What are the responsibilities and job description for the Curriculum Designer, ELA position at Chicago Public Schools?

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is a district on the rise, serving over 320,000 students in 500 schools and employing over 44,000 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.

The Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Digital Learning is implementing the Curriculum Equity Initiative : a comprehensive support system for teachers with a modern, digital curriculum at its core. Once implemented, this digital curriculum will provide CPS students and teachers with access to high-quality, engaging, and culturally responsive learning materials.

Job Summary :

Reporting to the Manager of Digital Curriculum, the Curriculum Designer, English Language Arts (ELA) will work collaboratively with stakeholders, including subject matter experts (SMEs) and contracted partners, to inform the initial development of the curriculum and continuous improvement of the curriculum thereafter.

The Curriculum Designer, ELA will be held accountable for the following responsibilities :

Collaborate effectively and extensively with internal and external partners, including content and specialty teams across CPS' Academic Offices, to ensure Chicago's curriculum is developed in accordance with all articulated quality standards.
Oversee the review / feedback process for the ELA Curriculum, including coordination of teacher review teams, consensus building, conflict resolution, planning, and decision-making.
Ability to lead and effectively communicate with development teams to focus effort and resources toward the achievement of expected results.
Coordinate the development and distribution of formal curriculum development and evaluation guidance, including the ELA Rubric.
Demonstrate flexibility and creativity in the design and continuous improvement of the curriculum.
Train stakeholders on the curriculum evaluation processes and utilization of rubrics and other guidance / evaluative tools.
Effectively engage with stakeholders to prioritize and communicate feedback to external partners for curriculum update / revision.
Advise the teams supporting systems integration and UX to ensure a seamless, useful experience for teachers, students, and parents.
Ensure contractual partners accurately customize the curriculum for ELA and effectively integrate ELA themes, inquiry skills, and an interdisciplinary approach to instruction.
Model the routine, intentional, and effective use of technology in daily work, including communications, organization, and management tasks.
Keep abreast of the current trends and best practices in pedagogy with digital curriculum and represent the district as an expert on these and other (related) topics.
Work on multiple projects / sub-projects concurrently, and monitor activity, progress, and time related to project development requirements.
Perform related duties as assigned

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Curriculum Designer, ELA must possess the following qualifications :

Education Required :

Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university is required. Focus in English, Social Science, or Interdisciplinary Studies preferred Master's degree preferred.

Valid teaching certificate issued by the Illinois State Board of Education (or reciprocal license) with Bilingual Endorsement is required

Experience Required :

Minimum of five (5) years of professional instructional experience in K-12 Education, including the following, is required :

Experience in curriculum design / development (writing)

Direct experience in an ELA role

Experience working with educational technology, digital media, and / or the effective integration of technology in instruction

Experience collaborating with culturally and educationally-diverse teams

Experience in a large urban setting preferred

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities :

Deep knowledge and background in English Language Arts and academic standards

Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Ability to lead and effectively communicate with development teams to focus effort and resources toward the achievement of expected results.

Strong project management and problem-solving skills / strategies

Deep knowledge of equity issues in education and a deep commitment to providing access to high-quality digital curriculum for all students.

Strong knowledge of :

ELA Common Core Standards

WIDA ELD Standards

Understanding by Design principles for curriculum design

Universal Design for Learning principles for instructional design

MTSS and SEL best practices

High levels of instructional expertise, integrity, honesty, and credibility

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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