What are the responsibilities and job description for the EL Network Specialist position at Chicago Public Schools?

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 approximately 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.

The Office of Multilingual-Multicultural Education (OMME) guides CPS in providing a high-quality education for all language learners attentive to a culturally and linguistically diverse community of students, families, and educators. OMME aims to achieve its mission through strategic planning, collaborative partnerships, professional development, and the production of tools and resources to improve instruction.

Job Summary :

Reporting to the EL Network Support Manager the EL Network Specialist supports developing programs and instructional practices for English Learners to drive their academic achievement. The EL Network Specialists are expected to be experts on EL instruction and programs with proven content expertise in teaching and educational leadership. Still, specific content expertise and requirements for the EL Network Specialist will vary based on their assignment and the needs of the schools in the network. This is a crucial role in enhancing and improving English Learners' learning experience across the district. This position focuses on building capacity among various stakeholders, providing instructional support, and contributing to developing and implementing high-quality instruction for ELs in grades PreK-12. Each EL Network Specialist will have an area of focus, such as school network support, instructional implementation, equity in programming and instruction, and dual language instruction.

The EL Network Specialist will be held accountable for the following responsibilities :

Provide differentiated instructional support by working directly with administrators, teacher leaders, and teachers in the classroom, as appropriate, to model effective, research-based instructional practices for English learners.
Collaborate with various teams to drive data-informed instructional planning around EL instruction and work with school-based leadership teams to actualize the implementation of appropriate EL instruction.
Lead professional development around EL instructional practices for EL teacher leaders (ELPTs) and network administrators (PLCs, book studies, etc.).
Coach ELPTs around EL Instructional Leadership development (e.g., using data analysis to guide instructional decisions, participating in classroom observations, etc.).
Consult and collaborate with Chiefs, Principals, Assistant Principals, school-based Instructional Leadership Teams, and fellow Network instructional leadership to develop data-informed strategies to support EL instructional practices. These strategies include curriculum adoption / implementation support, professional development plans, direct support to EL teacher leaders, and data and progress monitoring.
Collaborate with other CPS offices to provide EL considerations in initiatives and district-wide goals to improve EL academic outcomes.
Actively participate in district-wide professional learning and provide the EL considerations to improve EL academic outcomes.
Professionally represent OMME and the district during all interactions
Other duties as assigned

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the EL Network Specialist must possess the following qualifications :

Education Required :

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in public policy, public health, or related field

Valid teaching certificate / Professional Educator's License (PEL) issued by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)Bilingual and / or ESL endorsement(s) is required.

Demonstrated Multilingual proficiency

Master's degree in Education, Bilingual Education, ESL, Curriculum and Instruction, Educational Leadership, or a related field of study strongly preferred

Administrative endorsement preferred

Experience Required :

Minimum of five (5) years of classroom teaching experience including a minimum of one (1) year of experience with educational leadership (Department Chair, Grade Level lead, Instructional Leadership Team(ILT), Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS))

Minimum of three (3) years experience working with adult learners, including coaching and / or designing and facilitating professional development for classroom teachers and school leaders

Track record of solution-oriented problem-solving experiences with creating innovative projects

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities :

Ability to communicate effectively with all stakeholders; establish efficient working relationships with colleagues, district and school staff, and community-based organizations

High levels of instructional expertise, integrity, honesty, credibility, and the courage to make difficult yet necessary decisions

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

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 use multiple data sources to set measurable goals and strategically plan to complete the goals

Ability to define problems, analyze data, and develop action plans as part of a continuous improvement cycle

Ability to manage, problem-solve, and delegate as situations dictate

Ability to recognize failures and learn from mistakes to improve conditions for working and learning as a team

Ability to travel to schools and other locations throughout the district

Ability to be a self-learner and demonstrate excellent self-management, flexibility, and organizational skills

Bilingual / multilingual preferred

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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