Assistant/Associate Professor and Program Chair for Teacher Leader Program

The Teacher Leader Program Chair serves as the academic and operational leader for the Teacher Leader Program, working collaboratively with faculty, university leadership, school partners, and professional organizations to ensure program quality, growth, innovation, and alignment with state and national standards. We seek a colleague with extensive teacher leadership experience at the school and/or district level. The successful candidate will provide vision, leadership, and innovation to the teacher leadership program at the Certificate, Endorsement, M.Ed., and Ed.S levels, preparing candidates to develop a strong foundation in leading adult learning, evidence-based decision-making, research project design, and using data analysis for PK-16 improvement. Experience in program evaluation and policy advocacy at the P-12 or higher education levels would be welcomed.

A demonstrated research agenda and productivity appropriate to the field of educational leadership with demonstrated skill in research methodologies is expected. Priority will be given to individuals with research in the area of teacher leadership, professional development, coaching, or mentoring. Priority will also be given to individuals with experience in with leadership with the higher education setting.

The successful candidate will contribute to strategic growth of the Teacher Leader Program by developing innovative pathways, strengthening district partnerships, and responding to emerging needs in educator leadership development.

The position is within a dynamic College of Education and is housed under the School of Educational Leadership Studies.

WHO WE ARE

NLU’s National College of Education (NCE) understands that serving PreK-12 students as teachers and school leaders is a calling, a commitment, and a career. Our unique style of partnership with students at all levels—from new teacher preparation to advanced professional programs to doctoral degrees—guides all we do as we create today’s teachers and tomorrow’s leaders.

Our programs are designed with the needs of our students in mind. Graduates frequently cite the National College of Education’s top quality professors, convenient locations, flexible course offerings and affordability. Most of all, the commitment to “real world” progressive education is unparalleled. NCE graduates make a difference. Our educators are found in 40% of Illinois public schools and 75% of Chicago Public Schools, collectively impacting the lives of 60,000 students each year.

At NCE, our commitment to learning includes ourselves. We have recently created four new programs and evolved an additional 21 programs to more appropriately address the needs of today’s educators.

WHO YOU ARE

You are: A Change Leader.
You are an accomplished PreK-12 educator with a passion for developing students and teachers to their fullest potential. You are an experienced leader who has successfully guided schools and/or district through change. You are a constructive partner who leads the work that needs to be done and advocates for high quality education. You are a veteran educator attracted to university teaching as a new career step and a new level of positive influence on American education. You are deeply motivated by a desire to work in a learning community that is preparing the next generation of life-changing leaders.

You will: Model and Support Research.
You believe in the power of practitioner researchers. You will draw upon current research to inform your instruction. You will use your research agenda to model research methodologies for our candidates. You will support our candidates as they become research practitioners.

You are ready to: Make an Impact.
Each and every day, this program changes lives. You want to be a part of NCE’s societally impactful leadership as an educator preparation institution. You are someone who will always look for creative ways for students to earn success. We know this work is challenging, but we are in it together and you are inspired by the opportunity to work collaboratively with other educational leaders to optimize our impact together.

Essential Responsibilities

• Provide leadership, management, and administrative oversight to the Teacher Leader Program, including student advising, adjunct faculty workload management, curriculum, assessment, scheduling, technology development, and ISBE compliance.
• Teach courses in the Teacher Leader Program.
• Oversee clinical hour requirements in the Teacher Leader Program.
• Oversee the Teacher Leader endorsement requirements for ISBE.
• Work with state-level organizations to advocate for Teacher Leadership.
• Support University marketing and enrollment management processes.
• Engage in the learning-community life of National Louis University through engagement in meetings, committees, professional development, and collaborative projects with faculty and staff.

Qualifications

• Possess an earned doctorate in Educational Leadership, or a related field.
• At least three years of leadership experience, with preference given to teacher leadership experience. Formal coaching and mentoring experience will be viewed positively.
• Have experience conducting applied research in classrooms/school/district settings, and higher education teaching experience commensurate with rank.
• Demonstrate excellence in online teaching with adult learners.
• Applicants with experience participating in and/or obtaining personnel preparation or research grants in this area would be viewed positively.
• Applicants with experience advocating at the state policy level would be viewed positively.