English Learner (EL) Program Specialist

Chicago Public Schools

Chicago (IL)

On-site

USD 68,000 - 84,000

Full time

26 hours ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Medical Plan Options

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Pension Plans

FSAs

Paid Leave

Job summary

Chicago Public Schools seeks an EL Program Specialist to advance English Learner programs and instructional practices district-wide. The role focuses on capacity-building, instructional support, and developing high-quality EL instruction for PreK-12 students.

Reporting to OMME leadership, you will conduct program reviews, collaborate with principals and leaders, and design targeted professional development to meet federal and state mandates. Strong data skills and DL collaboration needed.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Education or related field and ISBE licensure with Bilingual/ESL endorsement.
Experience coaching and designing professional development for teachers and leaders.
Ability to lead EL program reviews and develop data-informed action plans.

Responsibilities

Conduct EL Program Reviews and report findings for compliance.
Collaborate with administrators, teacher leaders, and networks to improve EL programs.
Design and lead professional development for EL programs and staff.
Provide differentiated instructional support and data-informed strategies.
Travel district-wide to schools and events as needed.

Skills

EL program leadership

Data-informed planning

Differentiated instruction

Collaboration with principals

Professional development design

Education

Bachelor's degree in Education, Bilingual Education, ESL, or related field

ISBE Professional Educator Licensure with Bilingual and/or ESL endorsement

Administrative endorsement preferred

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

Student Information Systems

Google Workspace

Microsoft Office

Job description

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is one of the largest school districts in the United States, serving over 320,000 students in 600+ schools and employing approximately 44,000 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 make three commitments to our students, their families, and all Chicagoans: academic progress, financial stability, and integrity. Six core values are embedded within these commitments – student-centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning. The Office of Multilingual-Multicultural Education (OMME) guides CPS in providing a high-quality education for all language learners attentive to a culturally and linguistically diverse community of students, families, and educators. OMME aims to achieve its mission through strategic planning, collaborative partnerships, professional development, and the production of tools and resources to improve instruction.

Job Summary

Reporting to the EL Program Equity Manager and under the direction of OMME Leadership, the EL Program Specialist supports developing programs and instructional practices for English Learners to drive their academic achievement, enhancing and improving English Learners’ learning experience across the district. This position focuses on building capacity among various stakeholders, providing instructional support, and contributing to developing and implementing high-quality instruction for ELs in grades PreK-12.

The EL Program Specialist will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

Conduct EL Program Reviews to determine current state and report findings to ensure program compliance, including but not limited to:
EL identification and placement
Establishment of appropriate programs, including teachers’ licensure and endorsement information, and appropriate student placement and assessment
Instructional materials, professional learning around ELs, monitoring EL student progress, EL parent involvement, student records, and services for ELs with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs)
Co-develop action plans in collaboration with administrators, teacher leaders, and network teams
Collaborate with intra-office, district office, and school-based leadership to drive data-informed planning for programmatic and instructional improvement for English learners in alignment with continuous school improvement
Provide differentiated instructional and programmatic supporting by consulting and collaborating with Principals, Assistant Principals, school-based Instructional Leadership Teams, EL teacher leaders, and Network leadership to develop data-informed strategies to support the effective development and improvement of EL programs and appropriate EL services and instruction at schools, aligned with federal and state law and local mandates
Lead and support EL programmatic initiatives and collaborate with CPS offices to provide EL considerations and support, actively participating in district-wide professional learning and initiatives
Design and lead professional development around EL programs, design, and improvement for EL teacher leaders and administrators
Other duties as assigned

To be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the EL Program Specialist must possess the following qualifications:

Education Required

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Education, Bilingual Education, ESL, or a related field of study required
Valid Professional Educator Licensure (PEL) issued by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) with Bilingual and/or ESL endorsement required.
Administrative endorsement preferred
Master’s degree preferred

Experience Required

Minimum of five (5) years of classroom teaching experience working with English Learners or dually identified students, including the following, is required:
Minimum of three (3) years of experience coaching and/or designing and facilitating professional development for classroom teachers and school leaders
Minimum of one (1) experience with educational leadership (Department Chair, Grade Level Lead, ILT, MTSS, etc)
Experience in standards-based instructional planning, including backwards mapping from standards to instruction.
Bilingual/multilingual preferred

Other Requirements: Access to reliable transportation to travel to schools and other locations throughout the district, required

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

Expertise in the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts and/or Spanish Language Arts, WIDA ELD and/or SLD Standards.
Understanding of literacy in content areas as well as first and second language literacy development.
Expertise in providing high-quality instruction in native and/or English language.
Ability to design and implement differentiated instruction to meet the diverse needs of English learners, including those with varying proficiency levels.
Strong solution-oriented problem-solving skills with the ability to manage and delegate tasks as situations dictate
Ability to professionally represent OMME and the District during all interactions
Excellent verbal and written communication skills and presentation skills;
Ability to communicate effectively with all stakeholders
Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to establish efficient working, collaborative relationships with colleagues, district and school staff, and community-based organizations, to ensure the entire system operates in the most effective manner possible to support schools and principals High levels of instructional expertise, integrity, honesty, credibility, and the courage to make difficult yet necessary decisions
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
Excellent time management and organizational skills; capable of successfully managing multiple projects and priorities Ability to use multiple data sources to set measurable goals and strategically plan to complete the goals
Ability to define problems, analyze data, and develop action plans as part of a continuous improvement cycle
Ability to recognize failures and learn from mistakes to improve conditions for working and learning as a team Ability to be a self-learner and demonstrate excellent self-management
Proficiency with a range of technology tools and software, including Student Information Systems, Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, etc., and the ability to quickly learn and leverage new technology

Conditions of Employment: As a condition of employment with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), employees are required to:

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