Hiring

The North Chicago Experience

The fight for educational equity is happening throughout Illinois. We’re proud to place a cohort of corps members to teach in District 187 in nearby North Chicago. This is an opportunity for your impact to be felt immediately in a small, close-knit community that has made a huge commitment to student growth through innovation. 

What does it look like to teach in North Chicago compared to Chicago? 

  • City Size and Location

    North Chicago

    Located in Lake County in the north suburbs, North Chicago is about 40 miles north of the city of Chicago. This small community has around 30,000 residents.

    Chicago

    We place in 70 schools in 40 communities on the south, southwest, and west sides of Chicago.

  • School Type

    North Chicago

    District 187, a traditional public school district (no placement at charter schools)

    Chicago

    50% charter school placement
    50% traditional public school placement

  • District Size

    North Chicago

    Schools: 6
    Students: 3,300

    Chicago

    Schools: 600+
    Students: 20,000+

  • District Demographics

    North Chicago

    43% of students are English Language Learners. D187 has created a Dual Language program to strategically support ELL Learners and teachers

    Chicago

    24.7% of students are English Language Learners

  • School Year Calendar (2024–2025)

    North Chicago

    First day of school: August 19
    Last day of school: June 2

    Chicago

    School calendar TBD but will most likely start 1 week later than D187

  • Teacher:Student Ratio

    North Chicago

    15:1

    Chicago

    19:1

  • District Coaching Support

    North Chicago

    There are district coaches assigned to each grade level and content area.

    Chicago

    Varies based on school type and capacity.

  • Salary

    North Chicago

    1st year teacher salary is between: $43,000-$45,000

    Chicago

    1st year teacher salary is dependent on school type, but is usually around $50,000-$60,000

  • Grad School Costs

    North Chicago

    Teach For America will cover the costs of grad school outside of the AmeriCorps award so you’ll have zero out of pocket costs by the end of your 2 years.

    Chicago

    After using your AmeriCorps award, the out of pocket cost is around $3,500 per year.

Questions?

Reach out to Jetaun Whittlesey at jetaun.whittlesey@teachforamerica.org