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Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is one of the largest school districts in the United States, serving over 320,000 students in 600+ schools and employing approximately 40,000 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.  To fulfill this mission, we make three commitments to our students, their families, and all Chicagoans: academic progress, financial stability, and integrity.  Six core values are embedded within these commitments – student-centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning.

Located within the Office of College and Career Success (OCCS), the mission of the Office of Social Emotional Learning (OSEL) is to partner with schools and Networks to establish and sustain supportive learning communities founded on caring relationships and multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) for students’ social, emotional, and behavioral needs. OSEL supports training, coaching, and implementation of research-based strategies to foster positive school and classroom climate development, trauma-informed practices, restorative approaches to discipline, social and emotional skills instruction, and targeted social, emotional, and behavioral interventions.

Job Summary: 

The Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Specialist, Instructional Support will guide the implementation of all strategies included in the district’s Tier 1 SEL approach, with a specialized focus on SEL instruction and integration, adult SEL, cultivating supportive classroom environments, and improving school climate through schoolwide implementation. This will include identifying best and promising practices for universal equity-focused and trauma-engaged SEL and developing the professional learning and systems necessary for those practices to be implemented with fidelity across CPS. Additionally, this will develop systems to measure the impact on desired student and school outcomes and collaborate with CPS departments and community partners to improve reach and impact. The Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Specialist, Instructional Support will report to the Manager of SEL Instruction and Assessment.

The Social Emotional Learning Specialist, Instructional Support will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Develop the capacity of schools, CPS departments, networks, and community partners to ensure high-fidelity implementation of evidence-based Tier 1 (universal) SEL approaches or promising practices through activities including, but not limited to: 
• • Supporting schools with training, coaching, documentation, technical assistance, and evaluation as part of their school-level schoolwide professional development plan for staff
  • Creating and implementing an adult SEL competencies professional learning model including training, coaching, and support, to increase capacity to model and support student SEL competency development.
  • Coordination and collaboration within OSEL and other CPS departments to incorporate consistent language and SEL best practices across key district priorities and initiatives
  • Designing and delivering high-quality professional learning opportunities, tools, and resources to schools, colleagues, and across CPS departments, and coordinating with partner agencies engaged in this work
  • Monitoring and assessing the effectiveness of professional development and making (or recommending) adjustments.
• Assist schools and OSEL with coordinating and carrying out programmatic and training logistics to ensure equitable access to Tier 1 SEL resources and support across the district
• Develop tools and processes necessary for networks and other staff to monitor the fidelity of implementation of evidence-based Tier 1 SEL approaches and promising practices. For example: 
• • Provide training and technical assistance with monitoring processes
  • Consistently share process and outcome data across the district to drive continuous improvement and replication.
• Support the design and development of strategies and resources to increase understanding and implementation of SEL Skills Assessments across the district (e.g., The Devereux Student Strengths Assessment, known as DESSA, and the Washoe County School District Social and Emotional Competency Assessment, known as WCSD-SECA).
• Provide training, consultation, and direct support to OSEL and district colleagues as well as school-based staff, to effectively use SEL Skills Assessment data for problem-solving and continuous improvement across tiers.
• Coordinate the implementation of federal, state, or other grants, including ensuring strategy implementation, following up with school stakeholders, assisting with data collection and reporting, and problem-solving as needed. 
• Leverage the knowledge base within CPS, other school systems, and other settings where strategies are used and/or researched to improve implementation and monitoring across CPS networks and schools; collate and apply that knowledge base to improve the effectiveness of implementation and student outcomes within CPS.
• Serve as an expert resource on social and emotional learning research, evaluation, strategies, theories, techniques, and methods of instruction and integration for the district.
• Seek continuous improvement to own knowledge base and practice.
• Participate in regular OSEL meetings and required professional learning. 
• Regularly document activities and progress monitor projects; provide updates to OSEL leadership.
• Perform other duties as assigned.  

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Social Emotional Learning Specialist, Instructional Support must possess the following qualifications: 

Education Required: 

• Master’s Degree in Education or a related field from an accredited college or university is required 

Experience Required: 

• Minimum of five (5) years of professional experience in education as a classroom teacher and/or leading professional development design and implementation, including the following, is required:
• • Foundational experience in planning, implementing, and progress monitoring complex projects
  • Experience developing and facilitating professional learning and providing coaching and technical assistance to peer and non-peer audiences
• Minimum of four (4) years teaching experience is strongly preferred.
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience working in or with an urban education system with a focus on social, emotional, and behavioral support in a middle or high school setting is strongly preferred.  

Other Requirements: 

• Access to reliable transportation to travel between CPS worksites and other locations is required
• A valid U.S. Driver’s License and vehicle access is preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Deep knowledge of evidence-based and promising equity-focused, trauma-engaged practices for developing students’ social and emotional competencies, building relationships between school stakeholders, and increasing student engagement.
• Familiarity with ISBE SEL Standards and evidence-based approaches for SEL in the classroom (e.g. Second Step, PATHS, Conscious Discipline, standards integration into academic content, various classroom management models, etc.) 
• Knowledge of best practices in Multi-Tiered Systems of Support to meet students’ social and emotional needs. 
• Expertise in adult learning styles and best practices for designing high-quality professional learning, coaching, and providing feedback. 
• Ability to coordinate and deliver high-quality professional development for a variety of internal and external stakeholders 
• Excellent verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to develop respectful professional relationships and build trust with a variety of stakeholder groups, to ensure the effective implementation of coordinated systems of support for schools.
• Highly organized with strong analytical skills; capable of collecting and analyzing implementation and outcome data to support continuous improvement
• Cultural competency and ability to navigate and promote equity and inclusivity across diverse stakeholder groups, demonstrating sensitivity and awareness of race, culture, and socioeconomic status. Skilled multi-tasker and excellent time manager; ability to effectively achieve multiple goals and manage multiple projects simultaneously. 
• Flexible and adaptable to changing needs and priorities across the district, while remaining committed to the core mission and vision of OSEL.
• Passion and urgency for the critical role of SEL for improving the lives of students and families in Chicago 
• Proficiency in Google Workspace (e.g., Mail, Docs, Sheets, Presentations, Forms), and MS Office Suite (e.g., Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) 

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.
• Be Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19 -Unless approved for a medical or religious exemption, all employees are required to be up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations, including boosters, and to submit proof of vaccination to the district within 30 days of hire. “Up-to-date” on vaccination is defined as being at least two weeks past all primary vaccine doses and any applicable boosters.