Department Chair

About the role

This position is a leadership role within the teaching staff, serving grades 6–12 and K–5. The department chair will focus on instructional leadership and fostering a collaborative learning environment. This role requires a blend of expertise in the specific subject matter, strong leadership and communication skills, and a passion for continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Supervisor in coordinating the efforts of certified staff to teach pupils through an approved course of study using board-adopted curricula, textbooks and other appropriate teaching materials.
• Assist the Supervisor of Instruction in coordinating the efforts of certified staff to review and map out instructional materials in a specific academic discipline or department.
• Assist certified staff in a specific academic discipline or department in their efforts to identify and support pupil needs, using various data points, including but not limited to benchmark assessments and common assessments.
• Assist supervisors to review, revise, implement, and analyze assessments.
• Discuss development, implementation, and results of assessments within the department.
• Assist with the evaluation of instructional programs, curriculum, materials, and assessment tools within the content area.
• Serve as a liaison for professional development opportunities within the department, such as in-service education, professional growth activities, workshops, and training sessions.
• Serve as a liaison between the department and the Supervisor of Instruction in relation to school-level planning and district committees.
• Chair certified departmental staff meetings and portions of meetings as assigned.
• Lead the development and implementation of effective PLCs within the department, with the common objective of improving student achievement, through the analysis of data, goal-setting, progress monitoring, and planning of meeting agenda items followed by documentation of the findings to the Supervisor of Instruction.
• Attend meetings as assigned and accurately report back as a liaison to the Supervisor of Instruction their assigned department on items related to achieving district educational goals; meetings will be scheduled during the instructional day at least once a month.
• Maintain positive, cooperative, and mutually supportive relationships with the administration, instructional staff, students, and parents.

Qualifications

• Be an employed staff member within the Elmwood Park Public Schools and hold proper certification(s).
• Have at least five successful years as a classroom teacher.
• Reports directly to the Supervisor of Instruction.

Verifications of Competency

• District application and/or resume.
• Required documentation outlined in the qualifications above.
• A minimum of three references from former employers, teachers, professors or other professional sources, or copies of recent evaluations and observations of teaching performance.
• Employment interview.
• High school transcripts and official college transcripts if applicable.

Employment Terms

• All Department chairs will be Board of Education approved.
• Compensation for the position will be provided within a Board of Education approved stipend (according to the approved EPEA Contract).
• Positions will be posted and Board of Education approved annually.

Physical Demands

• Use strength to lift items needed to perform the functions of the job.
• Sit, stand and walk for required periods of time.
• Speak and hear.
• Use close vision, color vision, peripheral vision and depth perception along with the ability to focus vision.
• Communicate effectively in English, using proper grammar and vocabulary; American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
• Reach with hands and arms and use hands and fingers to handle objects and operate tools, computers, and/or controls.

Environmental Demands

• Exposure to a variety of childhood and adult diseases and illnesses.
• Occasional exposure to a variety of weather conditions.
• Exposure to heated/air conditioned and ventilated facilities.
• Exposure to a building in which a variety of chemical substances are used for cleaning, instruction, and/or operation of equipment.
• Function in a workplace that is usually moderately quiet but that can be noisy at times.

Evaluations

Performance of this job will be evaluated annually in accordance with this Job Description, any applicable State statute, and such other criteria established by the Board of Education.