Early Childhood Classroom Coach

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is the third-largest school district in the United States, serving over 340,000 students in 600+ schools and employing nearly 36,000 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.

The Early Childhood Classroom Coach provides classroom-level coaching to early childhood teachers and reports to the Office of Early Childhood Education Manager of Curriculum and Instruction. The coach will work with an assigned caseload of new teachers and other teachers identified as benefiting from coaching each school year. 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.

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

Typical Duties/Responsibilities:

• Develop a continuous improvement cycle in partnership with assigned classroom teachers to support hiqh quality child outcomes.
• Partner with the Early Childhood Specialists and Professional Development Specialists to align coaching support with professional development strategy and opportunities.
• Collaborate with OECE Social Workers to support teachers in promoting healthy social-emotional development.
• Work to support the implementation of district initiatives, such as the P-2 Balanced Literacy Initiative.
• Provide coaching and professional development for early childhood teachers focused on instructional quality in early childhood education.
• Use the CLASS assessment tool to help teachers identify areas for improvement and to prepare for annual assessment.
• Ensure curriculum and assessment supports individualized instruction for children.
• Collaborate with other Early Childhood and district staff to ensure the quality of early childhood programs.
• Provide support to teachers and principals on Office of Early Childhood strategy, guidance and approaches.
• Support alignment of practice and structure from preschool through second grade.

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

Type of Education Required:

• Master's Degree in Early Childhood preferred or in an aligned field with a focus on curriculum and instruction
• Valid Professional Educator License or early childhood endorsement issued by the Illinois State Board of Education (or out-of-state equivalent) required. Early Childhood certification required.

Type of Experience Required:

• Minimum 5 years of work experience working in early childhood classrooms, Chicago Public School experience preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing with all stakeholders.
• Knowledge of adult learning theory and experience training, coaching or supporting adults.
• Strong communication skills; able to build positive and responsive professional relationships with teachers.
• Able to possess a valid driver's license and a car to travel to various locations throughout the district to meet the needs of the individual schools.
• Ability to use a range of technology and tools, including but not limited to Microsoft and Google.
• Able to work independently as well as to function effectively and collaboratively in a temporary environment.
• Excellent organization and project management skills
• Understand developmentally appropriate early childhood practice in school settings.
• Able to analyze and use data to monitor, assess, and improve program quality, complete reports, projects, and other tasks in a professional and timely manner.
• Knowledge of The Creative Curriculum, Teaching Strategies GOLD, and Teachstone CLASS preferred. Strong understanding of developmentally appropriate practices.

Residency Requirement:

As a condition of employment with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), employees are required to live within the geographic boundaries of the City of Chicago within six months of their CPS hire date and must maintain residency throughout their employment with the district.