Citywide Teacher - Arts Education

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is a district on the rise, serving over 325,000 students in 500+ schools and employing over 45,000 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.

Aligned with our transformed philosophy, we are steadfastly focused on ensuring that the District provides resources equitably to support every student, every school, and every community. Six core values guide the work we do every day for our students - student-centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning.

Each role in the district supports our vision that every student deserves a rigorous, joyful, and equitable learning experience.

The Department of Arts Education (DAE) leads CPS's commitment to expanding equitable, high-quality arts learning across the district. DAE supports PK-12 instruction in dance, music, theatre, visual arts, and media arts through professional learning, curriculum guidance, resource development, and citywide arts initiatives.

Citywide Teacher - Arts Educations work in partnership with DAE leadership, Network Chiefs, and school principals to provide direct instructional services to schools without stable arts staffing.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Director of Arts Education within the DAE, the Citywide Teacher - Arts Education is a full-time CPS fine arts educator assigned to support multiple elementary schools that have limited or vacant fine arts staffing.

As outlined in Article 49-19 of the CTU-CPS Collective Bargaining Agreement, these itinerant teachers fill critical instructional gaps by providing direct, high-quality arts instruction while ensuring equitable access to arts education for students across the district.

The teacher may travel between assigned schools, provides instruction aligned with CPS arts standards, collaborates with school leaders and DAE staff, and supports classroom environments that reflect the district's arts education vision. This is a 39.6-week role that will work and be paid according to the collective bargaining agreement with the Chicago Teachers Union.

The Citywide Teacher - Arts Education will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Provide high-quality, standards-aligned fine arts instruction (dance, music, theatre, visual arts, or media arts) across multiple assigned schools on a rotating schedule.
• Design and implement lesson plans that support student creativity, skill development, and engagement in alignment with CPS Arts Education Plan 2.0 and CPS instructional frameworks.
• Collaborate with school leaders and the Citywide Coordinator to support scheduling, school readiness, instructional needs, and progress monitoring.
• Participate in professional learning, collaborative planning, and coaching sessions facilitated by DAE.
• Maintain accurate instructional records, student data (e.g. grades, attendance, etc.), and service logs across multiple school sites; communicates with parents or guardians and counsels students on the student's academic progress, attendance, and conduct
• Contribute to districtwide arts initiatives, showcases, exhibitions, and arts-integrated learning opportunities as needed.
• Other duties as assigned

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Citywide Teacher - Arts Education must possess the following qualifications:

Education Required

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
• Valid teaching certificate/Professional Educator's License (PEL) issued by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) with appropriate fine arts endorsement (Dance, Music, Theatre, or Visual Arts)
• Master's degree in Arts Education or related field preferred

Experience Required

• Successful completion of all student teaching requirements as well as all course work required to obtain the appropriate teaching license(s) issued by the Illinois State Board of Education required
• Experience teaching in diverse school settings or across multiple grade levels is preferred
• Experience designing arts curriculum, integrating arts into other content areas, or contributing to arts programming preferred

Other Requirements

• Travel between school sites on a weekly or daily schedule is required

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong understanding of arts-specific pedagogy and developmentally appropriate practice for elementary students.
• Ability to deliver high-quality, standards-aligned instruction across varied school environments.
• Flexibility and problem-solving skills needed to work successfully across multiple sites with different structures and resources.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, including maintaining consistent schedules and documentation across schools.
• Ability to build positive relationships with students, staff, administrators, and central office partners.
• Commitment to equity, culturally responsive instruction, and expanding access to arts education.

Benefits

Health & Wellness: Your Care, Your Choice

CPS is committed to providing comprehensive health coverage to our employees and their eligible dependents. You'll have access to a variety of choices to best fit your needs:

Medical Plan Options

Pharmacy

Dental

Vision

Behavioral Health & EAP

Employee Wellness Program

Financial Security: Planning for Today and Tomorrow

We understand the importance of financial stability, which is why CPS offers strong retirement and savings options:

Basic Life Insurance

Life and Disability Insurance

Pension Plans

Supplemental Retirement Plans (403(b) and 457(b))

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

Spot Pet Insurance

Work-Life Balance: Supporting Your Personal and Professional Life

CPS values the well-being of its employees and offers competitive paid time off policies:

Paid Leave

Sick Leave

Vacation Days

Parental Leaves

Short-Term Disability

Religious Holidays

Leaves

Reference the Chicago Public Schools: A Comprehensive Benefits Overview or the benefits handbook for comprehensive details.

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.