Job Title: Division Head - History
Reports to: Assistant Superintendent for Student Learning
Terms and Conditions: Full-time, 11-month position
FLSA Status: Exempt
Salary: $115,000 - $135,000, based on qualifications and experience; competitive benefits package
Please click here for more information regarding salary
and benefits.

OPRF – WHO WE ARE…

Oak Park and River Forest High School, or OPRF, is a comprehensive public high school located in Oak Park, IL, a suburb eight miles due west of downtown Chicago. We are a one-school district, with the majority of our students coming from two sender districts, River Forest Public Schools District 90 and Oak Park Elementary School District 97. We offer more than 200 courses, a variety of programs for students with special needs, 103 clubs and activities, and 34 competitive sports. We prepare our students well for post-secondary success, with an average ACT composite score of 24 and a 96% graduation rate.

Oak Park and River Forest are communities that highly value diversity. OPRF is a founding member of the national Minority Student Achievement Network, and our school is racially and economically diverse, with about 48% of our 3,300 students identifying as African-American, Hispanic, multiracial, or Asian. Our villages have long embraced the LGBTQ community, and we have a significant mix of homeowners and renters.

We seek faculty and staff who have high expectations for all students, and who value student voice in education. As a school, we are particularly focused on closing opportunity gaps for our students of color and other under-represented groups. OPRF is an equal opportunity employer that provides equal employment opportunities to all without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. OPRF’s goal is to increase the diversity of its workforce.

OPRF is a great place for those who are interested in an environment that supports creativity, leadership at all levels, innovation, a focus on professional and curriculum development, and the best practices of instruction. We are currently seeking individuals to join our team that all students are capable of high levels of academic and social success.

Position Summary:

The Division Head for History has the primary responsibility for establishing and leading a vision for History instruction and student achievement. As an exemplary teacher and leader, the History Division Head supervises teachers and works collaboratively to build the instructional capacity of the history division. The History Division Head collaborates with the Division Head team to foster innovative learning experiences, cultivate a sense of belonging, and ensure post-secondary success for all students.

As members of the Student Learning and All District Administrative teams, Division Heads make administrative decisions and lead curricular, instructional, personnel, and financial matters within their division. Division Heads are leaders in the school who balance their roles as Division Heads with their roles as leaders within the school. As such they help develop policy recommendations and procedures, provide input into and make decisions in the best interest of students.

Qualifications:

A master’s degree in Education or closely related field is required; Ed.D/Ph.D. desirable.
Valid Illinois Professional Educator License with the General Administrative or Principal Endorsement.
Illinois State Board of Education issued teacher evaluator designation.
A minimum of three years of successful instructional leadership experience.
A minimum of five years of successful teaching experience.
Commitment to equity and eliminating systemic obstacles for students of color and diverse learners.
Leadership style that values people and is based on high professional and ethical values.
Demonstrated initiative and high level of motivation.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (Core Competencies):

Knowledge of History high school curriculum and programming.
Knowledge of instructional strategies as they relate to History.
Excellent interpersonal, communication, organizational and time management skills.
Proven skills in collaborative decision-making and team building.
Effective skills in data collection and analysis for decision-making.
Knowledge of and experience preparing, overseeing and administering budgets.
Demonstrated ability to perform duties under stress and adhere to strict deadlines.
Demonstrated ability to maintain strict confidentiality and exercise sound judgment.
Demonstrated ability to maintain and update professional expertise, including involvement in professional organizations that highlight new trends in education.
Demonstrated ability to build strong rapport with students, staff, parents, and community.

Position Responsibilities:

Supervisory and Leadership Responsibilities

Demonstrate vision and leadership for history education and provide leadership in establishing shared beliefs, values, and practices that help students and staff realize that vision.
Assist teachers in their handling of the day‐to‐day problems including student behavior, student achievement, student evaluation, lesson planning and presentation.
Continuously evaluate the performance of faculty and staff and the division.
Apprise the appropriate administrator of division needs and concerns.
Provide educational leadership for the division and the entire school program.
Promote the importance of history education among community, staff and students.
Supervise the History Division intervention services.
Provide leadership in the selection of the Class of 1940 History Writing Award
Network with history and social science leaders locally and nationally.
Supervise school librarians and library media services.

Curricular and Instructional Responsibilities

All OPRF Division Heads teach one course.

Ensure curriculum is aligned to state and national standards and build the capacity of staff to implement recommended practices in history education.
Demonstrate knowledge of evidenced-based practices and research in history and apply these practices in classroom instruction and in the Division’s curriculum, instructional practices, and professional learning.
Lead division curriculum teams in the development and continuous improvement of history curriculum, using student data, evidence-based research and practices, and stakeholder feedback.
Evaluate current courses and recommend courses to be added, dropped, or revised.
Provide division leadership in the selection, development and use of curricular materials
Recommend all textbooks and other instructional and student materials.
Provide division leadership in the selection, development, and use of instructional methodologies.
Assume teaching duties as assigned.
Apply district processes and assume responsibility for recommending faculty and staff FTE based on course enrollments and in the assignment of classroom and supervisory responsibilities.
Advise and cooperate with the appropriate administrator regarding the selection of course offerings and assignment of teachers as well as the allocation of facilities and equipment for summer programs.
Coordinate with the appropriate administrator in planning the long‐range personnel, facility and equipment needs of the division.
Lead the curricular planning and budgeting for field trips and make initial recommendations to the Assistant Superintendent for Student Learning.
Cooperate with appropriate personnel in the placement of students.
Assist Special Education administration in coordination of co‐teaching assigning and student placement for history classes.

Administrative Responsibilities

Attend All District Administrator (ADA) meetings
Develop and maintain professional, productive, and effective relationships with other school and community groups and individuals, including articulation with public and private associate schools,
Develop and implement division budget and monitor and control expenditures.
Assist in the selection and help coordinate the activities of student teachers, interns and substitute teachers.
Recruit and recommend for employment non‐certified staff within the division.
Promote accomplishments of students and division members.
Promote the activities of the division.
Develop goals, activities, outcomes and reports for divisional professional learning teams.
Work closely with the Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources in the implementation of the District recruitment and employment program, including but not limited to identifying division faculty for the District recruitment team; attending job fairs as requested; working to achieve District minority staff goal(s); creating and facilitating division interviews; working with the Assistant Superintendent for Student Learning and the Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources to identify candidates to be interviewed for faculty positions; and making recommendations of candidates for faculty positions to the appropriate administrative team; and participating in those interviews.
Coordinate articulation with District 97 and 90 and other associate schools eighth grade history teachers on placement recommendations for incoming freshmen

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work activities are conducted in a climate-controlled open office environment and noise levels are usually quiet. There are no hazardous or significantly unpleasant conditions.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit for extended periods of time, possess average ordinary visual acuity necessary to prepare or inspect documents or operate office equipment, talk, hear average or normal conversations, reach with hands and arms, walk, climb and descend stairs, bend, crouch, lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Frequent and regular movements are required using the wrists, hands and fingers to feel, handle, or operate office equipment, tools, or controls.

The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and is not an exhaustive listing of the duties performed in this position. The individuals currently holding this position perform additional duties and additional duties may be assigned.

Please, no phone calls. The respective hiring manager will review candidates once the job posting closes. If selected to move forward, you will be contacted by phone or email. After reviewing the job posting, if you have any questions, please send an email to hr@oprfhs.org.

Oak Park & River Forest High School District 200 (OPRF) is an Equal Opportunity Employer