Director, Non-Public SPED Programs & Services

Chicago Public Schools; Illinois; On-site; USD 105,000 - 136,000; Full time

Job summary

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is a district on the rise, serving over 325,000 students in 500+ schools and employing over 45,000 people, most of them teachers. The Director of Non-Public Special Education Programs & Services leads a major district unit, overseeing SPED programs, compliance, and funding across multiple placements.

The position reports to the Chief of the Office for Students with Disabilities and is a full-time, exempt role focusing on strategic improvements, data integrity, and

Qualifications

• Master’s degree from an accredited college or university required.
• Valid Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL) with a LBS1, LBS2, ECSE, School Counseling, Deaf/Hard of Hearing, and/or Blind/Visually Impaired required.
• General Administrative Endorsement or equivalent out-of-state administrative license is strongly preferred.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of professional experience in special education required.
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in a dedicated administrative, supervisory, or district-level leadership role managing multi-disciplinary teams and leading cross-functional initiatives required.
• Knowledge of comprehensive technical expertise regarding state and federal special education mandates (IDEA, ADA) and Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) protocols regulating specialized day schools, urgent placements, and residential program funding (specifically ISBE Form 34-37 and ICG processes).
• Ability to cultivate agreement, manage intricate stakeholder relationships, and mediate sensitive conflicts involving families, external partners, and legal representatives.
• Strong communication skills (speaking - including presentations - listening, and writing).
• Demonstrate high levels of instructional expertise, integrity, honesty, credibility, and the courage to make difficult yet necessary decisions.
• Effective strategic planning capabilities, including the ability to establish long-term vision and goals, and align/manage activities toward goal fulfillment.
• Ability to create system-wide Standard Operating Procedures and author comprehensive technical documentation or operational handbooks.
• Strong leadership and team building skills, e.g. ability to develop high-performing teams united around a clear vision for serving schools and achieving student success.
• Knowledge of operations, budget/finance, management and organizational development.
• Ability to define problems, analyze data, and outline valid conclusions and action steps.

Responsibilities

• Supervise, develop, and manage the performance of the Non-Public SPED Programs & Services team, including but not limited to Special Education Coordinators (SECs), Case Managers, and support staff; cultivate high-performing teams and build systemic capacity to achieve Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) mandates and district-wide strategic goals.
• Design, establish, and oversee a formalized system-wide school walkthrough framework to monitor specialized instructional practices, analyze complex performance data, and drive student-centered, rigorous IEP facilitation across all separate day placements.
• Serve as the owner of student data integrity and regulatory compliance across multiple district and state enterprise platforms (including ASPEN, SSM, and KAMPS); ensure absolute precision in enrollment, calendar configurations, and attendance tracking systems.
• Direct and optimize secondary transition metrics and programming; establish accountability structures for student compliance regarding Learn Plan Succeed initiatives, financial aid completion, transcript management, graduation pathways, and state/district assessments.
• Standardize and govern the central intake pipeline, separate day referral mechanisms, and school assignment protocols; partner strategically with student transportation executive leadership to resolve complex specialized routing and operational challenges.
• Act as the primary District diplomat and liaison between residential facilities, non-public day schools, families, advocacy groups, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), and traditional neighborhood schools to defend and guarantee Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).
• Exercise strict oversight over annual funding allocations and tuition rates; spearhead large-scale contract reforms to transition legacy vendors from enrollment-based billing models to performance- and attendance-verified invoicing frameworks.
• Govern the execution of mandatory state documentation (including ISBE 34-37 Forms) and maintain rigorous oversight of critical compliance reporting regarding manifestation determinations, student restraints, and expulsions to mitigate district risk.
• Define and implement data-driven, systematic criteria to safely transition students back into less restrictive environments; champion transparent communication and build trust with families, community advocates, and school executive leaders.
• Execute other senior-level duties as assigned by executive leadership to support overarching district initiatives and special education advancements
• Other duties and workstreams as assigned

Education

Master’s degree

Job description

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is a district on the rise, serving over 325,000 students in 500+ schools and employing over 45,000 people, most of them teachers. The Director of Non-Public Special Education Programs & Services leads a major district unit, overseeing SPED programs, compliance, and funding across multiple placements.

The position reports to the Chief of the Office for Students with Disabilities and is a full-time, exempt role focusing on strategic improvements, data integrity, and