Academic Chair - Social Studies

Waukegan Community Unit District 60; Vermont; On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 is seeking a Department Chair to lead curriculum development and oversee instructional improvement across campuses. You will promote academic excellence, supervise department functions, and collaborate with principals, coaches, and district leaders to drive student achievement.

The role emphasizes standards-aligned instruction, professional development, and data-informed decision making in a busy K–12 environment.

Qualifications

• Valid state professional license and appropriate administrative certification required.
• Experience leading curriculum and teaching and learning initiatives.
• Strong data use to drive school improvement and instruction.
• Proven ability to coach, mentor and develop staff.
• Excellent communication and collaboration across stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead district curriculum development and ensure alignment with standards.
• Coordinate content area curriculum to prepare students for post-secondary goals.
• Monitor assessments and use data to improve programs and practices.
• Collaborate with building admin, ILT, coaches and learning office on instruction.
• Provide coaching and feedback to staff to implement improvement plans.
• Lead regular content-area meetings and build teaching capacity.
• Assist with master scheduling and summer program planning.

Skills

Leadership

Curriculum development

Data analysis

Communication

Collaboration

Project management

Education

Illinois Professional Educators License

Type 75 Administrative Certificate

Tools

Microsoft Office

Google Workspace

Job description

Who We Are: Waukegan Community Unit School District No. 60 serves nearly 13,000 students in preschool through grade 12 and is located halfway between Chicago, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Michigan. The District has one early learning center, fifteen elementary schools, five middle schools and a high school program divided between two 9th – 12 grade campuses. The District encompasses portions of Waukegan, Beach Park and Park City.

Why We Do This Work: The Waukegan Community Unit School District No. 60 has set an ambitious agenda for change, guided by the belief that all children, regardless of circumstances, can achieve at high levels and academic gaps can and will be eliminated with the support of teachers who deliver engaging, relevant, and academically rigorous instruction that excites students and instills a love of learning in them.

Organizational Relationship: Under the primary direction of the building principal, the Department Chair will ensure all campuses implement a standards-based curriculum and plan for effective instruction for ALL students, and will promote academic excellence, foster a safe and caring environment, inspire social/emotional growth, and empower students to graduate being college and/or career ready.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Related to Curriculum Development

1. Ensure district sponsored curriculum is implemented by providing ongoing feedback and monitoring.
2. Ensure district sponsored content area curriculum is appropriate for student grade/ability; and prepares students for successful post-secondary experiences.
3. Ensure district sponsored content area curriculum prepares students for success on mandated assessments.
4. Promote and facilitate instruction in conjunction with other Department Chairs, Building Administration, Instructional Coaches, and the Office of Teaching and Learning.
5. Coordinate development of, collect and analyze instructional, benchmark, and common assessment data to ensure student progress and program effectiveness.
6. Evaluate curricular programs on an on-going basis and report conclusions to the Building Principal.
7. Recommend and implement new programs in conjunction with the Building Principal and in collaboration with the Department of Teaching and Learning.

Related to Instruction and Professional Development

1. Serve on the school's Instructional Leadership Team (ILT).
2. Participate in the planning and implementation of professional development for content area members and High School staff.
3. Provide coaching and feedback to ensure school improvement plan strategies and instructional best practices are implemented.
4. Model best practice and demonstrate lessons in classes and in meetings to support content areas or other assigned teachers.
5. Provide continuous monitoring of content delivery and instructional design via walk-throughs and evaluations.
6. Lead and/or support content area team meetings through a continuous improvement cycle using student work and or data.
7. Evaluate lesson/unit plans to ensure proper instructional design and curricular delivery.
8. Facilitate regular meetings of content area staff in conjunction with the Instructional Coaches for the purpose of building content area teaching capacity and to provide opportunity for professional dialogue amongst content area teachers.
9. Build capacity within the department to utilize data to guide instruction.

Related to Supervision

1. Partner with the building Principal and or designee in the interviewing and selection of content area teachers.
2. Complete teacher evaluations according to the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
3. Confer with the building Principal on personnel matters.
4. Promote content area dialogue and encourage professional discourse to improve instruction.
5. Provide feedback and coaching to staff on the overall improvement of the school.

Related to Management

1. Responsible for developing and maintaining department budget, department inventory, materials acquisition and deployment within buildings.
2. Responsible for assisting with building-wide assessment administration (IAR, SAT, PSAT, ACCESS, Science, etc)
3. Making recommendations to the building Principal on master schedule assignments.
4. Work in conjunction with the building principal and the ILT to develop, implement and monitor the school improvement plan.
5. Responsible for planning, staffing, and coordinating summer school in collaboration with building and district administration.

Qualifications

1. Must have valid Illinois Professional Educators License;
2. Type 75 Administrative Certificate required
3. Good communication, organizational, computer, and interpersonal skills required;
4. Proficient in Microsoft Suite and Google Suite (Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, GMail, Google Calendar, etc.);
5. Proficient in writing, speaking, listening, and interpersonal skills;
6. Ability to multitask effectively and prioritize strategically;
7. Ability to tend to details and review and edit information as necessary for accuracy;
8. Ability to keep detailed records and to prioritize and work independently with minimal supervision and follow oral and written instructions;
9. Ability to successfully work in a collaborative environment;
10. Ability to interact with all stakeholders in a professional and courteous manner;
11. Ability to plan, organize, schedule, and manage documents in a timely and effective manner;
12. Understands theories, strategies, and methodologies of adult learning;
13. Strong teaching and facilitation skills;
14. Ability to collect and evaluate data related to professional development;
15. Ability to manage multiple projects and effectively meet deadlines;

Note: The above statements are intended to describe the essential functions and related requirements of persons assigned to this job. They are not intended as an exhaustive list of job duties, responsibilities, and requirements.

Work Environment

Busy school environment with multiple priorities and frequent interruptions.

Terms of Employment

12-months

Compensation

Salary Structure

Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 offers employment opportunities without regard to age, gender, race, color, national origin, religion, marital or military/veteran status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, parental status, genetics, disability or other protected category.