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 Office of Early Childhood Education (OECE) supports students and families by providing early learning programs for children from birth to second grade in a variety of settings.  OECE’s mission is to partner with families, educators, and school communities to ensure all Chicago children engage in high-quality early learning experiences that lead to success in Pre-K through 2nd grade and beyond.

Job Summary
Reporting to the Manager of Early Childhood Instructional Support, the Early Childhood Classroom Coach (Teacher-Citywide) designs and delivers classroom-level coaching to early childhood teachers within an assigned caseload. The Early Childhood Classroom Coach will use a relationship-based approach to develop an individual coaching plan for each teacher and to design effective learning practices that help them achieve their professional goals. The Early Childhood Classroom Coach also designs and facilitates professional learning for teachers to ensure high quality early childhood programs for all students. This is a full-time, union role on a 228-day annual schedule. 
 

The Early Childhood Classroom Coach will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

In collaboration with the Pre-K Program Team, implement the OECE vision for high quality pre-K programs and effective instruction in early childhood

Develop, implement, and monitor coaching cycles in partnership with assigned classroom teachers to support high-quality student experiences in early childhood classrooms

Design and Facilitate Professional Learning to enhance mindsets, knowledge, and skills of early childhood teachers and school-based staff.  Professional learning may include but is not limited to New Teacher Orientation, Professional Learning Communities, stand-alone professional learning sessions, and responsive support sessions.

Maintain active CLASS certification and utilize the CLASS Observation tool to support classroom observations, coaching, teacher development, and professional learning.

Collaborate with the Early Childhood Specialists to align coaching support with school, network, office, and district strategic initiatives and  workstreams. Partner with other OECE teams to ensure implementation of aligned PK and P-2 initiatives.

Provide support to school-based staff on early childhood program guidance and requirements, curriculum and assessment tools, instructional approaches, and OECE strategy and approach.

Design and implement tailored support and coaching for teachers serving students with disabilities, multi-lingual learners, and students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Maintain awareness of current research in the field of early childhood education, teacher development, and adult learning

Other duties as assigned

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Early Childhood Classroom Coach must possess the following qualifications:

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 content and/or grade level endorsement(s) is required.
Master’s degree preferred in early childhood or a related field    

Experience Required: 
Minimum of five (5) years of professional experience working in early childhood classrooms, required 
Chicago Public School Pre-K experience preferred
Bilingual and Bilingual Teaching Experience preferred

Other Requirements:
Access to reliable transportation to transport materials and travel between worksites is required
Valid driver’s license and vehicle access, preferred
Knowledge of The Creative Curriculum, Teaching Strategies GOLD, and Teachstone CLASS, preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, and the ability to build positive and responsive professional relationships with teachers
Knowledge of adult learning theory and effective methods for training, coaching, and supporting adults
Strong understanding of developmentally appropriate early childhood practice in school settings
Capable of working independently as well as functioning effectively and collaboratively and 
Able to manage variance in schedules including maintaining high levels of productivity in a variety of work locations, settings and environments (ie, office, schools, etc)
Excellent organization and project management skills
Ability to analyze and use data to monitor, assess, and improve program quality, and complete reports, projects, and other tasks in a professional and timely manner
Ability to use a range of technology and tools, including computer proficiency with programs such as  Google Workspace

Benefits:
Health & Wellness: Your Care, Your Choice
CPS is committed to providing comprehensive health coverage to our employees and their eligible dependents. You'll have access to a variety of choices to best fit your needs:

Medical Plan Options
Pharmacy
Dental
Vision
Behavioral Health & EAP
Employee Wellness Program
Financial Security: Planning for Today and Tomorrow
We understand the importance of financial stability, which is why CPS offers strong retirement and savings options:
Basic Life Insurance
Life and Disability Insurance
Pension Plans
Supplemental Retirement Plans (403(b) and 457(b))
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
Spot Pet Insurance
Work-Life Balance: Supporting Your Personal and Professional Life
CPS values the well-being of its employees and offers competitive paid time off policies:
Paid Leave
Sick Leave
Vacation Days
Parental Leaves
Short-Term Disability
Religious Holidays
Leaves

Reference the Chicago Public Schools: A Comprehensive Benefits Overview or the benefits handbook for comprehensive details.

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.