Department Chair - Social Studies

Position Title: Department Chair Classification (FLSA) : Full-time, Exempt Position Group : Teacher Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) : 1.0 Union Membership : Proviso Teachers Union, Local 571, AFL-CIO

General Description 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. Minimum Required Qualifications Employees are responsible for obtaining/retaining the most current statutory and administrative rule requirements for their position.

Instructional Leadership Collaborate closely with the Director of Instructional Frameworkto ensure alignment of departmental instructional practices with district expectations, instructional guidance, and implementation of timelines. Champion the Proviso Instructional Frameworkby 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 practicesto 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 schedulethat 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 implementationusing 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 Frameworkto co‑plan professional learning priorities, align session content to district initiatives, and ensure coherence across buildings and departments. Design, facilitate, and monitor departmental learning cyclesaligned 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 learningby 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 instructionby modeling data analysis protocols, planning responsive instructional strategies, and setting clear implementation targets with follow‑up dates. Coaching and Support Conduct non‑evaluative classroom observationson a defined coaching schedule to support teacher professional growth and instructional consistency. Provide timely, actionable feedbackaligned 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 classroomthat exemplifies high‑quality instructional framework implementation and functions as a learning lab for peer observation, coaching, and professional learning. Planning and Coordination Collaborate with the Director of Instructional Framework, school leadership and district teamsto align departmental goals, learning cycles, and implementation plans with district instructional priorities and timelines. Develop and maintain an annual and quarterly implementation planthat outlines required responsibilities, key deliverables, due dates, meeting structures, and instructional support routines. Communicate progress, challenges, and implementation dataregularly to the School Improvement Team to support shared problem‑solving and continuous improvement. Identify and communicate needs for additional professional learning or instructional supportto the School Improvement Team and/or Educational Service Team in a timely and strategic manner. Department Chairs are expected to: 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. (Communicate concerns about relevancy of assignments to the Deputy Superintendent of School Improvement) Engage in ongoing professional learning to stay current with best practices in instruction, adult learning and instructional coaching. Work Environment/Conditions 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. Participation in school events, meetings, and extended professional development sessions is expected. Position Goals In consultation with the supervisor, the employee will set annual goals, which will be included in the performance evaluation document. In the event of a disagreement regarding the goals, the Superintendent will make the final determination.