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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.

District-run CPS schools are organized into 18 networks. The Office of Network Support provides administrative support, strategic direction, and leadership development to the schools within each network while also driving critical support that boosts student learning.

Under the direction of the Chief Schools Officer, the Deputy Chiefs of Network Support serve as executive leaders who collectively oversee portfolios encompassing all elementary and high school networks, Independent School Principals (ISPs), and the Options Network across Chicago Public Schools. Each Deputy is assigned a distinct, balanced portfolio. Through this clear division of day-to-day oversight, each Deputy strengthens their designated network leadership's capacity to supervise and develop school principals without overlapping authority.

This role strategically leverages central office, network, and district resources to ensure comprehensive, equitable support for all students and schools. The Deputy Chief serves as an essential executive coach for principal supervisors, ensuring that all network teams successfully cultivate the instructional leadership and school management practices necessary to drive high-quality teaching, learning, and student achievement in every classroom across the district. This is a full-time, exempt position paid on a salary basis for time worked.

The Deputy Chief of Network Support will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Support and execute the implementation plan advancing the District’s five-year vision (“Together We Rise”), fostering a seamless PreK-12 learning community and transparent accountability toward CPS’ student outcome goals

• Cultivate a culture of high expectations with shared strategic goals around measurable, continuous improvement in principal quality and student academic achievement in all schools

• Supervise, develop, and manage the performance of a portfolio of Network Chiefs and Deputies, conducting regular performance evaluations and individualized Leadership Development Plans that provide frequent, actionable feedback and improve leadership practices, including:

• Monitoring performance through data and performance management systems that enable weekly, real-time coaching conversations with Network Chiefs and Deputies, centered on continuous improvement of Principal and school quality

• Setting a learning agenda, scope, and sequence for Network Chiefs and Deputies built on regular assessment of chief and team capacity

• Developing leadership and succession plans, using transparent, fair, and effective tools to assess Principal and Network team leadership capacity, and providing differentiated supports that improve performance

• Building and implementing systems that allow Network Chiefs and Deputies to make data-informed decisions about Principal needs and allocate resources, including instructional supports and content experts, accordingly

• Acting as an executive coach for principal supervisors, conducting regular formal and informal instructional observations and coaching to develop their capacity to guide principals’ instructional leadership and school management

• Manage the transformation of schools to drive sustainable improvement in student achievement, assisting Network Chiefs in conducting root-cause analyses, developing theories of action, and monitoring network continuous improvement work plans

• Support and sustain effective systems to identify, recruit, develop, and retain a strong pool of highly-skilled Principal candidates and Network support team members, executing smooth leadership transitions and succession planning in partnership with the Talent Office

• Partner with Network Chiefs to assess and monitor academic, social-emotional learning, school culture and climate, attendance, graduation, fiscal, and human capital needs across all network schools

• Build effective, collaborative cross-team partnerships and communication:

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with all academic and operations offices

• Convene and develop a high-performing community of Network Chiefs and Deputies to leverage shared strengths, foster peer mentoring, and align strategic goals through regular network leadership meetings and job-embedded coaching

• Work collaboratively with other departments to improve systems, structures, and processes that enhance school access, district alignment, and efficiency

• Engage in district committees to support the needs of networks and schools

• Liaise with Support Centers to monitor schools’ operational performance and compliance, resolve open issues, and ensure principal time is focused on instructional leadership

• Develop and maintain an efficient communication system that delivers timely, actionable information to network leaders and principals, while keeping senior leadership and external stakeholders informed of office initiatives, successes, and opportunities

• Oversee team administration and operations, ensuring fiscal responsibility and accountability to public resources, and support systems that provide immediate, ad hoc operational support to Principals and Network teams during emergencies or escalated inquiries

• Other duties and workstreams as assigned

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Deputy Chief, Network Support must possess the following qualifications:

Education Required:

• Master’s degree in Education or related field from an accredited college or university is required

• Valid Professional Educator License, with a Superintendent endorsement issued by the Illinois State Board of Education, is required

Experience Required:

• Minimum of seven (7) years of leadership experience within a complex educational organization, including the following, is required:

  • Minimum of five (5) years of experience as a principal

  • Minimum of three (3) years of experience coaching, teaching, and mentoring educators, and supporting urban youth

  • Minimum of three (3) years of demonstrated experience developing the capacity of school and district leaders (i.e., principal supervisors and/or principals)

  • Minimum of three (3) years of experience working with senior leadership team and facilitating cross-departmental collaboration, engagement of board members, external stakeholders, and elected officials

  • Minimum of three (3) years of demonstrated experience redesigning complex organizational layers to function as instructional leadership systems and aligning operational and instructional functions within the same structure

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to model and lead the team’s moral imperative to work in the best interest of children

• Ability to utilize applied instructional expertise, sound judgment, integrity, honesty, and credibility

• Demonstrate courage in making difficult, yet necessary, decisions

• Capable of establishing and executing against an ambitious vision, coaching others to do the same, both within and across teams

• Effective strategic planning capabilities, including the ability to establish high-level, long-term strategic vision and goals, and align/manage and execute activities on the ground toward goal fulfillment

• Ability to define problems, analyze data, identify opportunities, and outline valid conclusions and action steps

• Demonstrates the capacity for adaptive leadership, including the ability to manage teams and individuals effectively and collaboratively through change to meet and exceed high expectations

• Exemplary written and verbal communication skills; communicates regularly and clearly, leveraging strong interpersonal and organizational skills

• Strong knowledge and understanding of operations, management, and organizational design in district settings; uses this knowledge to assist Network Chiefs in continuously improving student outcomes

• Ability to build collaborative relationships with a wide variety of stakeholder groups, including external partners, to ensure the entire system operates to meet school and principal needs

• Thrives in a changing environment and demonstrates a lifelong commitment to learning, humility, and flexibility

• Possesses a track record of success as demonstrated by superior academic and professional achievement

• Deep familiarity with instructional coherence frameworks and the ability to translate district instructional strategy consistently across a large, diverse portfolio of schools, ensuring that what reaches buildings is coherent with district intent

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.