Department Chair - English

Department Chair

Department Chairs at Proviso Township High Schools serve as instructional leaders dedicated to improving classroom instruction through the successful implementation of the Proviso Instructional Framework. They act as instructional coaches, facilitators of adult learning, and models of best practice within their departments and schools.

Minimum Required Qualifications:

• Education/Training:
  Minimum of a Master's Degree
• Licensure:
  Valid Illinois Professional Educators License (PEL) or CTE license for grades 9-12
• Endorsement:
  In subject area of the department
• Experience:
  
  Minimum of five (5) years of successful classroom teaching experience in area of discipline, demonstrating a deep understanding of effective instructional practices.
• Demonstrated understanding of and compliance with District policies, procedures, and guidelines.

Desired

Qualifications:

• ESL or Bilingual Certification (Grades 9-12)
• Special Education Endorsement (LBS1)
• Multiple subject-area endorsements within the department, where applicable
• Experience teaching a variety of levels of coursework (e.g., honors, AP, IH)
• Ability to design and deliver interactive presentations for large and small groups and to coach colleagues in effective instructional strategies
• Capacity to critically evaluate and enhance the quality of education within one's discipline
• Strong understanding of data-driven instruction and assessment, with proven ability to analyze student data to support teaching
• Excellent verbal, written, and public-speaking skills
• Proficiency with educational and presentation technologies
• Sensitivity to and effectiveness in working with a diverse school and community
• Ability to foster growth, motivate colleagues, and build a positive, organized learning environment
• Documentable equity-based leadership ability and success working in challenging environments
• Willingness to fully participate in all district curriculum and instruction initiatives and projects
• Broad, up-to-date knowledge and experience in one's discipline, with a commitment to lifelong learning
• Enthusiastic, open, and organized approach to teaching and collaboration
• Able to prioritize Department Chair work by limiting competing priorities
• Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish

Distribution of

Key Responsibilities:

• Teaching 25%
• Coaching 50%
• Leading Professional Learning 20%
• Miscellaneous Support to Teachers 5%

Department Chairs

Duties and Responsibilities:

Instructional Leadership:

Collaborate closely with the Director of Instructional Framework to ensure alignment of departmental instructional practices with district expectations, instructional guidance, and implementation of timelines. Champion the Proviso Instructional Framework by consistently modeling, supporting, and reinforcing its principles in all interactions with teachers, Department Chairs, and instructional teams. Lead and monitor the alignment of department instructional practices to all phases of the instructional framework

Learning Objective, Focused Instruction, Guided Instruction, Collaborative Learning, Independent Learning, and Daily Formative Assessment through intentional planning, observation, and feedback cycles. Establish and implement an instructional support schedule that reflects the core functions of the role, including classroom visits, coaching cycles, department meetings, professional learning facilitation, and follow-up, with clearly defined timelines and due dates. Monitor fidelity of instructional framework implementation using walkthroughs, lesson artifacts, student work, and formative data, and adjust supports in collaboration with school leadership and the Director of Instructional Framework.

Serve as a primary decision-maker for departmental professional learning, proactively identifying needs, planning supports, and requesting district-level resources or coaching as needed to meet instructional goals and timelines.

Adult Learning Facilitation:

Partner with the Director of Instructional Framework to co-plan professional learning priorities, align session content to district initiatives, and ensure coherence across buildings and departments. Design, facilitate, and monitor departmental learning cycles aligned to the district instructional calendar, ensuring each cycle includes goal-setting, new learning, implementation, evidence collection, reflection, and next steps. Foster a culture of reflective practice and peer-to-peer learning by establishing clear norms, protocols, and structures for collaborative inquiry during department meetings and professional learning sessions.

Lead regular analysis of student performance data (formative, interim, and summative) according to established review cycles, identifying trends, strengths, and areas for instructional growth. Support teachers in using data to inform instruction by modeling data analysis protocols, planning responsive instructional strategies, and setting clear implementation targets with follow-up dates.

Coaching and Support:

Conduct non-evaluative classroom…