Chief Equity Officer

Chicago Public Schools; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 100,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Chicago Public Schools is seeking a Chief Equity Officer to lead strategic equity initiatives and ensure diverse perspectives are integrated throughout the district. This role will drive the district’s Race and Equity Action Plan and ensure all students have equitable access to quality educational opportunities.

The ideal candidate will have over ten years of experience in leadership focused on diversity and equity, with a strong ability to collaborate across departments. A bachelor's degree is required, with a master's degree preferred.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in leadership roles related to diversity and equity.
• 7+ years of supervisory experience.
• Experience in complex organizations.

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic vision of the Office of Equity.
• Develop and monitor initiatives to close equity gaps.
• Collaborate with various stakeholders.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Diversity and inclusion knowledge

Data analysis

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is a district that serves over 325,000 students in more than 500 schools and employs over 45,000 people. CPS is committed to providing equitable, world‑class learning experiences that prepare every student for success in college, career, and civic life.

Job Summary

Reporting to the CEO, the Chief Equity Officer leads the strategic vision and priorities of the Office of Equity. The role focuses on building and executing the district’s Race and Equity Action Plan, fostering a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, ensuring high‑quality, equitable educational opportunities, and increasing equity in operational and resource support for all students.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership to the Office of Equity, ensuring the success of the Black Student Success Plan, Curriculum Equity Initiative, and other district goals; manage the development and performance of the Office of Equity team.
• Partner with senior leaders, departments, and networks to embed equity into strategic plans while rigorously assessing district policies to increase transparency and equitable impact.
• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and internal accountability measures, continuously analyzing equity data and trends to ensure alignment with the CPS mission.
• Develop and monitor targeted strategies to eliminate student opportunity and achievement gaps, ensuring all students have equitable access to high‑quality programs and partnerships.
• Implement comprehensive learning plans to increase cultural competence, address implicit bias, and build equitable mindsets of district staff.
• Collaborate with department leaders district‑wide to develop and support professional learning resources dedicated to culturally sustaining and relevant curriculum.
• Drive strategic initiatives to increase diversity within the teaching force, CPS leadership pipelines, and district vendor contracts.
• Strategically coordinate internal funds, external resources, and community partnerships to robustly support and sustain the district’s equity initiatives.
• Serve as a district liaison to City Hall, community organizations, and external partners to align citywide efforts, while actively representing CPS in regional and national dialogues on race and equity.
• Other duties and work teams as assigned.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• Master’s degree preferred.

Experience

• Minimum of ten (10) years of relevant professional experience in a dynamic, results‑oriented leadership role developing and monitoring initiatives around diversity, racial equity, inclusion, or related work.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of supervisory experience.
• Experience in a school district, government, or non‑profit organization in a major urban setting highly preferred.
• Experience leading a large, complex organization and coordinating with a broad range of stakeholders to achieve ambitious goals around major change management initiatives.
• Experience guiding the analysis of data and data‑based inquiry to drive improvement in practice.
• Experience coordinating and delivering professional development for a variety of internal and external stakeholders.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strategic and critical thinker with a proven ability to lead thoughtful, transformative action in complex organizations.
• Deep knowledge of research, principles, and practices around diversity, inclusion, and/or racial equity.
• Ability to coordinate and collaborate with diverse groups across multiple departments, schools, and organizations to achieve convergence in strategy and practice.
• Ability to meaningfully engage a wide variety of stakeholders in challenging dialogue and critical self‑reflection around racial identity, implicit bias, systemic racism, structural inequities, etc.
• Initiates, builds, and manages cohesive partnerships and professional relationships with stakeholders at all levels, internal and external to the district.
• Confident, clear presenter skilled at using data to drive critical conversations and continuous improvement among peer and non‑peer colleague groups.
• In‑depth knowledge and experience in leading data‑driven practices at a systems level, including distilling analysis into insights and translating insights into action.
• Skilled multi‑tasker and excellent time manager; ability to effectively achieve multiple goals and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Passion and urgency for addressing racial inequities and improving the lives of students and families in Chicago.

Conditions of Employment

• Employees are required to establish and maintain Chicago residency within six months of their CPS hire date and maintain residency throughout employment. The Chicago residency requirement does not apply to temporary/part‑time positions; all CPS employees must be residents of Illinois.

Candidate final salary offers are dependent upon qualifications. CPS is a non‑union position, exempt from overtime. The position is full‑time and paid on a salary basis.