French 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 French language, literature, or education · French fluency required; you can teach entirely in French · Illinois Professional Educator License in high school French 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 passionate educator who believes language is the gateway to culture, identity, connection, and belonging? Do you inspire students to communicate confidently in French while engaging meaningfully with the Francophone world? Are you excited to help build a French program in a rigorous college-preparatory environment? 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 French Teacher for the founding year. Sections are drawn from French I and French II, the opening courses of a sequence that runs through AP French Language and Culture. If you are interested in a full-time role and can teach both French and Spanish, please apply for the full-time Spanish & French Teacher role.
Who Thrives in This Role
Warm, Relational, and High-Performing – Kind, emotionally intelligent, intellectually rigorous, and committed to excellence.
A Proficiency-Driven Language Teacher – Lives in the target language and gets students speaking.
A Culture Bridge – Brings the Francophone world into the room, head and heart.
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 French Teacher is responsible for helping students communicate in culturally appropriate ways and achieve real proficiency in French, beginning with French I and French II. This educator will develop students’ proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing while integrating the cultures, literature, and current life of the Francophone world into the curriculum.
The successful candidate will design authentic learning experiences that encourage active communication, critical thinking, and cultural exploration. As a founding faculty member, the French 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 French I and French II as assigned.
Design and implement engaging, standards-based lessons that promote language acquisition and cultural competency.
Create immersive learning environments that encourage active use of spoken and written French.
Integrate the cultures, literature, history, current events, and contemporary topics of the Francophone world into instruction.
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.
Collaborate in the development of a vertically aligned French curriculum that supports long-term language proficiency growth.
Teach for real proficiency, aligned to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Proficiency Guidelines with outcomes measured in proficiency levels rather than seat time.
Teach in the target language 90 percent plus at all levels of instruction, per ACTFL’s published recommendation.
Benchmark student growth against external proficiency assessments.
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 French language and culture beyond the classroom.
Serve as an ambassador for language education 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 French language, literature, or education.
Language: French fluency required.
Licensure: Illinois Professional Educator License in high school French preferred; National Board Certification a major plus.
Experience: 3+ years of secondary (grades 6–12) teaching preferred, world-language teaching preferred; high school (grades 9–12) teaching experience highly preferred; independent, college-preparatory, or faith-based settings a plus.
Craft: Training in second-language pedagogy; familiarity with proficiency-based instruction and ACTFL standards; AATF membership valued.
Core Competencies
Proficiency-Based Instruction: ACTFL-aligned outcomes; a target-language classroom.
Culture: the Francophone world alive in real contexts.
Assessment: growth students can see, feedback students can use.
Community: world languages visible in the life of 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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