Science Manager, Grades K-5

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is one of the largest school districts in the United States, serving over 330,000 students in 600 schools and employing nearly 36,000 people, most of them 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. In order 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 Department of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) supports inclusive and innovative learning experiences in math, science, computer science, and whole-school integrated STEM & STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) programming across the district. It is our commitment that every day, in every STEM classroom in CPS, all students will actively make sense of and construct solutions to complex questions, productively contribute to the learning community to support a culture of collaboration, risk-taking, and innovation, and regularly reflect on and communicate their understanding of disciplinary ideas. Through these experiences and purposeful opportunities to face transdisciplinary challenges, students will graduate from CPS with advanced STEM literacies prepared to make the world a better place.

The primary objective of the Science Manager will be to lead a team of Content and/or Program Support Specialists in ensuring that the support provided by the Office of Teaching and Learning improves the student experience and outcomes aligned with the CPS Instructional Core Vision. This position will lead a team of direct reports, collaborate closely with other Content Managers, and report to the Executive Director of STEM Programs.

The Science Manager will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Manage a high-functioning and collaborative team that is able to execute effectively and meet deadlines
• Contribute to strategic planning around Science initiatives, professional learning, and curriculum priorities to support a district-wide vision for teaching and learning.
• Collaborate with other Content Managers through centralized meeting structures to ensure school-facing supports reflect a coherent vision for teaching and learning across content areas.
• Facilitate regular meetings with Content Specialists and Curriculum Designers to identify priority areas for continuous improvement of the district's universally available digital curriculum, Skyline.
• Engage in regular progress monitoring and feedback cycles to deepen the impact of Science Content Specialists.
• Provide subject matter expertise on district-wide initiatives, including cross-departmental programs, RFPs, and resource development.
• Maintain content area expertise by staying abreast of current research, practices, and innovation in the field.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.
  
  

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Science Manager must possess the following qualifications:

Education Required

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field of study from an accredited college or university required
• Valid teaching certificate issued by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) with appropriate content and grade-level endorsement is required. (Candidates with a valid out-of-state, reciprocal license will be considered but must obtain ISBE licensure within 6 months of hire.)
• LBSI, ESL, or Bilingual Endorsement preferred
• Master's degree in a relevant field of study preferred
  
  

Experience Required

• Minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experience in education, including the following, is required:
• Minimum of five (5) years of classroom teaching experience in Science or a related STEM field, preferably in early or intermediate education settings. (Three (3) years of teaching experience will be considered in combination with two (2) years of experience in an elevated, content specialist-type role.)
• Minimum of three (3) years of teacher leadership experience, such as leading school teams in the development of curriculum and assessments, analyzing student performance data, etc.
• Minimum of three (3) years working with adult learners, including creating, organizing, and facilitating professional learning experiences that meet participants' needs.
• Experience leading a high-functioning team within the content area focus, providing professional coaching, or managing others.
• Experience with program management, strategic planning, and adult learning to shape the cross-content district-wide professional learning strategy
  

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Expertise in planning, designing, facilitating, and evaluating professional learning
• Deep knowledge/understanding of Science teaching and learning instructional best practices
• 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.
• Effective strategic planning capabilities, including the ability to establish and articulate a vision and goals, set high standards, and effectively guide individuals and teams in the realization of expectations set
• Excellent leadership development and instructional leadership skills; capable of coaching directors and managers toward excellence, building the capacity of content area teams, and developing meaningful and high-impact professional communities for teachers and school leaders
• Exceptional organizational skills; ability to effectively manage several work streams simultaneously
• Capable of building and sustaining positive, productive relationships with colleagues and stakeholders
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; comfortable collaborating and communicating across a diverse range of audiences, including network teams, principals, teachers, and support staff
• Commitment to CPS Instructional Core Vision and ensuring that all students have access to grade-level, standards-aligned learning opportunities
• Ability to build consensus and leverage expertise with educators across the district
• Excellent technology skills (Google Suite)
  
  

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.
• Be Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19 - Unless approved for a medical or religious exemption, all employees are required to be up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations, including boosters, and to submit proof of vaccination to the district within 30 days of hire. "Up-to-date" on vaccination is defined as being at least two weeks past all primary vaccine doses and any applicable boosters.