Instructional Core Professional Learning Specialist 

Job Number:

240003GJ 

Posting Date

: Sep 19, 2024, 4:51:19 PM

Primary Location

: West Side-2651 W Washington Blvd (Dodge-Garfield Park)

CPS Non-Union Job Grade: SG1

Position Type: Non-Union Position

Overtime Status

: Exempt

JOB DESCRIPTION ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is one of the largest school districts in the United States, serving over 320,000 students in 600+ schools and employing nearly 40,000 people, most of them teachers. CPS has set ambitious goals to ensure that every student, in every school and every neighborhood, has access to a world-class learning experience that prepares each for success in college, career, and civic life. In order to fulfill this mission, we make three commitments to our students, their families, and all Chicagoans: academic progress, financial stability, and integrity. Six core values are embedded within these commitments – student-centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning.

Located within the Office of Teaching and Learning, the Professional Learning Department leads the district-wide strategy for professional learning that improves the student experience and outcomes aligned to the CPS Instructional Core Vision. This includes learning opportunities for teachers, teacher leaders, school administrators, network instructional support leaders, network chiefs and deputies, and central office team members.

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Manager of Professional Learning, the Instructional Core Professional Learning Specialist will ensure that the support provided by the Office of Teaching and Learning improves the student experience and outcomes aligned to the CPS Instructional Core Vision. The Instructional Core Professional Learning Specialist will leverage their experience and expertise in the areas of professional learning and PreK-12 education to strengthen the impact and quality of professional learning across the district. This position will support the implementation of the Skyline professional learning plan and help develop and implement a quality control process for all internal and external district-level professional learning. The Instructional Core Professional Learning Specialist will collaborate closely with cross-departmental Content Specialists to ensure a coherent vision for PreK-12 professional learning is scaled throughout CPS.

The Instructional Core Professional Learning Specialist will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Design and develop a universal model for curriculum-based Skyline professional learning (PL) that deepens understanding of the CPS Instructional Core across all CPS content areas (math, ELA, science, social science, world languages, PK, Spanish Language Arts (SLA)) and grade levels (PreK-12) in collaboration with CPS academic and cross-content departments and external partners
• Ensure professional learning for CPS Network Chiefs/Deputies, Instructional Support Leaders (ISLs), school leaders, central office instructional leaders, external partners, and other educators successfully achieves the following:
• Leads educators in developing, implementing, and refining network-specific professional learning plans that ensure district-wide learning is prioritized and supported within each network
• Builds their capacity to support school leaders and teacher leaders with content-specific learning
• Prepares them to lead school-based learning through coaching, team meetings, workshops, etc.
• Build and maintain a digital library of asynchronous resources related to core practices and instructional shifts across all PreK-12 Skyline content areas.
• Oversee the quality-control process for curriculum-based Skyline professional learning across all content areas and grade levels.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of Skyline via:
• Evaluation of professional learning outcome data to inform future professional learning needs
• Identification, documentation, and offering solutions around barriers to successful implementation through common progress monitoring systems
• Participation in centralized feedback structures to inform curriculum revision
• Contribute to content-specific guidance, resources, and policy to ensure a consistent instructional vision is promoted within and across content areas
• In collaboration with cross-content teams, design Skyline professional learning from an asset-based orientation, incorporating best practices for supporting all students (English Learners, Diverse Learners, SEL perspectives) across all content areas and grade levels, at scale.
• Perform logistical duties required for successful implementation of Skyline professional learning, including scheduling professional learning sessions across CPS offices and among diverse CPS stakeholders, managing the Learning Hub, and communicating and following up with professional learning participants.
• Maintain content area expertise through staying abreast of current research, practices, and innovation in the field
• Model the intentional, effective use of instructional technology in professional learning contexts and daily work, including communications, organization, and management tasks.
• Oversee vendor relationships in accordance with CPS and department strategies and directives.
• Other related duties as assigned

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Instructional Core Professional Learning Specialist must possess the following qualifications: 

Education Required: 

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university required; Relevant field of study preferred
• Master’s degree preferred
• Valid teaching license issued by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) with appropriate grade level and content level endorsement required. (Valid out-of-state, reciprocal license will be considered but ISBE licensure must be obtained within 6 months of hire.)
• LBSI, ESL, or Bilingual endorsement preferred 
• Google Certified Educator, Apple Distinguished Educator, and/or other Educational Technology-related certifications preferred

Experience Required: 

• Minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experience, including the following, is required:
• Minimum of five (5) years of classroom teaching experience – Three (3) years of classroom teaching experience may be considered in combination with two (2) years in a comparable professional learning specialist role
• Minimum of three (3) years of teacher leadership experience, such as leading school teams in the development of curriculum and assessments, analyzing student performance data, etc. 
• Minimum of three (3) years working with adult learners, including creating, organizing, and facilitating professional learning experiences to meet the needs of participants 
• Experience with curriculum adoption and/or implementation is preferred
• Experience designing and/or delivering professional learning that supports English Language Learners and Students with Disabilities is preferred 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

• Deep commitment to access and equity, and culturally responsive and sustaining pedagogies, using technology to transform the classroom learning experience and helping educators develop their technology integration practices. 
• Highly effective, adaptable innovator willing to learn new technologies and capable of researching, evaluating and classroom testing new technology strategies on an ongoing basis.
• Strong understanding of the needs of adult learners: thorough knowledge of instructional technology, best practices in pedagogy with digital curriculum, and practices that support all learners in the classroom, including English Language Learners and Diverse Learners. 
• Expertise in planning, designing, facilitating, and evaluating professional learning 
• Deep knowledge of teaching and learning instructional best practices, with emphasis on instructional technology theory and practice, curriculum-based PL, change management principles, and curriculum implementation best practices; maintains up-to-date knowledge of changing or emerging best practices, concepts and standards in these areas.
• Knowledge of: 
• Common Core State Standards for Math and Reading, Next Generation Science Standards for science, International Society for Technology in Education standards for technology, Illinois State Social Science Standards
• WIDA English Language Development Standards
• Understanding by Design principles for curriculum design
• Universal Design for Learning principles for instructional design
• MTSS and SEL best practices
• Exceptional organizational skills; Ability to effectively manage several workstreams simultaneously
• Capable of building and sustaining positive, productive relationships with colleagues and stakeholders
• Exceptional communication skills (written and verbal); Comfortable collaborating and communicating across a diverse range of audiences, including network teams, principals, teachers, and support staff
• Commitment to CPS Instructional Core Vision
• Ability to build consensus and leverage expertise with educators across the district
• Exceptional project management and time management capabilities, including the ability to establish long-term vision and goals; Ability to align and manage activities to drive cross-functional success, delivering desired outcomes on time and striving to meet and exceed expectations. 
• Superior analytic and critical thinking skills; Strong ability to analyze data, define problems, and outline valid conclusions and action steps.
• Ability to use data to identify professional development needs at scale, and to evaluate, improve, and report on program effectiveness
• Excellent technology skills (Google Suite)

Conditions of Employment

As a condition of employment with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), employees are required to:

• Establish/Maintain Chicago Residency – Employees are required to live within the geographic boundaries of the City of Chicago within six months of their CPS hire date and maintain residency throughout their employment with the district. The Chicago residency requirement does not apply to temporary/part-time positions, however, all CPS employees must be residents of Illinois.
• Be Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19 – Unless approved for a medical or religious exemption, all employees are required to be up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations, including boosters, and to submit proof of vaccination to the district within 30 days of hire. “Up-to-date” on vaccination is defined as being at least two weeks past all primary vaccine doses and any applicable boosters.

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