

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.
Located within the Office of Teaching and Learning, the Professional Learning Department leads the district-wide strategy for professional learning that improves the student experience and outcomes aligned to the CPS Instructional Core Vision. This includes learning opportunities for teachers, teacher leaders, instructional coaches, school administrators, network instructional support leaders, network chiefs and deputies, and central office team members.
Job Summary:
Reporting to the Deputy Chief of Teaching & Learning, the Director of Teacher Development will ensure that the support provided by the Office of Teaching and Learning improves the student experience and outcomes aligned to the CPS Instructional Core Vision. The Director of Teacher Development will leverage their experience and expertise in the areas of professional learning and PreK-12 education to strengthen the impact and quality of professional learning across the district. This position is responsible for leading and coordinating the implementation of the Skyline professional learning plan and ensuring a quality control process for all internal and external district-level professional learning. This position will collaborate closely with departments across Teaching & Learning and other offices, departments, and teams across CPS, and will lead a team of direct reports in ensuring a coherent vision for PreK-12 professional learning is scaled throughout CPS. This is a full-time exempt position that will be paid for time worked on a salary basis.
The Director of Teacher Development will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:
Lead strategy development and implementation for the Office of Teaching and Learning’s professional development systems, standards, evaluation, and communication, ensuring between teacher development, academic priorities, network support structures, and district-wide strategic initiatives
Manage a high-functioning and collaborative team by providing leadership, professional development, feedback, and establishing objectives, defining results required in support of the strategic goals, and evaluating their performanceCreate systems for collaboration, performance management, professional growth, and shared accountability across the team
Collaborate with cross-department Directors through centralized meeting structures to ensure school-facing supports reflect a coherent vision for teaching and learning across content areas
Oversee the day-to-day operations of teacher development programs and initiatives
Use quantitative and qualitative data to evaluate the effectiveness of teacher development programs and initiatives, identify implementation barriers, and inform continuous-improvement efforts. Facilitate regular progress monitoring and feedback cycles to deepen the impact of teacher development and professional learning
Oversee the systems, structures, and tools required for effective professional learning management, including scheduling, Learning Hub operations, communication workflows, and event logistics
Ensure resources, budgets, and timelines are managed effectively to support high-quality professional learning execution.
Lead vendor partnerships that support district priorities, including those focused on curriculum-based professional learning and successful implementation of high-quality curricula
Keep abreast of innovative professional development techniques, strategies, and modalities to support the implementation and continuous improvement of the district’s professional learning strategy
Other duties and work streams as assigned
In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Director of Teacher Development must possess the following qualifications:
Education Required:
Bachelor’s degree 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, required.
Master’s degree, preferred
Google Certified Educator, Apple Distinguished Educator, and/or other Educational Technology-related certifications, preferred
Experience Required:
Minimum of seven (7) years of relevant professional experience in education leading the design, facilitation, and evaluation of professional development experiences for adult learners, including the following, is required:
Minimum of three (3) years of classroom teaching experience
Experience leading a high-functioning team within the professional learning focus
Experience with program management, providing professional coaching, or managing others
Experience with strategic planning and adult learning to shape the cross-content district-wide professional learning strategy
Experience leading curriculum adoption and implementation, preferred
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Expertise in planning, designing, facilitating, and evaluating professional learning
Ability to model the intentional, effective use of instructional technology in professional learning contexts and daily work, including communications, organization, and management tasks
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 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
Deep knowledge of equity issues in education; Commitment to CPS Instructional Core Vision, and ensuring that all students have access to high-quality, grade-level, standards-aligned learning opportunities
Ability to build consensus and leverage expertise with educators across the district
Ability to define problems, analyze data, and outline valid conclusions and action steps
Excellent technology and computer skills, including familiarity with Google Suite, Microsoft Office tools etc.
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.
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.