The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools

The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools serves more than 1,000 students from pre-school through grade 12 on the city's South Side, drawing families from across the Chicago region. Founded as an experimental school connected to the university, Lab Schools remains deeply tied to the institution's intellectual mission and research traditions. The school operates as a day program without religious affiliation, welcoming a diverse student body and faculty.

Teaching at Lab Schools places educators inside an unusually research-minded community. The school's connection to the university creates access to faculty resources, speakers, and collaborative opportunities that most independent schools cannot match. Classroom work often reflects the university's culture of empirical inquiry—teachers design projects around student discovery rather than rote transmission. This approach demands flexibility and intellectual engagement from staff, but it attracts educators who thrive on curricular experimentation.

The school values experiential learning, kindness, and intellectual honesty. Faculty members teach across all divisions—pre-school through high school—and roles span classroom instruction, advising, coaching, and administrative support. Because Lab Schools is a day school rather than a boarding program, the teaching culture differs from residential institutions; faculty typically maintain clearer boundaries between school and personal time.

Hiring cycles align with academic calendars. The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools recruits for subject-area teachers, specialists in early childhood education, support staff, and administrative positions throughout the year, with heaviest hiring in spring and early summer.

For educators interested in a research-connected school culture, an intellectually rigorous student body, and day school flexibility in one of Chicago's most engaged neighborhoods, Lab Schools offers distinctive appeal.