Citywide Teacher - Arts Education

Job Summary

Reporting to the Director of Arts Education within the DAE, the Citywide Teacher - Arts Education is a full‑time CPS fine arts educator assigned to support multiple elementary schools that have limited or vacant fine arts staffing. These itinerant teachers fill critical instructional gaps by providing direct, high‑quality arts instruction while ensuring equitable access to arts education for students across the district.

This is a 39.6‑week role that will work and be paid according to the collective bargaining agreement with the Chicago Teachers Union, with travel between assigned schools, instruction aligned with CPS arts standards, and collaboration with school leaders and DAE staff.

• Provide high‑quality, standards‑aligned fine arts instruction (dance, music, theatre, visual arts, or media arts) across multiple assigned schools on a rotating schedule.
• Design and implement lesson plans that support student creativity, skill development, and engagement in alignment with CPS Arts Education Plan 2.0 and CPS instructional frameworks.
• Collaborate with school leaders and the Citywide Coordinator to support scheduling, school readiness, instructional needs, and progress monitoring.
• Participate in professional learning, collaborative planning, and coaching sessions facilitated by DAE.
• Maintain accurate instructional records, student data (e.g., grades, attendance, etc.), and service logs across multiple school sites; communicate with parents or guardians and counsel students on academic progress, attendance, and conduct.
• Contribute to district‑wide arts initiatives, showcases, exhibitions, and arts‑integrated learning opportunities as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

Education Required: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university; valid teaching certificate/Professional Educator’s License (PEL) issued by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) with appropriate fine arts endorsement (Dance, Music, Theatre, or Visual Arts);
Master’s degree in Arts Education or related field preferred.

Experience

Required:

Successful completion of all student teaching requirements and all coursework required to obtain the appropriate teaching license(s) issued by the Illinois State Board of Education; experience teaching in diverse school settings or across multiple grade levels preferred; experience designing arts curriculum, integrating arts into other content areas, or contributing to arts programming preferred.

Other Requirements: Travel between school sites on a weekly or daily schedule is required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Strong understanding of arts‑specific pedagogy and developmentally appropriate practice for elementary students; ability to deliver high‑quality, standards‑aligned instruction across varied school environments; flexibility and problem‑solving skills needed to work successfully across multiple sites with different structures and resources; strong organizational and time‑management skills, including maintaining consistent schedules and documentation across schools; ability to build positive relationships with students, staff, administrators, and central office partners;

commitment to equity, culturally responsive instruction, and expanding access to arts education.

Health & Wellness: CPS is committed to providing comprehensive health coverage to employees and their eligible dependents, with options including Medical Plan, Pharmacy, Vision, Behavioral Health & EAP, Employee Wellness Program, and Financial Security programs such as Basic Life Insurance, Life and Disability Insurance, Pension Plans, Supplemental Retirement Plans (403(b) and 457(b)), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), and Spot Pet Insurance.

Work‑Life Balance:
Competitive paid time off policies are offered. Employees are required to establish and maintain Chicago residency within six months of hire, and to be residents of Illinois.