Manager, Inclusive & Responsive Education

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 Chicago Public School's Instructional Core Vision centers identity, community, and relationships, which is called the "Inner Core." Located within the Office of Teaching and Learning (T&L), the Department of Student Voice and Engagement leads the district's "Inner Core" strategy to ensure all aspects of schooling in CPS are inclusive of and responsive to the lived experiences of our students and families.
The Manager of Inclusive and Responsive Education will advance the district's strategy to expand inclusive and culturally responsive practices within all K-12 classrooms and across decision-making systems and structures in the schools and the district, as articulated through the 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.
The primary objective of the Manager, Inclusive and Responsive Education will be to lead a team responsible for the design and implementation of guidance, resources, policy, and professional learning experiences that model inclusive and culturally responsive practices across classrooms, school teams, and within decision-making structures in schools. This position will report to the Director of Student Voice and Engagement, will lead a team of direct reports, and will collaborate closely with offices and departments within the Chief Education Office to ensure the CPS student experience is consistently reflective of the CPS Instructional Core Vision. The Manager, Inclusive and Responsive Education will be held accountable for the following responsibilities: In collaboration with the Director, support the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of the district's student voice infrastructure strategy (including quality criteria, evaluation, and communication), and inform strategy development and implementation for the district's "inner core" professional learning, standards, evaluation, and communication Work in collaboration with CPS academic and cross-content departments and external partners to support implementation and build a shared understanding of the Instructional Core vision centered in identity, community, and relationships Support continued alignment of professional learning, curriculum, and content to the Inner Core at the heart of the district's Instructional Core Vision across all layers of the organization Manage a high-functioning and collaborative team capable of executing effectively and meeting deadlines; provide guidance, professional coaching and development, and evaluate the team's performance Lead and participate in regular cross-functional leadership and working group meetings to ensure all aspects of the district's curriculum and professional learning plan reflect the CPS Instructional Core Vision Participate in regular progress monitoring and feedback cycles to deepen alignment and impact of district-wide professional learning as advancing responsive and inclusive education; inform the development of learning, alignment, and accountability practices within department-specific strategies and the district-wide professional learning Facilitate regular meetings with Inclusive & Responsive Education Specialists, other content or program support specialists, and curriculum designers (where applicable) to identify priority areas for continuous improvement of the district's curriculum and professional development aligned to the Instructional Core. Support the development of professional learning for team members within the Office of Teaching & Learning (ex: through T&L retreats and ongoing learning opportunities) Build a repository of responsive and inclusive curriculum and professional learning resources to be accessed by all teachers and central office team members Support departments and offices in strengthening their vision and strategies through: Deepening understanding of responsive and inclusive teaching practices Reinforcing regular anti-bias training and practices within teams Developing and facilitating experiences that model identity work, relationship building, and community development and engagement Support the development of common evaluation metrics for professional learning effectiveness and impact Engaging teams in continuous improvement efforts that are anchored in responsive and inclusive practices Provide subject matter expertise on district-wide initiatives including cross-departmental programs, RFPs, and resource development Collaborate internally with SVE colleagues, and in consultation with stakeholders across CPS Offices and Departments, to develop guidance and supports for schools to engage students in critical reflection and productive dialogue surrounding difficult and/or controversial topics and events Maintain expertise in the fields of culturally responsive pedagogy, equity and inclusion, democratic education, and student voice and leadership by staying abreast of current research, practices, and innovation in the field Perform other related duties as assigned In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Manager, Inclusive and Responsive Education must possess the following qualifications: Education Required: Bachelor's degree in a relevant field from an accredited college or university is required Master's degree, preferred Valid teaching certificate issued by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) with appropriate grade level and content level endorsement, is required. (Candidates with a valid out-of-state, reciprocal license will be considered but must obtain ISBE licensure within 6 months of hire.) Experience Required: Minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experience in education, including the following, is required: Minimum of three (3) years of classroom teaching experience Minimum of three (3) years working with adult learners, including creating, organizing, and facilitating professional learning experiences to meet the needs of participants. Experience working with a team on strategic planning and adult learning to shape an educational impact strategy Experience leading others in culturally responsive pedagogy, equity and inclusion, democratic education, and/or student voice and leadership Experience in a manager/supervisory position leading a team of direct reports Experience designing and/or delivering human-centered professional learning and/or experience with human-centered design is preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Deep commitment to equity, culturally responsive and sustaining pedagogies, and transformative learning experiences for all students and adults in CPS Strong knowledge of anti-racist practices in education; knowledge of anti-bias, anti-racist, and anti-adultist pedagogy; commitment to providing an educational environment free of discrimination and bias Commitment to CPS Instructional Core Vision Expertise in planning, designing, facilitating, and evaluating professional learning 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 Effective strategic planning capabilities, including the ability to establish and articulate goals, set high standards, and effectively guide individuals and teams in the realization of expectations set Capable of building and sustaining positive, productive relationships with colleagues and stakeholders Excellent leadership development and instructional leadership skills; capable of coaching specialists toward excellence, building capacity and developing meaningful and high-impact professional communities for teachers and school leaders Expertise in reimagining adult and youth learning experiences through planning, designing, facilitating, and evaluating transformative professional learning Deep knowledge of transformative and inclusive leadership best practices, with emphasis on change management principles; maintains up-to-date knowledge of changing or emerging best practices, concepts and standards in these areas: dialogue and deliberation; service learning or action projects; inquiry learning; and building inclusive and participatory systems that include varied voices (including youth) in decision making in any/all aspect of schooling Knowledge of: WIDA ELD 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 work streams simultaneously Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; comfortable collaborating and communicating across a diverse range of audiences, including network teams, principals, teachers, and support staff Ability to build consensus and leverage expertise with educators across the district Exceptional project management and time management capabilities Excellent analytic and critical thinking skills and strong ability to analyze data, define problems, and outline valid conclusions and action steps. Capable of using 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.