SPIRE Institute & Academy (IA) welcomes history teacher Chuck Kaczynski as he leads classes in Research & Writing, Sports in American History, Modern United States History, Advanced Placement United States History and Modern Global History.

Chuck holds a Bachelor’s degree from Miami University, a Master of Arts from Northern Illinois University, and a Ph.D from the Catholic University of America and has over 25 years of teaching both the high school and post-secondary levels. Chuck explains his career, saying, “My primary research interests are United States immigration/ethnic history, United States religious history and public history with a concentration in oral history research.  Before coming to SPIRE, I taught at a variety of high schools in Ohio, Washington, D.C., and East Harlem and the Upper West Side in Manhattan.  Along with my secondary-school teaching experience, I have taught as an adjunct assistant professor at a variety of colleges and universities in the New York area, including Saint John’s University, the City University of New York, Manhattan College and Rutgers University.”

Chuck has been living along the East Coast for 23 years and was looking for a teaching position that would allow him to return to northern Ohio but would also allow him to integrate historical research throughout his curricula. For the last nine years, Chuck has been teaching at an independent prep school on the upper west side of Manhattan that provided the space to be creative in his approach to engaging students by making sense of the past.

“While my interest in SPIRE initially stemmed from the opportunity to come back home–I grew up in Parma Heights, Ohio–interviewing with Kate Reedy, Rich Odell and Jeff Orloff convinced me that the Academy’s vision gave equal attention to the student’s academic and athletic growth and development.  They have created an environment in which I can demand the most of my students, making them as comfortable in the classroom as they are on the court, the track, or the pool,” Chuck explains.

SPIRE Dean of Academics, Dr. Katherine Reedy, is thrilled to have Chuck on the teaching staff.  “Chuck is full of energy and has endless curiosity. He seeks to find the curiosities of students and then helps them develop their intellectual capacity,” says Dr. Reedy. “When Chuck shares stories about students he has worked with over his career, it is wonderful to hear how a number stay in close touch with him, and as a result of courses they took with him, have decided to pursue careers in history. I know he will engage all students where they are at and inspire each one to understand history and writing in new ways.”

When Chuck isn’t wearing his teacher’s hat, he intends to get back to his favorite sport: cross-country bicycling. He once rode his bike in the New York Century Ride, traveling 100 miles through four of the five boroughs of the city.  During his downtime, you can find him watching Bundesliga football or Dr. Who.