JOB DESCRIPTION
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION
The Associate Director of Education is responsible for stewarding the Theaters relationships with teachers and students through the oversight, planning, and implementation of all facets of our Team Shakespeare schools programs, the student matinee program, the annual Chicago Shakespeare SLAM for high school students, professional development programs for teachers, and the Theaters program for patrons with disabilities. The Associate Director works closely and in collaboration with the Director of Education in ensuring that programs, communications, and relationships reflect the philosophy and goals of the department.
ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW
A Regional Tony Award recipient, Chicago Shakespeare Theater produces a year-round season featuring plays, musicals, world premieres, family productions, and theatrical presentations from around the globe alongside education programming for students, teachers, and lifelong learners, and creative community engagement with the city's artists and neighborhoods. Founded in 1986, the Theater has evolved and expanded to present as many as twenty productions and 650 performances annually and has been honored with numerous national and international awards. Chicago Shakespeare is the city's leading presenter of international work and has toured its own productions to five continents. Dedicated to welcoming the next generation of theatergoers, one in four audience members is under the age of eighteen.
Located on Chicago's iconic Navy Pier, Chicago Shakespeare Theater's campus features the Jentes Family Courtyard Theater, The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare, and the Thoma Theater Upstairs. Onstage, in classrooms and neighborhoods across the city, and in venues around the world, Chicago Shakespeare is a multifaceted cultural hub: inviting audiences, artists, and community members to share powerful stories that connect us. As a non-profit organization, Chicago Shakespeare is committed to approaching its work onstage and in the community with the values of service, ingenuity, and collaboration. The Theater strives to engage todays artists and audiences in active and critical conversations with the work of the Theaters namesake playwright, William Shakespeare. www.chicagoshakes.com
COMMITMENT TO INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND ACCESS
Chicago Shakespeare Theater is deeply committed to creating and sustaining an organizational culture that values diversity, inclusion, and equity, as well as promoting a safe, supportive, and collaborative work environment. www.chicagoshakes.com/ideatoaction
ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
- Plan and organize education programs and events focused on performances for students, including the Theaters robust student matinee series.
- Work closely with the Director of Education to ensure that the programs, communications, and relationships both external and internal to support the Departments philosophy and objectives.
- Supervise Learning Programs Associate with oversight of their work and development.
- Manage student matinees onsite, including: coordination and training of Guest Services staff, greeting school groups, troubleshooting, seating charts and signage.
- Maintain daily contact management records on teachers and student contacts utilizing organization-wide Tessitura data base.
- Daily interaction with teachers mostly by phone, providing an excellent customer service experience.
- Welcome teachers and student audiences to the Theaters matinee performances, actively utilizing onsite contacts to build ongoing, supportive relationships with hundreds of teachers each year.
- Plan and manage the departments teacher professional learning programs, including: close collaboration with both external and internal instructors; developing and formatting handouts; recruitment and retention; program evaluation; maintaining records and fulfilling requirements as a professional development provider in affiliation with the Illinois State Board of Education, and Chicago Public Schools.
- Plan, organize, implement, and evaluate the annual Chicago Shakespeare Slam with high schools across the region; recruit, schedule, and steward relationships with teacher coaches; develop support materials, including print and online collateral; recruit and collaborate with teaching artists; interact with students in person during scheduled programming; maintain accurate records; plan all aspects of SLAM events at CST and host schools.
- Manage all education components involved in facilitating the abridged Shakespeare tour, including scheduling, contracting, and extensive follow-up with schools; work collaboratively and communicate effectively with the Production Department, Company Management, and tour manager throughout the entire abridgment tour cycle, from planning to debriefing.
- Develop innovative arts-integrated literacy activities aligned with Common Core and Illinois Arts Learning Standards, and supportive of the departments education philosophy and IDEA objectives.
- Work with members of the Development Department to fully support their efforts on behalf of the Theaters education programs.
- With other education team members, facilitate post-show cast discussions with sensitivity to issues of race and identity that may emerge; recruit and train actors to interface with students and adult audiences.
- Oversee the departments internship program and provide guidance to the Theaters broader internship program.
- Develop expertise in operation/implementation of database programs utilized in the department (Tessitura and Excel), and proactively identify needs in the departments database use.
- Identify and recruit external instructors who are diverse in race and ethnicity, backgrounds and skills to support the teacher learning programs.
- Serve as vocal and proactive advocate for the education programs and constituencies throughout the organization and in the community; serve as CSTs representative in citywide arts learning partner organizations, including Ingenuity, Inc., Illinois School Board of Education (ISBE), and key administrative partners throughout the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) central offices of literacy, arts education, teacher professional development accreditation, and vendor services.
- Maintain the departments standards for clarity, accuracy, and aesthetics throughout all correspondence, and uniformly in both online and printed materials.
- Identify articles, podcasts, books that further the departments commitment to teaching Shakespeare in an anti-racist classroom; identify relevant works of BIPOC authors that can be creatively paired with Shakespeare in the departments teaching materials.
- Plan and execute department communications, including teacher handbooks, teacher workshop materials, the abridged Shakespeare production program, summer family musical program activities, teacher information packets, teacher recruitment for professional learning programs; collaborate with the Marketing Department in developing and maintaining deadline-driven communications materials supporting the departments work for the Theaters website and print and email communications.
- Collaborate with Marketing Department to develop and execute deadlines, printing and mailing specs.
- Oversee the onsite Teacher Resource Center collection; schedule and host teacher visits to the collection; identify, obtain (through contribution or purchase) and accession new resources.
- All other duties as assigned.
