Director, Non-Public SPED Programs & Services

Posting Date

Aug 24, 2026, 5:03:27 PM

Central-42 West Madison Street (Ofc Students w/Disab-Oper&An)

CPS Non-Union Job Grade : S10

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Position Type :
Non-Union Position

Exempt

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.

The mission of the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) is to provide high-quality and specially designed instructional support and services for all students with disabilities within their least restrictive environment. We work collaboratively with several units, specifically schools and Networks to improve the academic achievement of all diverse learners by ensuring diverse learners receive meaningful and relevant access to grade-level core instruction within their neighborhood school, school of choice, or the school closest to their residence.

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Chief of the Office for Students with Disabilities, the Director of Non-Public Special Education Programs and Services plays a critical district leadership role. This position provides strategic oversight, compliance enforcement, and operational direction to a department supporting over students placed Therapeutic Day Schools, Public-to-Public Cooperatives, and Residential Programs. Managing a projected annual budget covering tuition, transportation, and extenuating reimbursements), this role is responsible for driving immediate systemic improvements.

This includes establishing and implementing a uniform operational framework, enhancing instructional oversight through site walkthroughs, minimizing over-referral patterns, managing specialized funding streams, and expanding clear reintegration pathways to champion every student's "Rightful Presence" within their home school communities. This is a full-time, exempt position that will be paid for time worked on a salary basis.

The Director of Non-Public Special Education Program & Services will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

Supervise, develop, and manage the performance of the Non-Public SPED Programs & Services team, including but not limited to Special Education Coordinators (SECs), Case Managers, and support staff; cultivate high-performing teams and build systemic capacity to achieve Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) mandates and district-wide strategic goals

Design, establish, and oversee a formalized system-wide school walkthrough framework to monitor specialized instructional practices, analyze complex performance data, and drive student-centered, rigorous IEP facilitation across all separate day placements

Serve as the owner of student data integrity and regulatory compliance across multiple district and state enterprise platforms (including ASPEN, SSM, and KAMPS); ensure absolute precision in enrollment, calendar configurations, and attendance tracking systems

Direct and optimize secondary transition metrics and programming; establish accountability structures for student compliance regarding Learn Plan Succeed initiatives, financial aid completion, transcript management, graduation pathways, and state/district assessments

Standardize and govern the central intake pipeline, separate day referral mechanisms, and school assignment protocols; partner strategically with student…