Department Head, Social Studies

Position: Department Head, Social Studies (3150)
The Natick Public Schools Seek a

Social Studies Department Head at Natick High School

Start date:

07/01/2026

We invite you to explore a career with Natick Public Schools.

The Natick Public Schools educate approximately 5,300 students from Pre-K through age 22. We are an innovative, supportive, and high-performing district whose outstanding staff provides high quality services for our diverse students and their families from Natick and Boston. Natick Public Schools is a community dedicated to all students achieving high standards in a safe, trusting, respectful environment where learning is exciting, dynamic, and engaging, and where connectedness and belonging are valued and actively cultivated.

We are home to families that speak almost 60 different languages and our student population is approximately 29% Students of Color and 71% White students. With a graduation rate of 97% and 90% of our students attending post-secondary schools, we are proud of our commitment to excellence in educating students to be informed and successful citizens of a global world.

We enthusiastically welcome educators to our district who seek and thrive in a diverse environment that focuses on the whole child in a strengths-based approach. Please partner with us in our mission to support the diversity of our school community, promote and deliver equitable practices for all of our staff, students, and families, and create meaningful connections that enable everyone to feel included and thrive.

Job Title

(.6) Social Studies Department Head/(.4) Social Studies Teacher

Location

High School

Reports To

Principal

Work days/FTE

183 days/1.0 FTE

Salary/Benefits

Salary and benefits per contract with the Education Association of Natick;
Unit A Salary with Unit B Stipend

Benefits Eligible?

Yes

JOB GOAL

Responsible for maintaining a program of high quality curriculum, instruction and assessment in the Social Studies department and for being a productive and supportive member of the school's administrative team.

QUALIFICATIONS

* At least five years of successful Social Studies or History teaching experience at the high school level required, preferably in a public school setting

* Current Massachusetts licensure as Social Studies Teacher, 9-12 required

* SEI Endorsement required

* Massachusetts licensure as either Supervisor/Director - Social Studies or Vice-Principal/Principal, 9-12 preferred

* At least a Master's degree required, preferably in history, a related social science, social studies education or educational leadership

* Prior leadership experience preferred

* Strong communication, team-building, and organizational skills

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

* Hiring, Retention, Coaching, Supervision and Evaluation of Social Studies Department Educators

* Provides coaching, feedback, and support to Social Studies teachers through classroom observations, coaching cycles, mentoring, collaborative planning and collaborative data analysis

* Evaluates members of the Social Studies Department, using the district-driven evaluation model, and in adherence with the Education Association of Natick's (EAN's) contractual deadlines for supervision and evaluation

* Supports new teachers and long-term substitutes in onboarding, planning, and classroom management

* Collaborates with the Special Education Administrator, the Alternative Education Administrator, and Multilingual Learner Department Head to support high quality instruction in co-teaching and small group Social Studies classrooms

* Leads the hiring and onboarding process for new Social Studies teachers

* Coordinates and leads professional development aligned to departmental needs and school goals

* Builds and maintains a positive departmental culture

* Teaches Two Social Studies Classes

* Aligns instruction to departmental curriculum and rigorous objectives

* Employs best practices in Social Studies pedagogy and models these strategies for other educators

* Uses differentiated instruction and Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) strategies to support each learner's engagement and growth

* Maintains communication with students, parents and community, fostering a strong home-school connection

* Curriculum Development and Alignment

* Leads the design, alignment, and evaluation of the Social Studies curriculum for grades 9-12

* Guides the development and cohesive implementation of common assessments, rubrics, and grading practices

* Provides curriculum materials and texts that are on-grade level, rigorous, and represent diverse voices and perspectives

* Collaborates with the Kennedy and Wilson Middle Schools' Social Studies Department Heads to ensure vertical alignment and continuity for students

* Maintains current standards-aligned curriculum documents that accurately represent the current teaching and learning taking place in Social Studies classrooms

* Instructional Leadership

* Develops and articulates a clear departmental vision aligned with school goals and the district's strategic plan

* Leads the implementation of high-quality social studies instruction…