a founding faculty member, the History / Social Studies Teacher will help shape curriculum, establish traditions, contribute to school culture, and collaborate closely with colleagues across disciplines to create a vibrant and integrated educational experience.
1. Instruction and Curriculum
Teach sections of History of the Land of Israel and Ancient Societies, including the Honors variant, as assigned, with additional sections in AP Human Geography or social-science electives as scheduled.
Design and implement engaging, standards-based lessons that build historical thinking: sourcing, corroboration, context, and written argument from evidence.
Teach in the spirit of the accomplished-practice standards for history and social studies teaching (National Board for Professional Teaching Standards), including their signature move: authentic discussion and debate of controversial public issues in which students construct informed positions.
Integrate primary sources and current scholarship into instruction.
Promote inquiry-based learning, analytical writing, discussion, research, and project-based experiences, including immersive and experiential approaches — simulation, role-play, performance — where they deepen mastery.
Build toward the Advanced Placement frameworks that anchor the history and social science sequence — AP World, European, and U.S. History, with AP Human Geography, AP Psychology, and AP Micro- and Macroeconomics alongside — and teach so that students meet or exceed them. At Davis Chicago, top AP scores are the byproduct of rich, rigorous instruction, never of test-prep culture.
Differentiate instruction to support diverse learners and learning styles.
Utilize educational technology and innovative teaching methodologies to enhance student engagement and achievement.
Assess student progress through a variety of formative and summative measures and provide timely, meaningful feedback.
Develop authentic assessments that measure student growth and mastery.
Collaborate in the development of a vertically aligned history and social science curriculum that feeds the school’s AP sequence.
2. Student Development
Foster a classroom environment characterized by curiosity, respect, inclusion, and intellectual challenge.
Build strong relationships with students and serve as a trusted mentor and advisor.
Support students’ academic, social, and emotional growth.
Encourage student leadership, confidence, and active participation in school life.
3. Community and Culture Building
Contribute actively to the vibrant culture and mission of Davis School Chicago.
Partner with colleagues to support school-wide programming, celebrations, and community initiatives.
Help create opportunities for students to engage with history and civic life beyond the classroom, starting with debate.
Serve as an ambassador for history and the social sciences within the school and broader community.
Showcase student achievement through competitions, presentations, exhibitions, and public events.
Participate in faculty meetings, professional development, and community events as scoped for a part-time role.
Help moderate student clubs and activities where scope allows.
4. Family Engagement and Collaboration
Communicate regularly and effectively with families regarding student progress and learning goals.
Collaborate with colleagues across academic departments to develop interdisciplinary learning experiences.
Partner with faculty and school leadership to advance school goals, curriculum development, and student success initiatives.
Qualifications
Education: Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s preferred in History, Social Sciences, or Social Science Education.
Licensure: Illinois Professional Educator License in high school social science preferred; National Board Certification a major plus.
Experience: 3+ years of secondary (grades 6–12) history or social science teaching preferred; high school (grades 9–12) teaching experience highly preferred.
Craft: Evidence of students who argue from sources and write like young historians.
Core Competencies
Instruction: source-driven, discussion-rich history.
Argument: written and spoken reasoning from evidence.
Assessment: growth students can see, feedback students can use.
Community: history and civic life visible in the school.
Compensation and Benefits
The anticipated compensation for this position is $13,000–$18,000 per section, per year, aligned to the same step-and-lane logic as the school’s established Faculty Salary Schedule. Placement within the range is determined by a combination of relevant experience and educational attainment, including Bachelor's, Master's, Master's + additional graduate credits, Education Specialist (Ed.S.), and Doctoral (Ed.D./Ph.D.) degrees, with the upper band reserved for advanced degrees, exceptional depth, and hard-to-staff assignments. The number of sections is agreed annually with the master schedule. Paid leave and paid sick leave accrue as required by law; this position is not eligible for the school’s benefits package.
How We Hire
Our process is thorough and we believe that hiring is a dual decision-making process; you are vetting us as much as we are vetting you. Our process includes focused conversations with the people you would work with, a battery of assessments we use for your development as much as for selection, and interview rounds both in-person and virtually. We use artificial intelligence tools in our recruitment and hiring process to help review and organize applications and interviews; every hiring decision is made by a person. Davis School Chicago is an equal employment opportunity employer.
Is this you?
This isn’t for everyone. If it’s you, it may be the best work of your life. Read the full Profile of the Ideal Davis Chicago Educator, then apply.
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