Chicago public schools (CPS) was established in 1837. It is now the third-largest school district in the US falling behind only Los Angeles and New York school districts. Today, CPS endeavors to provide top-notch education to every single one of its students according to their learning capabilities. CPS aims to impart knowledge without any discrimination based on wealth or color. Keep reading…
New Chicago Public Schools Jobs
Related Jobs
About Chicago Public Schools Jobs
As of 2018, the CEO of CPS is Dr. Janice K Jackson. Dr. Jackson has been a phenomenal leader for the CPS and has managed to pull it from ‘one of the worst school systems’ and has made it into an example of progress with her dedication and empathy. Dr. Jackson has been a part of the CPS all her life. Earlier as a student, then as a teacher, and finally as the CEO. She has displayed exemplary performance which shows in the growth of public schools in Chicago.
This school district accepts more than 300,000 students every year and has more than 38,000 teaching and non-teaching employees across its 600 plus schools. Astonishingly, 90% of the students in CPS are people of color. However, 50% of the teachers are white. This creates a gap between the students and the teachers. Hence, CPS is now making efforts to employ more people of color and to retain them. This is so they can provide a more inclusive learning environment for their students.
Typical Job Titles and Responsibilities
Chicago Public Schools hire people to fulfill vacancies for Teachers, Teachers’ Assistants, Nurses, and school social workers among other positions. A teacher at the CPS is responsible for developing a comprehensive course outline and teach accordingly. CPS also requires them to conduct regular assessments and provide timely feedback. Furthermore, teachers should maintain a healthy learning environment in the class and a safe and conducive environment outside of class.
CPS hires a Teacher’s Assistant to ensure the discipline within the school premises. They may tutor some of the students under teacher’s supervision and collect and grade homework assignments and classwork. Furthermore, they are required to be able to operate the photocopier machine to make photocopies of study material. The presence of a Nurse is pertinent to ensure the students’ physical emotional and mental health. Therefore, CPS hires school nurses who are responsible for providing proper health care assistance to every student who walks through their door.
Chicago Public Schools, in efforts to make their school district better, is hiring school social workers. These employees will be responsible for providing necessary assistance and support to any student who needs it. Furthermore, they will make efforts to develop healthy relationships with teachers, students, and their parents.
Job Statistics
The teacher’s turnover rate at Chicago Public Schools has been high in the past. In the year 2014-15, 45% of the teachers left their jobs within three years after CPS hired them. However, Dr. Jackson has now announced that they will hire around 1900 people for the new school year. Moreover, to establish a more inclusive learning environment, CPS is making efforts to hire CPS graduates as teachers. It employs around 150 CPS pass-outs every year. However, Dr. Jackson claims that this number will multiply and reach near 500 by 2025.
As far as salaries are concerned, a CPS teacher’s annual income lies within the range of $54,000 to $71,000. While Administrative staff makes around $39,000 to $45,000 and the sanitation and maintenance staff earns around $20,000 to $35,000. The security officer at CPS makes an estimated $35,000 every year while the other public safety staff earns $12-$18 per hour.
Employee Feedback
The Chicago Public Schools has a rating of around 3.4 stars at Glassdoor.com, the online platform the provides transparent feedback on different employers. The employees of Chicago Public Schools claim that working here offers good salaries and several benefits, such as vacations and leaves. However, some employees also mention how the principals hired in the schools of this district are unreliable. They complain the HR department is not good enough and sometimes, the workload is too much to manage.
Conclusion
Chicago Public Schools, under the leadership of Dr. Janice Jackson, is quickly emerging as one of the fastest improving school districts in the US. Analyzing the student population, CPS ensures that more people of color are employed so that students can look up to them and relate with them. CPS offers its students equity, rather than equality, and with many reforms in place, it is set to maintain its upward trajectory. However, CPS may want to consider the employees complaining about the principals, HR department, and excessive workload. This may help them decrease their teachers turnover rates.