Chief, Multilingual and Multicultural Education

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 Multilingual and Multicultural Education (OMME) is committed to providing a high-quality education for all multilingual learners that is attentive to the culturally and linguistically diverse community of CPS students, families, and educators. OMME supports over 85,000 English Learners across district-managed and charter schools, overseeing bilingual and ESL programming, Dual Language and Biliteracy pathways, newcomer supports, and district-wide compliance with federal and state legal obligations.

Job Summary:


Reporting directly to the Chief Education Officer (CEdO), the Chief of OMME serves a critical role by leading and managing all service and support programs available to multilingual learners (MLs) across the district-from Pre-K through Grade 12. As the district's foremost advocate and systems leader for multilingual learners, the Chief is responsible for identifying opportunities across the district to improve the quality of multilingual learner programs and for building school-level and network-level capacity to sustain those improvements over time. This is a full-time, exempt position that will be paid for time worked on a salary basis.

The Chief, OMME will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Set and drive a bold, coherent vision for multilingual learner achievement aligned to CPS's strategic priorities:
  • Lead OMME's evolution from compliance-monitoring to capacity-building, centering equity, linguistic sustainability, and instructional excellence across all programming.
  • Serve as a senior member of the CEdO's leadership team, contributing to district-wide academic strategy and cross-portfolio coordination.
  • Advocate for policy changes at the district and state levels that support best practices in bilingual and multilingual education.
  • Develop and maintain the annual OMME budget, representing OMME's interests in district-wide budget, policy, and planning processes.
• Strengthen and redesign ML pathways at the secondary level to support course access, scheduling, credit recovery, and on-track-to-graduation supports:
  • Ensure multilingual learners in grades 9-12 receive rigorous, standards-aligned instruction, appropriate language support, and academic support across all content areas.
  • Partner with high school principals and network chiefs to close opportunity gaps for long-term English learners (LTELs) and students with interrupted schooling (SLIFE).
  • Expand access to the Seal of Biliteracy and advanced biliteracy coursework across CPS high schools.
  • Develop systems to monitor ML secondary outcomes, including graduation rates, ACCESS growth, and post-secondary readiness, to drive continuous improvement.
• Increase the quality of the continuum of services for English Learner (EL) students to drive more effective instruction and improve student achievement across all grade bands:
  • Create and implement clear guidelines related to curriculum, instruction, and assessment, ensuring the assessment system includes tools that monitor language acquisition and native language assessments.
  • Manage the vetting of high-quality instructional and intervention materials for ML students to inform the district's framework for effective ML instruction.
  • Ensure a comprehensive curriculum supports ML students in acquiring academic English while maintaining and developing home language proficiency.
  • Oversee Spanish Language Arts and Biliteracy instructional frameworks, ensuring fidelity, quality, and continuous improvement.
  • Partner with Teaching & Learning to align ML-specific instructional supports with district-wide curriculum, assessment, and professional learning systems.
• Develop strategies and procedures to ensure CPS meets all state and federally-mandated reporting and accountability requirements for EL programs:
  • Manage Title III, Title VI, EEOA, Illinois School Code 14C, and CPS Consent Decree grant compliance, reporting, and stakeholder engagement.
  • Design support systems and a comprehensive progress monitoring system to evaluate the performance and effectiveness of EL programs and services.
  • Lead the stewardship of EL data and ensure accuracy to support schools and networks in creating action plans around student performance.
• Build school-level and network-level capacity to provide high-quality, culturally sustaining, and linguistically affirming instruction for multilingual learners:
  • Develop training required to coach both EL program staff and general education staff to ensure they are adequately prepared to instruct multilingual learners.
  • Demonstrate expertise in leading professional development and capacity-building programs and initiatives across a large, complex district.
• Build effective, productive relationships with cross-functional internal leaders and key external stakeholders to inform district strategies:
  • Sustain authentic partnerships with multilingual families and communities, including the Chicago Multilingual Parent Council (CMPC) and Bilingual Advisory Committees (BACs).
  • Champion community voice in district decision-making, ensuring families and labor partners are informed, empowered partners in their children's educational journeys.
• Manage a high-functioning team that executes effectively and meets deadlines to assure high-quality delivery of instructional support and services:
  • Lead, develop, and manage the performance of the OMME team, inspiring OMME's staff and fostering a culture of confianza, high expectations, and continuous learning.

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

Education Required:

• Master's degree in Education, Educational Leadership, Linguistics, Bilingual/Bicultural Education, or a related field from an accredited college or university is required.
• Doctorate degree (Ed.D. or Ph.D.) preferred.
• Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL) with Superintendent Endorsement required; ESL or Bilingual Endorsement strongly preferred

Experience Required:

• Minimum of ten (10) years of relevant professional experience in education, including deep working knowledge of secondary-level programming for multilingual learners.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of leadership experience within a complex educational organization, including the following is required:
  • Minimum of three (3) years of network-level or district-level leadership experience..
  • Minimum of four (4) years of high school leadership experience (school or network level) is required; High school principal experience is strongly preferred,
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience in Bilingual Education or ESL programming, preferably including classroom teaching experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading, coaching, and developing high-performing teams.
• Proven track record of academic success for ML students and measurable content-area results.

Other Requirements:

• Bilingual or multi-lingual preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of curriculum design and implementation in relation to literacy, second language acquisition, ESL, and bilingual education methodologies, including teaching literacy across content areas.
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local EL laws and regulations, including Title III/ESSA, EEOA, Illinois School Code 14C, and the CPS Consent Decree.
• Knowledge of diagnostic procedures, language development, and learning theories as they apply to multilingual learners (ML) across all age and grade bands.
• Knowledge of operations, budget/finance, management, and organizational development within a large educational system.
• Understanding of the unique needs of ML students from diverse backgrounds, including newcomers, SLIFE, and long-term English learners.
• Instructional Expertise and research-grounded vision for ML instruction from Pre-K through Grade 12, with specific depth at the secondary level.
• Skill in using multiple data sources (e.g., ACCESS, Star360) to analyze trends, define problems, and outline valid conclusions for short- and long-term decision-making.
• Skill in strategic planning, including the ability to establish a long-term vision, set high standards, and align organizational activities toward goal fulfillment.
• Leadership and Team-Building Skills, including the ability to coach directors, managers, and school leaders toward excellence and high-impact professional practice.
• Expertise in designing and leading professional development and capacity-building programs and initiatives at scale.
• Proficiency in analyzing research and data to plan, implement, and monitor the progress of large-scale projects and initiatives.
• Expertise in customer service, consensus-building, and collaborative problem-solving within a large-scale urban environment.
• Adaptive Leadership Ability to navigate complexity, balance urgency with sustainability, and lead through ambiguity with integrity.
• Communication and Interpersonal Skills, including expertise in public speaking, presentation, active listening, and radical transparency with diverse stakeholders.
• Systems Thinking Ability to manage the interplay between instructional programming, compliance, family engagement, and resource allocation in a large urban district.
• Collaborative Ability to build authentic relationships and community trust with families, educators, and external partners rooted in cultural humility.
• Equity Leadership focused on centering race, language, and culture as assets to eliminate opportunity debts owed to multilingual learners.
• Organizational Skill to prioritize work and perform multiple tasks in a high-pressure, fast-paced environment.
• Bilingual Proficiency in English and a second language (Spanish preferred) to effectively communicate with diverse constituent groups.

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

Leaves

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