MTSS Specialist

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is a leading educational institution in the United States, serving over 320,000 students in 600+ schools and employing nearly 40,000 people, most of them teachers. The district 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 Student Assessment and MTSS empowers all CPS stakeholders with high-quality evidence of student learning to advance achievement, access, and opportunity for all students. The department supports schools in the development and implementation of balanced assessment systems and a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Framework that enables educators to meet students' needs.

**Job Summary:**

Reporting to the MTSS Manager, the MTSS Specialist will support the implementation of MTSS district-wide to ensure that every school has the framework and resources to provide high-quality core instruction and the academic and social-emotional interventions needed to successfully meet all students' needs. This role will collaborate closely with other Assessment for Learning, Program Support and Content Specialists to ensure a coherent vision for PreK-12 teaching and learning is scaled throughout CPS.

Key Responsibilities:

• Establish a governing equity-based MTSS framework for Chicago Public Schools
• Co-design and facilitate MTSS professional learning for school leaders, teacher leaders, and school-based teams in elementary and high schools in service of high-fidelity MTSS implementation, including the use of the Branching Minds MTSS platform
• Build the capacity of Network stakeholders to improve the systems and structures of schools to embed the MTSS framework in all aspects of school improvement
• Enhance the capacity of district content teams to integrate the MTSS framework into their school support structures
• Support the establishment of key performance indicators on MTSS framework implementation for schools, networks, and district-wide; support organization and analysis of data to determine the fidelity of implementation of MTSS in district-managed schools
• Monitor and ensure the fidelity of a district-recommended list of high-quality content-specific interventions
• Co-create, organize, and monitor guidance documents, newsletter, website, and intranet information
• Support the operations and management of the cross-departmental CPS MTSS Committee
• Other duties as assigned

Requirements:

Education:

• 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 content and grade-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.)
• ESL or Bilingual Endorsement, preferred
• Master's degree in a relevant field of study, preferred

Experience:

• Minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experience in education, school psychology, or related fields, including the following, is required:
  • Minimum of five (5) years of classroom teaching experience. (Three (3) years of teaching will be considered in combination with two (2) years of experience in a comparable specialist-level role.)
  • Minimum of three (3) years of teacher leadership or interventionist experience, such as leading MTSS teams to develop, implement, and monitor academic intervention plans.
  • Minimum of three (3) years working with adult learners, including creating, organizing, and facilitating professional learning experiences to meet the needs of participants.
  • Experience utilizing instructional best practices with diverse populations (e.g. English learners, Diverse Learners, etc.)

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge and understanding of the MTSS Framework
• Working knowledge of operations management and organizational design; capable of using this knowledge to ensure improved outcomes within a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework
• Committed to providing equitable support to all children to meet varying needs
• Dedicated to the development of high-quality opportunities and resources in this field for CPS educators and students
• Ability to plan, lead, and execute initiatives with adult learners, including designing and facilitating professional development sessions and learning cycles
• Ability to lead or support multiple projects requiring cross-functional collaboration
• Excellent analytical and organizational skills
• Solid understanding of how to use multiple sources of data to inform daily decisions to improve MTSS practices
• Excellent communication skills, including speaking, listening, and writing
• Self-motivated and able to self-direct; highly organized, flexible, able to work in a fast-paced environment and adapt to quickly changing priorities
• Demonstrates a sense of urgency in accomplishing goals and objectives
• Collaborative team member committed to individual and group success

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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