JOB DESCRIPTION -
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 Department of Arts Education (DAE) works to ensure that every Chicago Public Schools student receives a high-quality arts education by creating conditions at the classroom, school, district, and state levels that allow the arts to grow and flourish.
The Program Manager will lead, manage all facets of, and evaluate the All-City Performing Arts programs and the RE•VER•BER•ATE Festival. The Program Manager will also manage the coordinator of the All-City Visual Arts Exhibit, CPS Art on the Mart, and Arts Student Voice Committee. These programs are designed to increase student’s access to the arts. This includes leading distinct student program-specific teams to provide K-12 citywide access to artistic disciplines and advanced coursework that are currently underrepresented within CPS school-based programs. Additional information about each of these student programs can be found here. The Program Manager will collaborate closely with Arts Education colleagues, will manage direct reporting positions including part-time staff, and will report to the Program Director.
The Program Manager will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:
- Support the mission and vision of Arts Education student programs and drive program implementation in alignment with the DAE strategic plan and priorities
- Work in collaboration with the Program Director and DAE colleagues to ensure the mission and vision of All-City Visual and Performing Arts, RE•VER•BER•ATE and the Arts Student Voice Committee are clearly articulated, aligned with the overall student program strategy and are grounded in all major educational decisions including course offerings, scopes and sequences, course syllabi, hiring processes, professional learning for staff, alumni engagement opportunities, and student performance and exhibition strategy.
- Ensure DAE student programs include a strong student-centered climate and culture
- Support the development and execution of program-specific procedures
- Manage major operations of the RE•VER•BER•ATE festival, All-City Performing Arts Ensemble, All City-Visual Arts Exhibits, and CPS Art on the Mart to ensure programmatic quality, operational health, and strategic growth, including, but not limited to, the following:
- Manage the program budget, purchasing, payment, and inventory processes
- Design and implement recruitment, selection, hiring, onboarding, and retention strategies for full-time and part-time staff; lead the evaluation of staff, vendors, and volunteers in collaboration with the Program Director
- Design and implement evaluation of designated student programs in order to improve processes and increase enrollment in collaboration with the Program Director
Manage payroll processing for vendors and staff.
o Establish and maintain internal and external strategic partnerships in order to enrich programmatic experiences.
o Liaise with school site-based staff and leadership, including school counselors and programmers, building security, facilities/engineering, or custodial staff, as necessary.
o Represent DAE at key program-related events and meetings and serve as the first point of contact for program needs.
o Oversee the planning and successful execution of student showcases, festivals, exhibitions, and other program events.
o All-City Performing Arts Program: Drive program enrollment and participation through dynamic channels, such as through the creation of program handbooks, flyers, social media content, posters, open houses, information sessions, etc.
o Manage relevant internal and external program communication, including with students, parents/guardians, and teachers
o Design and implement best practices for All-City Performing Arts programmatic logistics, including the creation of a staff and student handbook, student attendance protocols, staff training, and retreats
o Supervise All-City Performing Arts Teachers on Saturdays between 8:30 am-3:30 pm during the school year (Program Manager works Tuesday-Saturday while the program is in session)
o Plan, staff, and manage the execution of the winter and spring student showcases, including securing stages
o All-City Visual Arts Exhibitions and CPS Art on the Mart:
o Support Coordinator in the management of the All-City Visual Arts and Art on the Mart submission process, including planning, logistics, and drafting communications
o Support Program Coordinator in the coordination of staffing for submission review, communication to students, teachers, and families, and exhibition drop off and pick up planning
o Support the Program Coordinator in the creation of plans for coordinating opening events, including sending calendar invites to internal and external stakeholders, inviting speakers, and drafting any high-level communications
- Art Student Voice Committee:
- Support the Program Coordinator in the management of annual student recruitment, onboarding, and payroll processes
- Support the Program Coordinator in developing and driving the yearly goals of the committee to completion alongside student participants.
o Create, maintain, and execute a comprehensive project Plan for REᐧVERᐧBERᐧATE
§ Coordinate meetings and work in collaboration with other internal CPS teams, including Communications, Safety and Security, the Warehouse, and Marketing, to provide additional planning for the event.
o Drive program enrollment and participation through dynamic channels, such as through the creation of program handbooks, flyers, social media content, posters, open houses, information sessions, etc.
o Manage relevant internal and external program communication with students, parents/guardians, and teachers.
o Manage the scheduling and execution of performances for REᐧVERᐧBERᐧATE, including the initial application process, selection process, equipment logistics, and all other logistics communication to ensembles.
§ Manage RE•VER•BER•ATE student and teacher planning committees, including scheduling and facilitating meetings, ongoing communication, and implementation of feedback.
o Design and implement a plan for recruiting, communicating with training, and managing day-of-staff for the event, including DAE staff, teachers, and students
o Collaborate with internal and external partners to secure stages, design stage plots, to create an equipment plan, a bus arrival and departure plan, and determine appropriate timing for each portion of the event
o Source and schedule workshops and masterclasses for REᐧVERᐧBERᐧATE, including partner outreach, the application process, selection, equipment needs, and registration
o Assist with departmental daily operations, special events, and other initiatives, where appropriate.
- Other duties and/or programmatic responsibilities as assigned
In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Program Manager must possess the following qualifications:
Education Required:
- Bachelor’s degree in arts education, education, or related field from an accredited college or university
- Master’s degree in arts and/or education preferred
- Valid teaching certificate issued by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) with Arts content endorsement, preferred
Experience Required:
- Minimum of five (5) years of professional experience in education, arts education, program management and/or student programs
- Minimum of two (3) years of management of large-scale productions or festivals
- Experience in a position responsible for managing diverse teams of both adults and students, leading teams through the completion of complex projects
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills (speaking, listening, and writing)
- Strong leadership and team-building skills, e.g., the ability to develop high-performing teams united around a clear vision for serving schools and achieving student success.
- Ability to build collaborative relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders, including external partners, to ensure the success of student programs
- Knowledge of operations, budget/finance, management, and organizational development
- Strong information synthesis and decision-making skills; ability to define problems, analyze data, and outline valid conclusions and action steps
- Capable of successfully managing multiple workstreams simultaneously, aligning activities toward goal fulfillment in a fast-paced environment
- Strong attention to detail, ability to quickly shift priorities, and drive projects with multiple collaborators to completion
- Strong technology skills (especially Google Suite, Microsoft Office applications, and Adobe Creative Suite)
- Basic design, photography, and/or web content management skills preferred
- Spanish language proficiency preferred
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. This Chicago residency requirement does not apply to part-time/temporary 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.