Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is one of the largest school districts in the United States, serving over 330,000 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 Office of Teaching and Learning (T&L) provides school administrators and teachers with the professional learning and resources needed to engage students in rich and rewarding learning experiences. The Office is comprised of various academic and support departments, which work collaboratively to support students’ growth and progress in meeting or exceeding state standards for academic excellence.

Job Summary:

The School Scheduling Manager will work in collaboration with other district offices on the development and implementation of equitable district scheduling practices and procedures, ensuring that students have expanded access to high school-level courses that will prepare them for success in college and careers. The School Scheduling Manager will report to the Executive Director of Instructional Systems and Supports.

The School Scheduling Manager will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Define the district’s guidelines and parameters for local school schedulers (e.g., establishing course sequences leading toward earning college credit or industry credentials, etc.).
• Maintain communication and provide ongoing support and guidance to school sites around the master scheduling process.
• Develop and establish a clear, comprehensive user guide documenting how to navigate and comply with CPS school scheduling procedures (ex: processes, expectations, policies, requirements, etc.).
• Evaluate and continually improve upon the scope, design and implementation of the scheduling training program, including the development of technical and practical training, as well as other support programs related to the mission of the district (e.g., summer and evening school scheduling).
• Develop and maintain up-to-date resources, guides and support documents related to the scheduling training program.
• Manage the upkeep and further development of high school scheduling data quality indexes (DQIs) to improve organizational performance.
• Manage and maintain the district’s high school course code catalog; Collaborate with content departments to expand equitable access to high school-level courses.
• Oversee the development and implementation of various district scheduling policies, evaluating their performance to ensure they are meeting the district's goals.
• Monitor and maintain the High School Scheduling intranet page to ensure guidance documents are accurate and updated annually.
• Ensure that all course numbers in the course catalog are aligned with state and district requirements for scheduling and awarding credit.
• Collaborate with the department of Information and Technology Services (ITS) to review scheduling processes, make recommendations and execute process improvements; maintain communication regarding ongoing projects, vetting requirement documents and ensuring alignment with the organization's goals.
• Drive continuous improvement efforts related to school scheduling practices and policies; work to identify and solve for areas of opportunity in the existing scheduling processes (including those completed manually and/or electronically through the student information system software framework).
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of current trends and developments related to school scheduling.
• Other duties as assigned.

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the School Scheduling Manager must possess the following qualifications:

Education Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Education or related field from an accredited college or university is required

Experience Required:

• Minimum of five (5) years of professional experience as a high school master scheduler, programmer or similar role responsible for managing and leading high school-level course scheduling programs, training and compliance, including the following, is required:
  • Experience developing and facilitating training for adult professionals
  • Experience working with student information systems

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communications skills; ability to build collaborative relationships with a variety of constituent groups, including external partners
• Strong organizational skills; ability to effectively manage several work streams simultaneously; capable of success in a fast-paced environment adapting to quickly changing priorities
• Effective analytical, critical thinking, problem solving and strategic planning capabilities, including the ability to establish long-term vision and goals, and align/manage activities toward goal fulfillment
• Capable of designing and facilitating effective, professional trainings, discussions and presentations for a variety of audiences
• Ability to define problems, analyze data, and outline valid conclusions and action steps
• Self-starter capable of leading individuals in a team environment as well as working independently on projects with minimal oversight

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.
• Be Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19 - Unless approved for a medical or religious exemption, all employees are required to be up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations, including boosters, and to submit proof of vaccination to the district within 30 days of hire. “Up-to-date” on vaccination is defined as being at least two weeks past all primary vaccine doses and any applicable boosters.