The Avery Coonley School

The Avery Coonley School is an independent day school in Downers Grove, Illinois, serving between 300 and 500 students from pre-K through eighth grade. The school admits academically bright and gifted children who are motivated to learn. This selectivity shapes everything: class sizes, instruction speed, peer culture, and what teaching actually feels like each day.

Faculty here work with students who arrive eager and able. Small classes mean you spot each child's learning gaps and strengths within weeks, not months. The French language program creates natural partnerships across grades—elementary teachers reinforce vocabulary, middle schoolers deepen reading and writing. Teaching in this environment rewards teachers who differentiate upward. You are not slowing lessons to meet baseline standards; you are deepening rigor and complexity for learners ready to move fast.

Day school employment offers a rhythm that full-time classroom teachers value. You work school hours and leave campus at day's end. Time exists for family, graduate courses, or outside work. The Avery Coonley School maintains solid financial footing, with over $14 million in net assets and stable enrollment. Benefits typically include health coverage, retirement contributions, and professional development funds alongside competitive salary.

The school hires for elementary classroom teachers, middle school subject instructors, math and language arts specialists, French-language faculty, and administrative support roles. Openings surface year-round as positions open. Collaborative culture matters here—teachers who see colleagues as partners, not competitors, thrive.

For Illinois-based educators seeking talented, motivated students and day school stability in the Chicago suburbs, The Avery Coonley School offers focused, substantive work.