Student Voice and Leadership Specialist

Chicago Public SchoolsChicago, IL, United States

7 days ago

Job type

Full-time

Part-time

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. 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. Aligned with our transformed philosophy, we are steadfastly focused on ensuring that the District provides resources equitably to support every student, every school, and every community. Six core values guide the work we do every day for our students - student-centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning. Each role in the district supports our vision that every student deserves a rigorous, joyful, and equitable learning experience.

The Chicago Public School's Instructional Core Vision centers identity, community, and relationships, which is called the "Inner Core." Located within the Office of Teaching and Learning, the Department of Student Voice & Engagement (DSVE) leads the district's inclusive and responsive education strategy that aims to ensure all aspects of schooling in CPS are inclusive of and responsive to the lived experiences of students, and includes young people as key stakeholders in making decisions that impact them.

Job Summary :

The Student Voice and Leadership Specialist will support the strategic expansion and improvement of Student Voice Committees in CPS. This position will work directly with adult stakeholders advancing the Student Voice Committee program at their schools as a coach and professional learning provider. The Student Voice and Leadership Specialist will also support the district's student voice infrastructure initiative, and help identify and advance opportunities for expanding youth-adult partnerships in decision-making across CPS. In order to ensure a coherent vision for a student voice infrastructure scaled throughout CPS, this role will be responsible for training teachers, principals, as well as youth in nurturing productive relationships that foster an inclusive, democratic culture. The Student Voice and Leadership Specialist will report to the Manager of Student Voice & Leadership and will collaborate closely with colleagues in the department as well as across the central office. This is a full-time, exempt position that will be paid for time worked on a salary basis.

The Student Voice and Leadership Specialist will be held accountable for the following responsibilities :

Supervise and support Student Voice Committees (SVCs) across CPS
Expand opportunities for Student Voice Committees across schools
Co-design and facilitate varied professional learning opportunities for SVC students, facilitators, and administrators that provide technical, curricular, and community-enrichment resources. Ensure professional learning for SVC facilitators successfully achieves the following :
Builds their capacity to develop intergenerational spaces at their school that promote shared decision-making between adults and students.
Supports SVCs in developing a collaborative spirit amongst adults, and between adults and young people in service of intergenerational approaches to school improvement.
Prepares SVCs to act as representatives of the student body that deepen and enrich student representation and decision-making at their school.
Lead continuous improvement in SVC strategy, ensuring SVCs are well supported and have the guidance and parameters conducive to a productive and trusting school community. Ongoing efforts include, but are not limited to, the following tasks :
Analyze, audit, and improve guidance and resources
Solicit regular feedback around priority areas of the SVC program; conduct observations, interviews, and establish an advisory committee to learn about the evolving needs and challenges SVC facilitators, students, and administrators face
Pilot new tools aligned to SVC quality criteria and SVC program evaluation findings
Evaluate professional learning outcome data, and use that data to improve professional learning offerings
Identify, document, and offer solutions around barriers to the successful implementation of the SVC program
Plan and deliver student and educator-facing events that model inclusive partnerships and civic engagement, and elevate student perspectives on topics and issues relevant to CPS students
Support DSVE in advancing District-wide student voice and leadership initiatives that are responsive to the current social-political moment
Represent Chicago Public Schools and the Department of Student Voice and Engagement through internal and external collaborative relationships
Maintain expertise in the fields of culturally responsive pedagogy, equity and inclusion, and student voice and leadership by staying abreast of current research, practices, and innovation in the field
Other duties as assigned

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Student Voice and Leadership Specialist must possess the following qualifications :

Education Required :

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, required

Master's degree, preferred

Experience Required :

Minimum of five (5) years of teaching experience and / or relevant full-time professional experience leading programming that supports youth in school improvement, school culture and climate, and / or civic engagement contexts, including the following, is required :

Minimum of three (3) years working with educators and students in a school setting

Minimum of three (3) years working with adult learners, including creating, organizing, and facilitating professional learning experiences to meet the needs of participants.

Experience working with schools and community groups on Chicago's south and west sides, preferred.

Experience working within school improvement systems and structures, such as culture and climate Teams and / or Student Voice committees, preferred

Spanish language proficiency, preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities :

Knowledge of anti-bias, anti-racist, and anti-adultist pedagogy; commitment to providing an educational environment free of discrimination and bias that uplifts Black and Brown students, celebrating their impact on our communities and world

Capable of creating high-quality opportunities for teachers and students in youth voice, civic education, and democratic learning

Act collaboratively and with integrity to build bridges and consensus within socially, racially, and politically diverse groups

Expertise in planning, designing, facilitating, and evaluating professional learning

Exceptional organizational skills; ability to effectively manage several work streams simultaneously; able to work in a fast-paced environment and handle multiple tasks as well as adapt to priorities that change quickly.

Superior analytical and critical thinking skills - analyze data to inform daily decisions, define problems, and take action

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

Solution-oriented - ability to address and solve challenges collaboratively with multiple interests / parties involved; strong sense of urgency for accomplishing goals and objectives.

Excellent technology skills (Google Suite, Student Information Systems, etc.)

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.

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