Q. I am a principal in another district. How do I become a principal at CPS?
If you are interested in opportunities at CPS, please send your resume and cover letter to CPSLeaders@cps.k12.il.us. Please include in your cover letter a description of your instructional leadership experience and student success achieved as a principal.

Our Leadership Recruitment team will review your resume, and if qualified, contact you to answer your questions about CPS and schedule an interview. We will work with you to guide you through the Eligibility Process with the Office of Principal Preparation and Development (OPPD). You must be on the Eligibility List in order to be hired as a principal at CPS.

Once you have completed the Eligibility Process, we will work with you and other internal partners in CPS to identify vacancies for which you may want to apply and/or be considered. Selection decisions are made by our Local School Councils for their respective schools though the district may, in certain cases, such as a new school, appoint a principal.

Q. What is the Eligibility Process?
We want to ensure that all our schools have high quality school leadership. All candidates, both internal and external, must complete the Eligibility Process through the Office of Principal Preparation and Development (OPPD) in order to be hired as a principal. For more information on the Eligibility Process, please click here. We may choose, at our discretion, to waive the portfolio requirement if you already have two or more years of continous principal experience and meet other requirements.

Q. I am an Assistant Principal in another district. Can I be considered for principal vacancies at CPS?
Yes, definitely. Please follow the application instructions above to be considered. If you do not already have two or more years of continuous principal experience, you will be required to complete the Portfolio. For more information on the Eligibility Process, please click here.

Q. How do I know which individual schools have vacancies?
New principal vacancies are published each week in CPS’ E-Bulletin. You may access the E-Bulletin by clicking on the link from our site. Your Leadership Recruitment team will also work with you and other CPS partners in identifying appropriate vacancies in which you may be interested within the district based on type of school, geography, your experience and other factors. If you decide to apply to a position you found on E-Bulletin, please let your Leadership Recruitment know of your interest.

Q. How do I obtain a Type 75 certificate for Illinois?
The certificate is available by transcript evaluation only to persons who have completed an approved school administrator program in another state or who hold another state's comparable certificate and is valid for 5 years. Applicants from other states who hold valid comparable certificates from their states but do not meet all of Illinois' requirements can be issued a provisional Illinois certificate which is valid for two years. You will then have nine months from the date of issue to complete the required Illinois examinations. For complete information on Illinois certification requirements, we highly encourage candidates to visit the Illinois State Board of Education site at www.isbe.state.il.us to find out more information and apply for certification as soon as possible.

Q. What is a Local School Council?
Local School Councils are the site-based management team of each school comprised of the principal as well as parent, community and teacher representatives. Their primary responsibility is to select the school´s principal, renew the principal’s contract, approve the School Improvement Plan for Advancing Academic Achievement and approving the school´s budget for the school year. For more information about Local School Councils, please click here.

Q. Do you offer Relocation and/or Housing Assistance?
If you are relocating to Chicago, you may be eligible for relocation assistance. Our Teacher Housing program is also available to administrators. For more information on the many benefits this program offers, including rental and housing discounts, please click here.

Q. Do I need to reside within the City of Chicago to be hired as a principal?
Chicago Public Schools does have a residency policy. Principals must establish residency within the city of Chicago within 6 months of date of hire. For more information on this policy, please click on the Residency Policy link on our site.

Q. I am a current CPS employee. Can I work with you to find a principal position?
If you are currently on the Eligibility List, we encourage you to check the E-Bulletin weekly to review new principal vacancies that are posted and follow the application instructions. If you are not currently on the Eligibility List, please visit the OPPD website at www.oppdcps.com for information on how to apply. CPS also partners with Principal Preparation programs through New Leaders for New Schools, LAUNCH and UIC. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at (773) 553-1237 or CPSLeaders@cps.k12.il.us.

Q. Is my retirement plan reciprocal with Chicago’s retirement plan?
Chicago’s retirement plan is reciprocal with the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) plan which covers school districts in Illinois outside Chicago and the two plans coordinate benefits. It is not reciprocal with other plans. Candidates who are vested or eligible for retirement in a plan outside of CPS can earn additional pension benefits by joining CPS.

Q. What is the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association?
The CPAA is an organization working on behalf of Principals, Assistant Principals, and Administrators of the Chicago Public Schools. Their goal is to improve educational and administrative leadership in our schools and to elevate the status and morale of their members. For more information on the benefits of CPAA, please visit their website at www.mycpaa.org.