Training specialist

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is one of the largest school districts in the United States, serving over 320,000 students in 500+ schools and employing nearly 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. 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 mission of the Office of Student Protections and Title IX (OSP) and the Equal Opportunity Compliance Office (EOCO) is to provide an equitable, inclusive, safe, supportive, and secure learning and working environment, in every school and neighborhood, in a district that is free from discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, and retaliation, ensuring that all students, faculty, staff, vendors, and visitors can thrive. To fulfill this mission the Office of Student Protections (OSP) and Title IX’s / Equal Opportunity Compliance Office (OSP/EOCO) responds to, investigates, resolves, and transforms cases related to both interpersonal and systemic harm toward individuals or communities with an actual or perceived membership of protected categories under federal law and the district’s nondiscrimination policy.

The Training and Prevention unit leads the implementation of CPS’ and OSP’s new landmark relationship education initiative Transforming Bias-based Harm across numerous district-wide training and prevention programs with a direct impact to every single student, staff member, and vendor.

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Lead of Training and Prevention, the Training Specialist will support the creation and operationalization of all unit training and programmatic efforts. These efforts include supporting the implementation and maintenance of a portfolio of five (5) unique prevention programs aimed at ensuring students are developing leadership skills in the prevention and transformation of bias-based behaviors. These efforts also aim to ensure that adults are prepared not only to engage in healthy and transformative relationships with students and staff, but to be leaders in creating safe and supportive school environments. Additionally, the Training Specialist will develop and operationalize districtwide and school specific training and professional learning for staff and students that is proficient for adult learning and knowledge retention, as well as developmentally appropriate for students. This is a full-time, exempt position that will be paid for time worked on a salary basis.

The Training Specialist will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Assess, revise, create content on bias-based harm, gender based harm to ensure it remains current, relevant to mandates when applicable, and accessible for staff, students, families, community partners, etc. - 25%
• Facilitate live professional learning across the district to stakeholders (students, staff, family caregivers, community partners) - 20%
• Collaborate internally and externally to ensure cohesiveness of messaging, CPS initiatives, and federal and state mandates (ex. internal: OSP’s Data team, Investigations team, EOCO, Title IX; external: OIG, Law, OSHW, OSD, OCCS, Talent Training, etc.) - 20%
• Coordinate and facilitate specialized learning such as corrective action trainings for Employee Discrimination and Harassment - 15%
• Engage in cycles of inquiry to assess professional learning - 10%
• Develop monthly updates with Comms for the district to distribute and support time relevant awareness campaigns - 15%
• Share best practices and technical assistance with staff to support implementation - 10%

Other duties as assigned (Do not edit this row) - N/A

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Training Specialist must possess the following qualifications:

Education Required:

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Master’s degree in a related field, such as Youth Development, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Peace and Conflict Resolution, Social Work, Community Psychology, etc. preferred.

Experience Required:

Minimum of two (2) years professional experience, including experience related to violence prevention and youth leadership. Experience working with youth in school or educational settings is preferred.

Other Requirements:

Valid Driver’s License and vehicle access preferred. Must be able to travel to various locations around the city and work flexible hours, including evening hours and occasional weekends.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Commitment to youth voice and youth leadership development
• Knowledge of anti-bias, anti-racist, and anti-adultist pedagogy and andragogy
• Team collaboration skills
• Passion for, commitment to, and urgency toward accomplishment of goals and objectives
• Effective inner group and outgroup communication and facilitation skills
• Sensitivity toward trauma-informed practices
• Strong service and support orientation towards schools and school communities
• Time coordination and time management skills
• Ability to transform educational research into deliverable content, support and practice tools
• A high degree of cultural competence and experience in cross-cultural communication
• Deploy a wide variety of training methods to support diverse learning and processing styles
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office/Google Suite, specifically Excel/Sheets, PowerPoint, Word/Docs
• Curate and coordinate existing professional development content in partnership with subject matter experts internally and externally
• Ability to work some weeknights and weekends to support training, programming, and community engagement efforts

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.