Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is a district on the rise, serving over 320,000 students in 500+ schools and employing over 44,000 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.  In order to fulfill this mission, we make three commitments to our students, their families, and all Chicagoans: academic progress, financial stability, and integrity.  Six core values are embedded within these commitments – student-centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning.

About CPS Equity Project Temporary Positions

With partners across the city, CPS’ Talent Office has launched the Pre-Service Teacher Equity Project, which creates temporary positions for pre-service teacher program candidates, completing their experience in our highest needs schools. These temporary program positions support schools in the district to accomplish the following goals:

• Expand new teacher pipelines into CPS classrooms

• Improve Day One Readiness of new teachers 

• Ensure equity in students’ access to high-quality teachers 

• Support teacher recognition, leadership and retention 

• Build diversity now for long-term change

The CPS Pre-Service Teaching Equity Project, or P-STEP, aims to form a partnership to enhance existing pathways to teaching by leveraging the expertise of local Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs). This collaborative work will focus on strengthening the qualifications and preparation of incoming teachers, specifically to support students in CPS's hard-to-staff schools. CPS utilizes local talent and resources to better recruit, prepare, develop, and retain a strong workforce in partnership with local colleges and universities.

Job Summary: 

This part-time/temporary position will be compensated for time worked on an hourly basis. The work schedule for this role will consist of an estimated 1 hour per week for an anticipated period of 5 months beginning January 12, 2026 and ending June 30, 2026. Due to the part-time/temporary nature of this work, this is not a benefit-eligible position. This role will be paid a one time stipend at the end of the program. This role will report to the Student Teaching Program Manager.

The part-time/temporary Equity Project Pre-Service position will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Engage in a student teaching experience; shadowing an experienced, highly-rated cooperating teacher

• Gain experience in classroom management, supporting student’s academic growth, using data to differentiate instruction, and building long-term support systems for students

• Engage in professional learning throughout their pre-service teaching experience 

• Other duties as assigned

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the part-time/temporary Equity Project Pre-Service candidate must possess the following qualifications: 

Education Required: 

• Enrolled in coursework leading to a Professional Educator’s License at any approved CPS University Partner

Experience Required: 

• Minimum of three (3) years of university coursework completion. 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Superior organizational/time management skills and attention to detail

• Strong problem-solving and critical thinking abilities, combined with strong initiative and a team player attitude

• Ability to communicate concepts and content to students

• Growth mindset, focus on continuous learning and professional development

• A passion and interest to make a difference through teaching

• Excellent communication skills (both written and verbal)

• The ability to take and implement constructive criticism

• Strong alignment with the goal of achieving equity and equality for all students

• Passionately believe that all students deserve a quality education

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.