Department Chair - Social Studies

Proviso Township High Schools • Forest Park, IL

6d • Onsite

About The Position

Department Chairs at Proviso Township High Schools serve as instructional leaders dedicated to improving classroom instruction through the successful implementation of the Proviso Instructional Framework. They act as instructional coaches, facilitators of adult learning, and models of best practice within their departments and schools.

Requirements

• Minimum of a Master's Degree
• Valid Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL) or CTE license for grades 9-12
• Endorsement in subject area of the department
• Minimum of five (5) years of successful classroom teaching experience in area of discipline, demonstrating a deep understanding of effective instructional practices.
• Demonstrated understanding of and compliance with District policies, procedures, and guidelines.

Nice To Haves

• ESL or Bilingual Certification (Grades 9-12)
• Special Education Endorsement (LBS1)
• Multiple subject-area endorsements within the department, where applicable
• Experience teaching a variety of levels of coursework (e.g., honors, AP, IH)
• Ability to design and deliver interactive presentations for large and small groups and to coach colleagues in effective instructional strategies
• Capacity to critically evaluate and enhance the quality of education within one's discipline
• Strong understanding of data-driven instruction and assessment, with proven ability to analyze student data to support teaching
• Excellent verbal, written, and public-speaking skills
• Proficiency with educational and presentation technologies
• Sensitivity to and effectiveness in working with a diverse school and community
• Ability to foster growth, motivate colleagues, and build a positive, organized learning environment
• Documentable equity-based leadership ability and success working in challenging environments
• Willingness to fully participate in all district curriculum and instruction initiatives and projects
• Broad, up-to-date knowledge and experience in one's discipline, with a commitment to lifelong learning
• Enthusiastic, open, and organized approach to teaching and collaboration
• Able to prioritize Department Chair work by limiting competing priorities
• Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish

Responsibilities

• Collaborate closely with the Director of Instructional Framework to ensure alignment of departmental instructional practices with district expectations, instructional guidance, and implementation of timelines.
• Champion the Proviso Instructional Framework by consistently modeling, supporting, and reinforcing its principles in all interactions with teachers, Department Chairs, and instructional teams.
• Lead and monitor the alignment of department instructional practices to all phases of the instructional framework—Learning Objective, Focused Instruction, Guided Instruction, Collaborative Learning, Independent Learning, and Daily Formative Assessment—through intentional planning, observation, and feedback cycles.
• Establish and implement an instructional support schedule that reflects the core functions of the role, including classroom visits, coaching cycles, department meetings, professional learning facilitation, and follow-up, with clearly defined timelines and due dates.
• Monitor fidelity of instructional framework implementation using walkthroughs, lesson artifacts, student work, and formative data, and adjust supports in collaboration with school leadership and the Director of Instructional Framework.
• Serve as a primary decision-maker for departmental professional learning, proactively identifying needs, planning supports, and requesting district-level resources or coaching as needed to meet instructional goals and timelines.
• Partner with the Director of Instructional Framework to co-plan professional learning priorities, align session content to district initiatives, and ensure coherence across buildings and departments.
• Design, facilitate, and monitor departmental learning cycles aligned to the district instructional calendar, ensuring each cycle includes goal-setting, new learning, implementation, evidence collection, reflection, and next steps.
• Foster a culture of reflective practice and peer-to-peer learning by establishing clear norms, protocols, and structures for collaborative inquiry during department meetings and professional learning sessions.
• Lead regular analysis of student performance data (formative, interim, and summative) according to established review cycles, identifying trends, strengths, and areas for instructional growth.
• Support teachers in using data to inform instruction by modeling data analysis protocols, planning responsive instructional strategies, and setting clear implementation targets with follow-up dates.
• Conduct non-evaluative classroom observations on a defined coaching schedule to support teacher professional growth and instructional consistency.
• Provide timely, actionable feedback aligned to GRR implementation, student engagement, and lesson outcomes, with documented next steps and agreed-upon follow-up dates.
• Engage in co-teaching and demonstration lessons, as needed, to model effective instructional strategies and support teachers during implementation phases of learning cycles.
• Maintain a model classroom that exemplifies high-quality instructional framework implementation and functions as a learning lab for peer observation, coaching, and professional learning.
• Collaborate with the Director of Instructional Framework, school leadership and district teams to align departmental goals, learning cycles, and implementation plans with district instructional priorities and timelines.
• Develop and maintain an annual and quarterly implementation plan that outlines required responsibilities, key deliverables, due dates, meeting structures, and instructional support routines.
• Communicate progress, challenges, and implementation data regularly to the School Improvement Team to support shared problem-solving and continuous improvement.
• Identify and communicate needs for additional professional learning or instructional support to the School Improvement Team and/or Educational Service Team in a timely and strategic manner.
• Demonstrate deep understanding of and commitment to the Proviso Instructional Framework.
• Maintain strong interpersonal and communication skills to foster trust and collaboration.
• Serve as a thought partner and instructional resource for teachers, fellow teacher-instructional coaches, school administrators and district administrators.
• Complete relevant and purpose-aligned duties at the request of the Director of Instructional Framework and Support and the Deputy Superintendent of School Improvement and Principal.
• Engage in ongoing professional learning to stay current with best practices in instruction, adult learning and instructional coaching.

Benefits

• Salary Range and benefits as established by the current Agreement between Proviso Township High Schools District No. 209 Board of Education and the Proviso Teachers Union, Local 571, AFL-CIO.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level