Spanish Language Arts Curriculum Support (Part-Time/Temporary Role)

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 nearly 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. In order 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 Teaching & Learning, the Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Digital Learning (CIDL) is implementing the Curriculum Equity Initiative (CEI): a portfolio of projects coordinated to design and implement a comprehensive support system for teachers with Skyline-the district's first digital PK-12, standards-aligned, culturally responsive curriculum-at its core. Once implemented, this digital curriculum will provide CPS students and teachers with access to high-quality, engaging, and culturally responsive learning materials. CIDL's charge is to continuously improve the curriculum and create sustainable connections to university, community, municipal, cultural, and contractual partners.

The part-time/temporary Spanish Language Arts (SLA) Curriculum Support position will assist with improvements to the K-12 SLA curriculum. This is a part-time/temporary position that will be compensated for time worked on an hourly basis. The work schedule for this role will consist of an estimated 20 hours per week for an anticipated period of 12 months, beginning in May 2024 and ending in May 2025. Due to this work's part-time/temporary nature, this is not a benefit-eligible position. This role will report to the Manager of Digital Curriculum.

The part-time/temporary Spanish Language Arts Curriculum Support position will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Review published Spanish Language Arts materials grade-appropriate Spanish language, ensuring materials are free of grammatical and spelling errors, and facilitate the correction of identified curricular issues.
• Create new curricular materials aligned to the predetermined scope and sequence for the SLA curricula, including but not limited to:
• Mini-lessons
• Slide decks
• Student handouts
• Example student responses
• Formative and summative assessments
• Assessment rubrics
• Unit plans
• Participate in interdepartmental curatorial sessions and impromptu text replacements.
• Maintain accountability trackers when working with collaborating teachers.
• Advise on how to remediate gaps in standard alignment
• Work closely with the curriculum design team and manager to ensure all materials are delivered on time and meet department expectations.
• Other duties as assigned

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the part-time/temporary Spanish Language Arts Curriculum Support position must possess the following qualifications:

Education Required:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university is required.
• Valid teaching certificate/Professional Educator's License (PEL) issued by the Illinois State Board of Education (or reciprocal license) with Bilingual/ESL Endorsement is strongly preferred.

Experience Required:

• Minimum of five (5) years of professional experience in K-12 Education, including the following, is required:
• Experience in curriculum design/development (writing)
• Direct experience in an SLA role
• Experience working with educational technology, digital media, and/or the effective integration of technology into instruction
• Experience collaborating with culturally and educationally diverse teams
• Experience in a large urban setting is preferred

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Bilingual fluency in English and Spanish is required; knowledge of Mexican Spanish terminology, preferred
• Deep knowledge and background in biliteracy, Spanish Language Arts, and academic standards, particularly as it pertains to Foundational Skills K-5
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to lead and effectively communicate with development teams to focus effort and resources on achieving expected results.
• Strong project management and problem-solving skills/strategies
• Deep knowledge of equity issues in education and a deep commitment to providing access to high-quality digital curriculum for all students.
• Strong knowledge of:
• ELA Common Core Standards
• SLA Standards
• WIDA ELD Standards
• Understanding Design principles for curriculum design
• Universal Design for Learning principles for instructional design
• MTSS and SEL best practices
• Literary trends in the YA publishing industry
• High levels of instructional expertise, integrity, honesty, and credibility
• Strong technical abilities, including proficiency with Google Workspace tools

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. This Chicago residency requirement does not apply to part-time/temporary 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.