Student Voice %26 Leadership Specialist

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 Chicago Public School’s Instructional Core Vision centers identity, community, and relationships, which is called the “Inner Core.” Located within the Office of Teaching and Learning, the Department of Student Voice & Engagement (DSVE) leads the district's inclusive and responsive education strategy that aims to ensure all aspects of schooling in CPS are inclusive of and responsive to the lived experiences of students, and includes young people as key stakeholders in making decisions that impact them.

Job Summary: 

The primary objective of the Student Voice and Leadership Specialist will be to support the strategic expansion and improvement of Student Voice Committees in CPS. The Student Voice and Leadership Specialist will work directly with adult stakeholders advancing the Student Voice Committee program at their schools as a coach and professional learning provider. The Student Voice and Leadership Specialist will also support the district’s student voice infrastructure initiative, and help identify and advance opportunities for expanding youth-adult partnerships in decision-making across CPS.  In order to ensure a coherent vision for a student voice infrastructure scaled throughout CPS, this role will be responsible for training teachers, principals, as well as youth in nurturing productive relationships that foster inclusive youth adult partnerships. The Student Voice and Leadership Specialist will report to the Manager of Student Voice & Leadership and will collaborate closely with colleagues within the department as well as across central office to support strategic efforts to strengthen student voice and decision making. This is a full-time, exempt position that will be paid for time worked on a salary basis.
 

The Student Voice and Leadership Specialist will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Supervise and support Student Voice Committees (SVCs) across CPS

• Expand opportunities for Student Voice Committees across schools

• Co-design and facilitate varied professional learning opportunities for SVC students, facilitators, and administrators that provide technical, curricular, and consulting support that strengthens the quality of SVC programming and inclusive youth adult partnerships

• Ensure professional learning for SVC facilitators and relevant stakeholders successfully achieves the following:

  • Builds their capacity to develop intergenerational spaces at their school that promote shared decision-making between adults and students.

  • Supports SVCs in developing a collaborative spirit amongst adults, and between adults and young people in service of intergenerational approaches to school improvement.

  • Prepares SVCs to act as representatives of the student body that deepen and enrich student representation and decision-making at their school.

• Lead continuous improvement in SVC strategy, ensuring SVCs are well supported and have the guidance and parameters conducive to a productive and trusting school community. Ongoing efforts include, but are not limited to, the following tasks:

  • Analyze, audit, and improve guidance and resources

  • Solicit regular feedback around priority areas of the SVC program; conduct observations, school visits, interviews, and focus groups to learn from and provide support based on the evolving needs and challenges SVC facilitators, students, and administrators face 

  • Pilot new tools aligned to SVC quality criteria and SVC program evaluation findings

  • Evaluate professional learning outcome data, and use that data to improve professional learning offerings

  • Identify, document, and offer solutions around barriers to successful implementation of the SVC program

• Plan and deliver student and educator-facing events that model inclusive partnerships and elevate student perspectives on topics and issues relevant to CPS students

• Advance District-wide student voice and leadership initiatives that:

  • inform district policy development, revision, and policy implementation

  • are responsive to the current social-political moment, emerging, and persistent student needs

  • develop student leaders by providing opportunities to lead, present, and engage peers and adults in inclusive partnership 

  • manage the recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and development of students serving as members of the Districtwide Student Voice Committee (DSVC)

• Represent Chicago Public Schools and the Department of Student Voice & Engagement through internal and external collaborative relationships

• Other duties as assigned