Inclusive Responsive Education Specialist

Job Summary

Reporting to the Inclusive and Responsive Education Manager, the Inclusive and Responsive Education Specialist will collaborate closely with cross‑departmental Content Specialists and other CPS teams such as the Department of Professional Learning and the Department of Distributed Leadership to ensure a coherent vision for student‑centered, responsive, and inclusive values and practices are scaled throughout CPS.

The primary objective of the Inclusive and Responsive Education Specialist will be to support the design and implementation of guidance, resources, policy, curriculum enrichment, and professional learning experiences that:

• Center responsive and affirming curriculum, instruction, and assessment across all content areas.
• Uplift inclusive, responsive, and affirming practices across school teams and within decision‑making structures in schools.

This is a full‑time, exempt position that will be paid on a salary basis.

• Design, develop, and facilitate universal and curriculum‑based professional learning (PL) that advances culturally responsive and inclusive systems and structures across all CPS content areas and grade levels.
• Ensure PL content deepens stakeholders’ understanding of culturally responsive and inclusive culture, curriculum, and instruction.
• Collaborate with CPS academic and cross‑content departments and external partners to implement the Instructional Core vision centered in identity, community, and relationships.
• Lead educators in developing and refining professional learning plans that prioritize district‑wide learning centered on student, family, and teacher identities.
• Build capacity for school leaders and teacher leaders to support responsive and inclusive pedagogical values and practices.
• Create a digital library of asynchronous resources that drive “Inner Core” practices across all content areas, school teams, and decision‑making spaces.
• Develop responsive and inclusive content for advancing curriculum‑based professional learning at scale for multiple CPS stakeholders.
• Evaluate professional learning outcome data to inform future needs and identify solutions to barriers.
• Support the development of content, school team, and school context‑specific guidance, resources, and policy for consistent representation of the “Inner Core.”
• Model culturally responsive and inclusive practices in professional learning contexts and daily work.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field from an accredited college or university.
• Valid teaching certificate/Professional Educator’s License (PEL) issued by the Illinois State Board of Education with appropriate content and/or grade level endorsement(s).
• LBSI, ESL, or Bilingual Endorsement (preferred).
• Master’s degree in a relevant field (preferred).
• Minimum of five years of relevant professional experience, including:
  • Three years of classroom teaching experience.
  • Three years of teacher or school leadership experience.
  • Three years working with adult learners, including creating, organizing, and facilitating professional learning.
  • Experience leading others in culturally responsive pedagogy, equity and inclusion, civic learning, and/or student voice and leadership (preferred).
  • Experience designing and/or delivering human‑centered professional learning (preferred).

• Deep commitment to equity, culturally responsive pedagogy, and transformative learning.
• Strong knowledge of anti‑racist practices and commitment to an environment free of discrimination.
• Commitment to CPS Instructional Core Vision.
• Ability to build inclusive and participatory classroom, school, and learning experiences.
• Expertise in planning, designing, facilitating, and evaluating transformative professional learning.
• Knowledge of research‑based practices in identity work, anti‑bias work, dialogue, deliberation, inquiry learning, and inclusive systems.
• Knowledge of WIDA ELD Standards, Understanding By Design principles, Universal Design for Learning principles, MTSS, and SEL best practices.
• Exceptional organizational, project management, and time management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to collaborate across diverse audiences.
• Strong analytic and critical thinking skills and ability to use data to identify development needs.
• Excellent technology skills (Google Suite).

As a condition of employment with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), employees are required to establish and maintain Chicago residency.

• Medical Plan Options
• Pharmacy
• Vision
• Behavioral Health & EAP
• Employee Wellness Program

• Basic Life Insurance
• Life and Disability Insurance
• Pension Plans
• Supplemental Retirement Plans (403(b) and 457(b))
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
• Spot Pet Insurance

• Competitive paid time off policies.