Specialist – Social Sciences & Humanities (K–12) – 2026-2027 Full Time

• Forbes named Mesa Public Schools in their list of Best Employers in Arizona for multiple years.
• East Valley Tribune names Mesa Public Schools as Best Place to Work in East Valley for multiple years.

Employment Type:

Full-time

Base Salary:

$65,160.00

Calendar:

Certified l, 220 workdays

Benefits:

Sick leave, holidays, matched retirement through the Arizona State Retirement System, health, and life insurance

Performance Pay:

Available annually

New Hire Experience:

$500 for each full-time year of certified teaching or verified like experience

New Hire Education:

$65/hour of graduate level credits: BA +45 hours max, MA +60 hours max $1000 for advanced degrees

Job Summary:

The Social Sciences & Humanities Specialist provides districtwide leadership in the design, implementation, and evaluation of K-12 social studies and humanities curriculum. This position ensures that all students engage in meaningful learning experiences that build disciplinary knowledge and skills as aligned to the Arizona History and Social Science standards. The specialist collaborates with directors, coordinators, and regional teams to guide curriculum development, select and implement high-quality instructional materials (HQIM), instructional design, align professional learning, assessment, and ensure access for all learners, including students receiving specialized services.

Key Responsibilities:

Curriculum & Instruction

• Lead the development and refinement of K–12 social studies and humanities curriculum aligned to Arizona Standards.
• Collaborate with district teams to evaluate and implement HQIM and supplemental resources emphasizing inquiry, analysis, and disciplinary literacy.
• Guide integration of civic engagement, economics, geography, history, and cultural studies within interdisciplinary units.
• Partner with Specialized Student Services and Language Development & Multilingual Programs Specialist to ensure instructional materials and practices provide access for all learners.

Assessment & Data

• Use assessment data to identify trends and support instructional planning, intervention, and enrichment.
• Use data to identify instructional strengths and needs, and collaborate with coaches to plan targeted professional learning.
• Support development of rubrics and data tools to monitor student growth.

Professional Learning

• Design and facilitate professional learning for regional leads, instructional coaches, and teachers focused on inquiry-based learning, analysis of primary sources, and civic discussion.
• Model best practices for integrating literacy and critical thinking into social studies instruction.
• Develop and share district resources and exemplars to ensure consistent instructional quality across grade levels.

Collaboration & Compliance

• Serve as district liaison to Arizona Department of Education and professional organizations related to social studies and humanities education.
• Collaborate with community and cultural partners to enhance classroom experiences through field-based and service-learning opportunities.
• Maintain current knowledge of state and national standards, trends, and legislative updates impacting social studies and humanities instruction.

General

• Perform other duties as assigned to support Mesa Public Schools’ academic goals and Portrait of a Graduate.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in education, history, social sciences, humanities, or a related field.
• Current Arizona teaching certificate with SEI endorsement.
• Minimum of three years of successful classroom teaching experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in History, Social Sciences, Humanities, Education, or Curriculum and Instruction.
• Experience leading HQIM adoptions, course sequencing, or curriculum alignment for social studies and humanities.
• Experience supporting civic engagement or global studies initiatives.
• Involvement in professional or state-level social studies or humanities organizations.

Skills & Competencies:

• Demonstrated expertise in inquiry-based and literacy-integrated instruction.
• Experience designing and facilitating professional learning.
• Proficiency with digital resources and instructional technology for social studies.
• Strong knowledge of social studies and humanities content, pedagogy, and assessment practices.
• Ability to design and implement assessment for learning, including performance assessments.
• Understanding of personalized learning practices and strategies to promote student agency.
• Skill in designing and facilitating professional learning that builds capacity among adults.
• Ability to use data to inform instruction and evaluate program effectiveness.
• Skill in analyzing and interpreting student data to inform instructional decisions.
• Strong communication, facilitation, and collaboration skills to build capacity across district teams.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills.
• Commitment to ensuring rigorous academic outcomes for all students.
• Models the essential attitudes and skills of Mesa Public Schools’ Portrait of a Graduate.
• Knowledge of instructional design, assessment, intervention frameworks, and progress monitoring tools.
• Ability to analyze and interpret data to guide program improvement.
• Strong facilitation and collaboration skills for working with educators and leaders across grade levels.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills.
• Technologically fluent with Microsoft, Google Workspace, Canvas, and related platforms to support data and communication.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Adaptability and creativity in responding to the evolving needs of educators and students.
• Deep knowledge of applicable state laws, district policies, and compliance requirements.
• Ability to identify needs, determine interventions, and assess with progress monitoring tools.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:

• Primarily office-based with frequent district site visits.
• Occasional evening or weekend commitments.
• Fast-paced, high-stakes environment requiring adaptability and responsiveness.
• Ability to remain seated for extended periods.
• Frequent use of hands for typing and handling documents.
• Occasional standing, walking, bending, and reaching.
• Ability to lift and carry up to 10 pounds regularly and up to 25 pounds occasionally.
• Visual acuity for reading and computer work.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement:

Mesa Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding equal employment opportunity and anti-discrimination. The District strictly prohibits and does not tolerate discrimination against employees, applicants, or any other covered persons because of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, sex (including gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

Applicants and employees may contact Human Resources to request reasonable accommodations needed to perform the essential functions of this position.