Assistant/Associate Professor and Chair of Secondary Education

WHO WE ARE

NLU's National College of Education understands that serving PreK-22 students as teachers and school leaders is a calling, a commitment, and a career. Our unique partnership style with students at all levels-from new teacher preparation to advanced professional programs to doctoral degrees-guides all we do as we create today's teachers and tomorrow's leaders.

Our programs are designed with the needs of our students in mind. Graduates frequently cite the National College of Education's top-quality professors, convenient locations, flexible course offerings, and affordability. Most of all, the commitment to "real world" progressive education is unparalleled. NCE graduates make a difference. Our educators are found in 40% of Illinois public schools and 75% of Chicago Public Schools, collectively impacting the lives of 60,000 students each year.

At NCE, our commitment to learning includes ourselves. We have recently created four new programs and evolved an additional 21 programs to more appropriately address the needs of today's educators.

WHO YOU ARE

You are a lifelong learner who brings passion to teaching because you know the power of transformative learning. You see disability as a form of human diversity and not a deficit. You understand that students' identities are complex and intersectional and embody their learning. You are an accomplished educator with significant PreK-22 experience who is committed to effective and affirming education practices based on inclusion and belonging for all students. You are an experienced leader who has successfully guided classrooms, schools, districts, and/or communities through meaningful change. You have an abiding interest in research and theory related to teaching and disability that informs your practice. You believe in the power of practitioner-research and will support our candidates as they become teachers who both draw on research to inform teaching and research their practice. You are a respectful collaborator who values your students' and colleagues' races, cultures, ways of knowing and being, opinions, perspectives, and experiences. You are deeply motivated by a desire to work in a learning community that aims for academic excellence through an affirmation of human diversity.

providing leadership for cross-disciplinary decision-making in 9-12 educational programming,
• leading curricular and program development corresponding to Social Science curriculum expertise,
• teaching content methods courses and practices corresponding to Social Science curriculum expertise,
• conducting program evaluation,
• coaching teacher candidates in field-based learning experiences, and
• collaborating across disciplines to analyze teacher and student learning data to continuously design innovative teacher preparation practices.

Candidates must have:

• an earned doctorate in the social sciences (economics, geography, history, political science, psychology, sociology, or anthropology) or related educational fields,
• a research interest in teacher learning and development,
• and three or more years of secondary-level teaching experience related to the field of social sciences.

Additional preferred qualifications:

The ideal candidate has educational administrative experience, managerial experience, and experience in program management and evaluation. The candidate is well-versed in the learning sciences and innovative applications of emerging technologies, has strong teaching and research skills, and the ability to collaborate with faculty teams and P12 schools engaged in design-based research.

Anticipated start date: Spring 2025 with the option to begin in summer (July) 2025 or Fall 2025

NLU Inclusion Statement:

National Louis University is deeply committed to serving its community, advancing access and equity, and ensuring that all individuals are welcomed and valued. We are dedicated to fostering a culture where diversity, equity, and inclusion remain at the core of who we are. These are more than just words to us: they are truly a way of life for the NLU community. We recognize that differences in abilities, age, ethnicity, gender (identity and expression), race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and background bring richness to our work environment. We affirm diverse perspectives, innovative contributions, and authentic presentations of self from every member within the NLU community. We believe inclusion is grounded in the actions we intentionally take each day. Our goal is to inspire and empower NLU employees and community members to cultivate an environment where we collectively focus on uplifting and advancing our institutional culture.