Chief Teaching & Learning Officer

Chief Teaching & Learning Officer

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is a district on the rise, serving over 325,000 students in 500+ schools and employing over 45,000 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. Aligned with our transformed philosophy, we are steadfastly focused on ensuring that the District provides resources equitably to support every student, every school, and every community. Six core values guide the work we do every day for our students – student-centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning. Each role in the district supports our vision that every student deserves a rigorous, joyful, and equitable learning experience.

The Office of Teaching and Learning (T & L) provides school administrators and teachers with the professional learning and resources needed to engage students in rich and rewarding learning experiences. The Office is comprised of various academic and support departments, which work collaboratively to support students' growth and progress in meeting or exceeding state standards for academic excellence.

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Chief Education Officer, the Chief Teaching & Learning Officer will be responsible for establishing a holistic, research-based strategy for school support that advances the district's Instructional Core Vision. This position will oversee the implementation of a PreK-12 Curriculum System, continuous improvement work plans, content departments, and the coaching and development of leaders through formalized goal setting and alignment/convergence of work across academic departments. The Chief Teaching & Learning Officer will also oversee the district's investments in instructional improvement, including an aligned system of collaboration with the Office of Network Supports, District Networks, school leaders, teachers, school-based coaches, and teacher leaders.

The Chief Teaching & Learning Officer will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Provide the strategic vision for the Office of Teaching & Learning in alignment with the Chief Schools Officer, Network Chiefs, and other central office departments
• Lead the design, delivery, and facilitation of a coherent system of professional learning aligned to the district's Instructional Core Vision, across and throughout the organization, including Central Office, Network, and school-based staff
• Lead the district-wide implementation and continuous improvement of Skyline, the district's PreK-12 digital curriculum system
• Partner with the Chief Schools Officer and Network Chiefs to identify and coordinate deployment of differentiated academic supports based on essential data, including formal/informal needs assessments
• Lead content specialists and directors in planning for large-scale, district-wide events, and professional development (e.g., Instructional Leadership Team [ILT] Institute)
• Lead the district's efforts to implement the district's vision and commitment to a balanced assessment system
• Supervise and evaluate directors by modeling growth mindset, effective collaboration, data utilization and problem solving; provide regular feedback on individual, team, and departmental progress
• Provide guidance to departments on increasing student access to early college and career credit opportunities
• Clearly communicate the T&L priorities to network staff and principals; actively engage in dialogue with varying stakeholders to inform the effectiveness of the work of T&L
• Drive district decision-making and implementation around academic practices and policies, including but not limited to, grading, promotion, graduation, credit recovery, scheduling, academic calendar, and culturally responsive education
• Support other workstreams as needed to ensure departmental success

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Chief Teaching and Learning Officer must possess the following qualifications:

Education Required:

• Master's degree in Education or related field from an accredited college or university is required
• EdD or PhD in a related field is strongly preferred

Experience Required:

• Minimum of ten (10) years of relevant professional experience, including the following, is required:
• Minimum of seven (7) years of leadership experience within a complex educational organization
• Minimum of three (3) years of school leadership experience is required, preferably experience as a principal
• Demonstrated experience in teaching; designing and building curriculum; developing assessments and analyzing student performance data
• Experience developing differentiated instructional strategies that address achievement gaps and creating, organizing, and leading professional learning experiences for teacher leaders
• Experience in professional project and change management is preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to articulate a vision, set high standards, and effectively guide schools and principals in the realization of expectations set
• Expertise in leadership development and instructional leadership; ability to coach directors and managers toward excellence, build capacity of content area teams, and develop meaningful and high-impact professional communities for teachers and school leaders
• Strong communication skills (speaking - including presentations - listening, and writing)
• Demonstrate high levels of instructional expertise, integrity, honesty, credibility, and the courage to make difficult yet necessary decisions
• Effective strategic planning capabilities, including the ability to establish long-term vision and goals, and align/manage activities toward goal fulfillment
• Strong leadership and team building skills, e.g., ability to develop high performing teams united around a clear vision for serving schools and achieving student success
• Knowledge of operations, budget/finance, management, and organizational development
• Ability to build collaborative relationships with a variety of constituent groups, including external partners, to ensure the entire system operates in the most effective manner possible to support schools and principals
• Ability to define problems, analyze data, and outline valid conclusions and action steps

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.

Benefits:

Health & Wellness: Your Care, Your Choice

CPS is committed to providing comprehensive health coverage to our employees and their eligible dependents. You'll have access to a variety of choices to best fit your needs:

Medical Plan Options

Pharmacy

Dental

Vision

Behavioral Health & EAP

Employee Wellness Program

Financial Security: Planning for Today and Tomorrow

We understand the importance of financial stability, which is why CPS offers strong retirement and savings options:

Basic Life Insurance

Life and Disability Insurance

Pension Plans

Supplemental Retirement Plans (403(b) and 457(b))

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

Spot Pet Insurance

Work-Life Balance: Supporting Your Personal and Professional Life

CPS values the well-being of its employees and offers competitive paid time off policies:

Paid Leave

Sick Leave

Vacation Days

Parental Leaves

Short-Term Disability

Religious Holidays

Reference the Chicago Public Schools: A Comprehensive Benefits Overview or the benefits handbook for comprehensive details.