AP Program Support Specialist

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 nearly 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 Department of Advanced Learning and Specialty Programs (ALSP) serves as a catalyst to empower learners to be successful and positive contributors in their school community, post-secondary pathways, and life. Through programmatic support and collaborative partnerships, ALSP provides equitable access to high-quality, student-centered programs (Advanced Placement, Gifted, International Baccalaureate, Magnet, and Personalized Learning) that develop the interests, strengths, and talents of our learners.

The primary objective of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program Support Specialist is to ensure that the support provided by the Office of Teaching and Learning improves both the school-level conditions and the student experience and outcomes aligned to the CPS Instructional Core Vision through the lens of the programmatic focus area.

The IB is an inquiry-based, concept-driven framework that aims to develop self-directed thinkers and reflective problem solvers. The IB aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. The IB Program Support Specialist will be charged with supporting district IB schools in the implementation of their respective programs: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the IB Diploma Programme (DP), and the Career-related Programme (CP).

The IB Program Support Specialist will report to the Manager of Specialty Programs and collaborate closely with other Program Specialists to ensure a coherent vision for PreK-12 teaching and learning is scaled throughout all program focus schools.

The IB Program Support Specialist will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

* Design and facilitate professional learning for a variety of internal and external stakeholders that deepens their understanding of the CPS Instructional Core and program-specific practices to support it.
* Ensure that professional learning content for CPS Network Chiefs/Deputies, Instructional Support Leaders (ISLs), school leaders, central office instructional leaders, external partners, and other educators successfully achieves the following:
* Leads educators in developing, implementing, and refining network-specific professional learning plans that ensure district-wide learning is prioritized and supported within each programmatic focus area
* Builds their capacity in supporting school leaders and teacher leaders with program-specific learning
* Prepares them to lead school-based learning through coaching, team meetings, workshops, etc.
* Ensure that professional learning for Teachers and Teacher Leaders fulfills the following:
* Supports them in effectively contributing to their schools' Instructional Leadership Teams
* Builds their capacity for leading their colleagues in program-specific learning and reflection grounded in student learning
* Collaborate with classroom teachers, school-based instructional teams, school leaders, and external partners to design and execute a school-based vision, CIWP, and a robust plan for implementing the school's program model
* Monitor fidelity of school-wide implementation of program focus model
* Consult with school leaders on problem-solving, change management, and the design of school-wide systems and structures that enable the adoption of the school's specialty program
* Identify trends and common needs across schools in order to inform the district-wide strategy for the specialty program's support and adoption
* Assist teachers and school leaders in aligning their school's program model with the instructional core and other district-wide priorities
* Support schools in preparation for successfully completing their respective certification processes
* Contribute to program-specific guidance, resources, and policy to ensure a consistent instructional vision is promoted within and across all schools within the programmatic focus area
* Collaborate with other Program Support Specialists to support shared initiatives
* Maintain program area expertise 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 IB Program Support Specialist must possess the following qualifications:

Education Required:

* Bachelor's degree in a relevant field of study from an accredited college or university, required
* 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.)
* LBSI, ESL, or Bilingual Endorsement, preferred
* Master's degree in a relevant field of study, preferred

Experience Required:

* Minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experience, including the following, is required:
* Minimum of five (5) years of classroom teaching experience; three (3) years of classroom teaching will be considered in combination with two (2) years in a comparable specialist-level role
* Minimum of three (3) years of teacher leadership experience, such as leading school teams in the development of curriculum and assessments, analyzing student performance data, etc.
* Minimum of three (3) years working with adult learners, including creating, organizing, and facilitating professional learning experiences to meet the needs of participants

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

* Expertise in planning, designing, facilitating, and evaluating professional learning
* Deep knowledge and understanding of International Baccalaureate instructional best practices
* Exceptional organizational skills; ability to effectively manage several work streams simultaneously
* Capable of building and sustaining positive, productive relationships with colleagues and stakeholders
* Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; comfortable collaborating and communicating across a diverse range of audiences, including network teams, principals, teachers, and support staff
* Commitment to CPS Instructional Core Vision
* Ability to build consensus and leverage expertise with educators across the district
* 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.

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