Chief Equity Officer

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 Equity's mission is to develop, support, implement, and report on district efforts to eliminate the opportunity gaps in education quality, policies, and support for students and adults.  Established in 2018, the CPS Office of Equity works hand-in-hand with district offices to ensure each undertaking is pursued with equity as a goal.  To drive progress on equity, the Office of Equity oversees the continually evolving CPS Equity Framework, a source of guidance tools, evidence-based ideas, and resources for CPS staff, partners, and community members addressing complex equity issues. 

Job Summary: 

Reporting to the CEO, the Chief Equity Officer leads the strategic and visionary priorities of the Office of Equity. The priorities include building on and executing the district’s Race and Equity Action Plan, which emphasizes the following: 1. Fostering and sustaining a clear organizational commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI); 2. Building diverse, equitable, and inclusive staffing; 3. Ensuring high-quality, equitable educational opportunities; and 4. Increasing equity in operational and resource support for all students. This is a full-time, exempt position that will be paid for time worked on a salary basis.

The Chief Equity Officer will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Provide strategic leadership to the Office of Equity, ensuring the ongoing success of the Black Student Success Plan, Curriculum Equity Initiative and other district goals; Manage the development and performance of the Office of Equity team

• Partner with senior leaders, departments, and networks to embed equity into strategic plans while rigorously assessing district policies to increase transparency and equitable impact

• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and internal accountability measures, continuously analyzing equity data and trends to ensure alignment with the CPS mission

• Develop and monitor targeted strategies to eliminate student opportunity and achievement gaps, ensuring all students have equitable access to high-quality programs and partnerships

• Implement comprehensive learning plans to increase cultural competence, address implicit bias, and build the equitable mindsets of district staff

• Collaborate with department leaders district-wide to develop and support professional learning resources dedicated to culturally sustaining and relevant curriculum.

• Drive strategic initiatives to increase diversity within the teaching force, CPS leadership pipelines, and district vendor contracts

• Strategically coordinate internal funds, external resources, and community partnerships to robustly support and sustain the district's equity initiatives

• Serve as a district liaison to City Hall, community organizations, and external partners to align citywide efforts, while actively representing CPS in regional and national dialogues on race and equity

• Other duties and work teams as assigned 

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Chief Equity Officer must possess the following qualifications: 

Education Required: 

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university

• Master’s Degree preferred  

Experience Required: 

• Minimum of ten (10) years of relevant professional experience in a dynamic & results-oriented leadership role developing and monitoring initiatives around diversity, racial equity, inclusion, or related work

• Minimum of seven (7) years of supervisory experience

• Experience in a school district, government, or non-profit organization in a major urban setting is highly preferred

• Experience leading a large complex organization and a broad range of stakeholders to reach ambitious goals around major change management initiatives

• Experience in guiding the analysis of data and data-based inquiry to drive improvement in practice

• Experience coordinating and delivering professional development for a variety of internal and external stakeholders

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strategic and critical thinker with a proven ability to lead thoughtful, transformative action in complex organizations

• Deep knowledge of research, principles, and practices around diversity, inclusion, and/or racial equity

• Ability to coordinate and collaborate with diverse groups across multiple departments, schools, and organizations to achieve convergence in strategy and practice

• Ability to meaningfully engage a wide variety of stakeholders in challenging dialogue and critical self-reflection around racial identity, implicit bias, systemic racism, structural inequities, etc.

• Initiates, builds, and manages cohesive partnerships and professional relationships with stakeholders at all levels, internal and external to the district

• Confident, clear presenter skilled at using data to drive critical conversations and continuous improvement among peer and non-peer colleague groups

• In-depth knowledge and experience in leading data-driven practices at a systems level, including distilling analysis into insights and translating insights into action

• Skilled multi-tasker and excellent time manager; ability to effectively achieve multiple goals and manage multiple projects simultaneously

• Passion and urgency for addressing racial inequities and improving the lives of students and families in Chicago

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.