Social Studies Teacher

MIDDLE & UPPER SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHING FACULTY (Aug. 2026)

ABOUT US

The Jewish Leadership Academy is a world-class Jewish Middle and Upper School dedicated to developing the skills, curiosity, and potential of Miami's most ambitious students for a life of purpose, commitment, and service.

JLA is committed to

• Challenging inquisitive minds to think critically and creatively in pursuit of the highest academic standards across all disciplines.
• Putting values into action by embedding leadership training and community service into the heart of the educational program.
• Engaging the mind and stirring the soul to connect with the Jewish past and the Jewish present, the Jewish People and the Jewish State, through the broad and embracing lens of Modern Orthodoxy.

JLA seeks an outstanding faculty of all faiths who believe in and actively support the school's mission to educate Jewish students at the highest academic levels while connecting them deeply to their heritage and faith. We strive to create and maintain a values-driven faculty culture that is committed to high standards and rooted in respect for all. Above all, we seek faculty who have a genuine love for teaching.

SOCIAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT

The Social Studies Department at JLA offers students a rigorous and engaging sequence of courses spanning history, geography, civics, economics, and current events. Our curriculum is designed to develop historically literate, globally aware, and civically engaged young people who can think critically about the world they are inheriting.

We believe that the study of the past is inseparable from the challenges of the present, and we ask our students to make those connections constantly — in writing, in discussion, and in action.

We seek faculty who bring deep content knowledge and genuine intellectual curiosity to the classroom, and who understand that great Social Studies teaching is, at its core, about helping young people learn to ask better questions.

POSITION

We are seeking a full-time Middle and Upper School Social Studies teacher who is as comfortable leading a Harkness discussion on the causes of World War I as they are helping a sixth grader understand why geography shapes civilization.

The right candidate is a skilled discussion facilitator, a demanding writing teacher, and a builder of classroom culture — someone who holds students to high standards while making them feel genuinely known.

This person also understands that they are being hired to be more than a Social Studies teacher. Given our unique Friday programming, this teacher, along with all other faculty at the school, will have responsibilities that extend into advisory, service learning, and community-building.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Full-time employment for faculty teaching positions will commence in August 2026.

Responsibilities will include

• Teaching Social Studies across middle and upper school levels
• Designing and delivering rigorous, discussion-based, and writing-intensive instruction
• Differentiating to meet the needs of a highly motivated, diverse range of learners
• Collaborating across departments on interdisciplinary projects and initiatives
• Advising a service learning, research, or mentorship program as part of our unique Friday schedule
• Tutorial sessions twice weekly
• Robust professional development throughout the year
• Special onboarding and leadership programming with students during the first three weeks of the school year

QUALIFICATIONS

We are looking for candidates who have experience working with middle and upper school students and an undergraduate or graduate degree in History, Social Studies Education, Political Science, or a related field. However, we are looking for so much more than that. We are seeking someone who is:

• Mission-driven and aligned with JLA's values
• A skilled facilitator of discussion and debate
• Passionate about helping students read, write, and think rigorously
• Knowledgeable about both content and pedagogy across the Social Studies disciplines
• Committed to building strong relationships with students
• Collaborative, growth-minded, and energized by working with highly motivated colleagues
• Comfortable with technology and Google Workspace for Education
• Experienced working with gifted and high-achieving students

BENEFITS

• Highly competitive salary
• Full health, dental, and vision coverage for the employee
• 8% annual retirement match
• Daily breakfast and lunch
• Generous PTO
• Relocation stipend
• Opportunities for professional development and growth
• Short- and long-term disability and life insurance