Chief Schools Officer

Chicago Public Schools; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 170,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Pension plans

Paid leave

Flexible spending accounts

Job summary

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is seeking a Chief Schools Officer to lead strategic execution of the district’s five-year vision. The role oversees Network Chiefs, central office teams, and service as a primary driver of instructional leadership and student outcomes across CPS.

You will foster collaboration across Academic, Equity, Talent, and Operations leaders, guiding cross‑team priorities and district-wide improvement efforts.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Education or related field required.
• Valid Professional Educator License with a Superintendent endorsement is required.
• Ten years of leadership experience in a complex educational organization with multiple senior roles.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute an implementation plan that advances the District’s five‑year vision and ensures accountability for student outcomes.
• Actively recruit, hire, support and develop Network Chiefs and a team of over 30 staff.
• Cultivate a culture of high expectations with measurable, continuous improvement in principal quality and student achievement.

Skills

Moral imperative

Strategic planning

Adaptive leadership

Communication skills

Operations knowledge

Stakeholder management

Education

Master’s degree in Education or related field

Superintendent endorsement (ISBE)

Job description

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is a district on the rise, serving over 325,000 students across 500+ schools and employing over 45,000 people, most of whom are 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. To fulfill this mission, we developed the five-year strategic plan, Success 2029: Together We Rise, which sets goals and outlines strategies to ensure a rigorous, joyful, and equitable experience for every student. Six core values are embedded in the plan – student-centered, whole-child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning.

District-run CPS schools are organized into 18 networks. The Office of Network Support provides strategic direction, leadership development, and administrative support to the schools within each network, while also delivering critical support that boosts student learning and well-being.

Job Summary

The Chief Schools Officer will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Develop and effectively execute an implementation plan that advances the District’s five-year vision, supports a seamless PreK-12 learning community and allows for transparent accountability towards CPS’ student outcome goals
• Actively recruit, hire, support and develop Network Chiefs and an internal team of over 30 staff
• Cultivate a culture of high expectations with shared strategic goals around measurable and continuous improvement in principal quality, as well as around student academic achievement in all schools

• Build effective, collaborative cross-team partnerships
  • Develop and maintain strong relationships with other senior leadership team members, including all Academic Chiefs, as well as leaders on the Equity, Talent and Operations teams
  • Work toward convergence with the full team to ensure that the needs of Network teams and Principals are met by other Central Office functions
  • Work with the Talent team to develop internal talent benches and external talent recruitment strategies for Chief and Deputy Network Chief roles
  • Liaise with Support Centers to monitor schools’ operational performance and compliance, resolve open issues, and ensure principal time is focused on instructional leadership
• Other duties and workstreams as assigned

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Chief Schools Officer must possess the following qualifications:

Education Required

• Master’s degree in Education or related field from an accredited college or university is required
• Valid Professional Educator License, with a Superintendent endorsement issued by the Illinois State Board of Education is required

Experience Required

• Minimum of ten (10) years of leadership experience within a complex educational organization, including the following, is required:
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience as a principal
• Minimum of three (3)years of experience coaching, teaching and mentoring educators, and supporting urban youth
• Minimum of three (3) years of demonstrated experience developing the capacity of school and district leaders (i.e., principal supervisors and/or principals)
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience working with senior leadership team and facilitating cross-departmental collaboration, engagement of board members, external stakeholders, and elected officials
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience redesigning complex organizational layers to function as instructional leadership systems, and aligning operational and instructional functions within the same structure
• Minimum of three (3) years of demonstrated experience redesigning complex organizational layers to function as instructional leadership systems, and aligning operational and instructional functions within the same structure.

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Ability to model and lead the team’s moral imperative to work in the best interest of children;
• Ability to utilize applied instructional expertise, sound judgment, integrity, honesty and credibility;
• Demonstrate courage in making difficult, yet necessary, decisions;
• Capable of establishing and executing against an ambitious vision, coaching others to do the same, both within and across teams;
• Effective strategic planning capabilities, including the ability to establish high-level, long-term strategic vision and goals, and align/manage and execute activities on the ground toward goal fulfillment;
• Ability to define problems, analyze data, identify opportunities and outline valid conclusions and action steps;
• Demonstrates the capacity for adaptive leadership, including the ability to manage teams and individuals effectively and collaboratively through change to meet and exceed high expectations;
• Exemplary written and verbal communication skills; communicates regularly and clearly, leveraging strong interpersonal and organizational skills;
• Strong knowledge and understanding of operations, management and organizational design in district settings; uses this knowledge to assist Network Chiefs in continuously improving student outcomes;
• Ability to build collaborative relationships with a wide variety of stakeholder groups, including external partners, to ensure the entire system operates to meet school and principal needs;
• Thrives in a changing environment and demonstrates a lifelong commitment to learning, humility and flexibility; and
• Possess a track record of success as demonstrated by superior academic and professional achievement;
• Deep familiarity with instructional coherence frameworks and the ability to translate district instructional strategy consistently across a large, diverse portfolio of schools, ensuring that what reaches buildings is coherent with district intent.

Conditions of Employment

• 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.

Benefits

• Health & Wellness: Your Care, Your Choice
• CPS Is Committed To Providing Comprehensive Health Coverage To Our Employees And Their Eligible Dependents. You'll Have Access To a Variety Of Choices To Best Fit Your Needs
• Medical Plan Options
• Pharmacy
• Dental
• Vision
• Behavioral Health & EAP
• Employee Wellness Program
• Financial Security: Planning for Today and Tomorrow
• We understand the importance of financial stability, which is why CPS offers strong retirement and savings options:
• Basic Life Insurance
• Life and Disability Insurance
• Pension Plans
• Supplemental Retirement Plans (403(b) and 457(b))
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
• Spot Pet Insurance
• Work-Life Balance: Supporting Your Personal and Professional Life
• CPS values the well-being of its employees and offers competitive paid time off policies:
• Paid Leave
• Sick Leave
• Vacation Days
• Parental Leaves
• Short-Term Disability
• Religious Holidays
• Leaves
• Reference the Chicago Public Schools: A Comprehensive Benefits Overview or the benefits handbook for comprehensive details.

Posting Date

Jun 25, 2026, 7:54:08 AM

Primary Location

Central-42 West Madison Street (Network Support)

CPS Non-Union Job Grade

S14

Estimated Annual Salary Range

200,000.00

Position Type

Non-Union Position

Overtime Status

Exempt