Attendance and Enrollment School Leader 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.

Student Support and Engagement (OSSE) provides comprehensive support to help students become more connected to and engaged in school.

We provide re-engagement supports for out-of-school youth; resources to eliminate barriers for students in temporary living situations;

attendance and truancy guidance for families, schools, and networks; and extended learning opportunities to enhance all students’ core academic experience while engaging parents and community members in school-led activities.

Our departments include Attendance and Truancy, Students in Temporary Living Situations (STLS), Student Outreach and Re-Engagement (SOAR) Centers, Juvenile Justice Re-Entry Programs, Out-of-School Time (OST) Activities, Community Schools Initiative (CSI).

Our mission is to work with schools, networks, and families to establish systems of support to keep all students on track and engaged in school.

Job Summary :

The Attendance and Enrollment School Leader Support role will assist School Leaders with initiatives to enhance student attendance, reduce truancy rates, and improve enrollment practices.

This position will support leaders within a cohort of schools in their efforts to streamline enrollment processes develop and implement effective strategies, and targeted interventions for improved attendance.

The Attendance and Enrollment School Leader Support role will assist OSSE leaders with analyzing data to design interventions that promote consistent student attendance.

This role will report to the Director of Attendance and Enrollment.

This part-time / temporary position will be compensated for time worked on an hourly basis. The work schedule for this role will consist of an estimated 30 hours per week for an anticipated period of 6 months, beginning in October of 2023, and ending in April of 2024.

Due to this work's part-time / temporary nature, this is not a benefit-eligible position.

The part-time / temporary Attendance and Enrollment School Leader Support role will be held accountable for the following responsibilities :

• Support the Director of Attendance and Enrollment in the development and execution of comprehensive districtwide student attendance improvement strategies and enrollment practices in response to concerns raised by the Office of Inspector General’s recent findings
• In collaboration with the Director of Attendance and Enrollment and department leadership provide school-specific student attendance challenges related to student attendance and enrollment while identifying opportunities for improvement
• Provide coaching and support to school leaders and attendance team members, enabling them to address attendance barriers through best practices.
• Analyze data to identify trends, patterns, and root causes of absenteeism, informing targeted interventions
• Guide the implementation of effective practices for engaging students and families in the importance of regular attendance
• Coach school leaders on accurately collecting and analyzing attendance data and enrollment data on an ongoing basis
• Conduct enrollment listening tours with school leaders to gather insight into enrollment practices and systems to foster continuous improvement
• Support school leaders in adopting efficient and effective student enrollment practices and assist school-based staff in implementing these practices
• Other duties as assigned

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the part-time / temporary Attendance and Enrollment School Leader Support role 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 administrator endorsement is required.
• Master’s degree preferred

Experience Required :

• Must be a retired administrator with a minimum of seven (7) years of experience in a school principal, assistant principal, or other administrator role
• Experience with the principles and practices of elementary and secondary education
• Experience with the rules and regulations of the Chicago Public Schools

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities :

• Thorough knowledge of the principles and practices of elementary and secondary education
• Familiarity with school operations, budgeting / finance methods and procedures.
• Ability to define problems, analyze data, and outline valid conclusions and action steps
• Ability to work with and for school-aged children; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with teachers and career service staff, parents and guardians, volunteers, local school council members, and community organizations.
• Excellent verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills, good supervisory skills, Proven ability to improve student daily attendance and enrollment practices
• Thorough knowledge of the rules and regulations of the Chicago Public Schools, preferred

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.