Bilingual Education Specialist

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) stands as one of the largest educational districts in the United States, catering to over 320,000 students across more than 600 institutions and employing around 40,000 individuals, predominantly educators. CPS is committed to ensuring that every student, in every school and neighborhood, has access to a premier educational experience that equips them for success in higher education, careers, and civic engagement. To achieve this mission, we uphold three core commitments to our students, their families, and the broader Chicago community: academic advancement, financial integrity, and ethical conduct. Our operations are guided by six fundamental values: student-centered approaches, holistic development, equity, academic excellence, community collaboration, and ongoing learning.

The Office of Language and Cultural Education (OMME) directs CPS in delivering high-quality education to all language learners, with a focus on a culturally and linguistically diverse student body, their families, and educators. OMME strives to fulfill its mission through strategic planning, collaborative partnerships, professional development, and the creation of resources aimed at enhancing instructional quality.

Position Overview:

The Bilingual Education Specialist will play a pivotal role in enriching the educational experiences of English learners (ELs) throughout the district. This role emphasizes capacity building among various stakeholders, providing instructional guidance and professional development, co-creating and refining biliteracy curricula, and contributing to the design and execution of high-quality instruction for ELs in grades PreK-12, with a specific focus on literacy advancement in multiple languages. The Bilingual Education Specialist will report to the EL Instructional Manager.

Key Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with district personnel, administrators, and EL Program Teachers to deliver comprehensive instructional support aimed at enhancing biliteracy development for English Learners.
• Research, assess, and recommend curricula, instructional strategies, assessments, technology, and materials suitable for ELs in both their native language and English contexts.
• Conduct classroom observations and analyze data to evaluate the effectiveness of EL programs and identify areas for enhancement.
• Contribute to the district's framework for effective EL instruction.
• Support the creation of standardized tools and resources that exemplify effective biliteracy practices for ELs across various content areas and contexts.
• Utilize EL data to inform the development of biliterate instructional strategies:
  • Analyze student performance data related to English Learners.
  • Identify trends and patterns to guide instructional strategies and interventions in literacy in both English and Spanish.
  • Collaborate with educators to devise targeted approaches for improving EL learning outcomes.
• Design and deliver professional development for teachers, administrators, and school staff, promoting best practices in biliteracy instruction with an emphasis on developing bilingual teaching strategies, language acquisition, and cultural competence.
• Engage in interdepartmental collaboration on professional development, district initiatives, resources, and projects.
• Contribute to biliteracy guidance, resources, and policy to ensure a cohesive instructional vision is upheld across content areas.
• Maintain expertise in content areas by staying informed about current research, practices, and innovations in the field.
• Support the continuous improvement of curriculum through various tasks, including:
  • Assisting curriculum design teams in developing and refining curricula aligned with district standards, state frameworks, and best practices.
  • Ensuring curricula incorporate culturally relevant content and diverse perspectives to promote inclusivity and equity.
  • Evaluating professional learning outcomes to inform future professional development needs.
  • Identifying and addressing barriers to successful implementation through common progress monitoring systems.
  • Participating in centralized feedback structures to inform curriculum revisions.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor's degree in Education, Bilingual Education, English as a Second Language, or a related field from an accredited institution is required.
• A valid teaching certificate/Professional Educator's License (PEL) issued by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) with a Bilingual Education - Spanish endorsement is required. Candidates with a valid out-of-state, reciprocal license will be considered but must obtain ISBE licensure within six months of hire.
• A Master's degree in a related field of study is preferred.

• A minimum of five (5) years of classroom teaching experience with English Learners is required, including:
  • Experience in developing and/or facilitating professional learning experiences.
  • Experience in standards-based instructional planning.
  • Experience in teaching literacy in both English and Spanish.

• Willingness to travel to schools and other locations across the district, with access to reliable transportation.
• Bilingual or multilingual fluency, with the ability to communicate effectively with various stakeholders in both English and Spanish, is required.

• Exceptional interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Ability to foster collaborative relationships and communicate effectively with a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders, including CPS colleagues, district and school staff, and community organizations.
• Self-motivated with excellent time management and organizational skills; capable of managing multiple work streams simultaneously while producing high-quality deliverables across various teams.
• Expertise in the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts and Spanish Language Arts, as well as WIDA ELD and/or SLD Standards.
• Understanding of literacy development in content areas, as well as first and second language literacy.
• Proficiency in delivering high-quality instruction in both native and English languages.
• Ability to design and implement differentiated instruction to cater to the diverse needs of English learners, including those with varying proficiency levels.
• Expertise in planning, designing, facilitating, and evaluating professional learning.
• Strong problem-solving skills, ability to delegate tasks, and view challenges as opportunities for growth.
• Proficient in utilizing various technology tools and software, including Google Workspace and Microsoft Office; ability to develop proficiency with CPS applications.

• Establish/Maintain Chicago Residency: Employees must reside 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. This 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 must be up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations, including boosters, and 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.