10-8. Instructional Support Leaders
10-8.1. Instructional Support Leaders (“ISL”) Classification.
10-8.1(a). Class and Duties/Responsibilities.
ISLs are quasi-administrative positions that have the authority, duty and responsibility to evaluate, coach and mentor teachers, principals and other staff but do not have authority to hire, fire or otherwise supervise teachers and PSRPs except that a network chief or designee may delegate these responsibilities to an ISL on a temporary basis.
10-8.1(b). Licensure and position definition.
Licensure as a teacher or administrator is a strongly preferred but not required credential. Nothing shall impede the BOARD’s ability to set the required subject-area credentials for each ISL position, based upon the instructional needs of the Network.
10-8.1(c). Exempt Status.
ISLs are exempt professional employees.
10-8.1(d). Status Quo after Recognition.
No ISL shall suffer a loss in salary or benefits due to the agreement to bring ISLs into the bargaining unit in December 2015.
10-8.2. Salary Scale.
Effective July 1, 2024 52-week ISLs will be placed on a salary schedule that is 10% higher than their 208-day teacher salary as specified in Appendix A in accordance with District Policy.
10-8.2(a). New hire step placement.
New hires or transfers will be placed on step 1 or any appropriate advanced step in accordance with CPS policies.
10-8.2(b). Incumbent Employee Step Placement.
Effective July 1, 2024, the Board will place incumbent ISLs on the step set forth in the Incumbent Step Placement. Step placement shall be in accordance with the following principles:
An ISL who has not been employed for 12 months or more as of July 1, 2024, will be placed on step 2 of the appropriate lane provided that the step has a salary equal to or greater than the ISLs current salary plus the July 1, 2024 COLA.
All other ISLs will be placed on the appropriate lane as defined in the CPS Compensation and Pay Plan Policy and placed on a step that has a salary equal to or greater the ISLs current salary plus the July 1, 2024, COLA.
10-8.3. Saturday/Sunday Work.
ISLs who are required to work on Saturday or Sunday will be paid a non-pensionable stipend of $125 per day for work performed on those days. This amount will be increased each year by the COLA.
10-8.4. Regular Work Day and Work Year.
10-8.4(a). Regular Work Day.
ISLs shall work an eight-hour work day, inclusive of a working lunch up to forty-five minutes or exclusive of a duty-free lunch period up to thirty minutes. All travel time is part of the 8-hour work day, except travel to the first and from the last work location each day.
The practice of one attendance swipe per day shall be maintained. The work day shall normally begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 4:30 p.m.; however, start and end times may vary according to school start and end times as well as any meetings prior to or after school (e.g., if an ISL is assigned to a school that starts at 8:30 a.m. and has administrative meetings at 7:30 a.m. that the ISL is required to attend, the ISL’s day would start at 7:30 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m.)
It is understood that ISLs may be required to work outside their regular workday or work week schedule. On non-student attendance days, if Central Office employees are provided the option to work remotely, ISLs will also be afforded the same opportunity, except in cases where operational needs necessitate their on-site presence.
10-8.4(b). Work Year.
ISLs continuously employed in a twelve-school-month, 52-week schedule (or its previous equivalent) shall maintain their 52-week schedule, unless they voluntarily elect to transfer to a different position with a shorter work year.
10-8.4(c). Change in Work Year.
During the annual budgeting process prior to the beginning of each fiscal year, Network Chiefs and ISLs may mutually decide to convert an ISL’s position from a 208-day schedule to a 248-day schedule, or vice versa. Nothing shall impede the Network Chiefs’ authority to change an ISL’s annual schedule from/to a 208- or 248-day schedule to accommodate appropriate budgetary or instructional needs, provided the ISL is provided at least two months’ notice of any such change.
10-8.4(d). Calendar.
The BOARD shall distribute a yearly calendar by July 1st of each year with dates significant for ISLs (i.e. holidays, Thanksgiving week and winter break).
10-8.5. Vacation Accrual and Scheduling.
As 52-week employees, ISLs will accrue vacation in accordance with the Board’s Paid Time Off Policy.
10-8.6. Paid Designated Leave (Effective Winter Break SY25-26).
All ISLs whose regular work schedules extend through the time periods will receive additional paid designated leave each year when CPS schools are closed during the week of Thanksgiving and during the two-week winter recess, provided they work their scheduled shift on both the workday immediately preceding and the workday immediately following each period. This paid designated leave does not accumulate, and will not be paid out upon resignation, retirement, or separation from CPS.
10-8.7. Promotion and Professional Opportunity for ISL.
10-8.7(a). Posting of Vacancies.
The BOARD shall post all vacant ISL positions for at least ten days prior to the deadline for applications. The positions shall be posted on the Chicago Public Schools job application portal.
10-8.7(b). Posting Components.
The posting shall include a description of the duties of the position; the qualifications required of persons applying for the position; the location of the position, if known; and the salary range of the position.
10-8.8. Return to Classroom.
An ISL who decides to return to a teaching or PSRP position shall be placed in the appropriate lane and step, as applicable. The ISL shall get credit on the step placement for time worked for CPS in a Network position and/or outside of the bargaining unit.
10-8.9. Supply Money.
Each Fiscal Year, the BOARD shall appropriate sufficient funds to reimburse ISLs up to $300 per employee for instructional supplies and materials, class library books and curriculum materials purchased by them for student instruction and support. Administrators shall approve the reimbursements in accordance with the procedures developed by BOARD, and such reimbursements shall be paid by the end of the semester in which the receipts were submitted.
10-8.10. ISL Layoff.
10-8.10(a). Application of Appendix H and I.
Neither Appendix H nor Appendix I will apply in the event of an ISL layoff.
10-8.10(b). Notice of Position Closing.
When a determination is made that an ISL’s services are no longer required at a network, the ISL will be so notified (hereinafter “notice of layoff”) twenty-one days in advance of the effective date of layoff.
10-8.10(c). Order of ISL Layoff.
In the event that the BOARD closes ISL positions, the BOARD shall determine which ISL classification shall be retained and which shall be closed. Among ISLs within the network (or other business unit or department) and within the same classification, the order of layoff shall be as follows:
ISLs without a teaching certificate or licensure shall be laid off first;
Additional ISLs shall be laid off by inverse order of seniority, starting with the least senior.
10-8.10(d). ISL Benefits Upon Layoff.
In the event an ISL is laid off, eligible ISLs shall be placed in the Reassigned Teacher Pool, provided their most recent summative rating was not Unsatisfactory. This provision applies to any ISLs who has previously achieved tenured teacher status or who has served in an ISLs role for at least three (3) consecutive years with a summative rating of Proficient or higher. Eligible ISLs laid off during the school year shall be placed in the Reassigned Teacher Pool effective on the date of the layoff and may remain there for up to ten (10) school months. During this period, such ISLs may be temporarily assigned to a full-time teacher vacancy for which they are qualified and shall be compensated in accordance with the salary schedule and work year applicable to teacher positions.
10-8.10(e). Assistance in Permanent Placement after Layoff.
The BOARD shall assist ISLs who are laid-off in an effort to find them permanent placements in vacancies in appropriate areas of licensure (certification).
10-8.11. Evaluation.
10-8.11(a). Evaluation Tool and Process.
ISLs shall be evaluated under the RISE framework in conformity with the provisions agreed to below:
The Parties agree the evaluation system shall include the following components:
Annual evaluation. The ISLs shall be evaluated annually.
Flexible Timelines. The evaluation timelines shall incorporate flexibility to allow the evaluation process to be thorough and fair to both managers and employees.
Competency-Based Rubric. The evaluation tool will include a competency-based rubric, documentation of feedback, and an unscored self-assessment component.
Goal-Setting and Rubric. The evaluation tool will incorporate annual goal setting done collaboratively at a meeting of the ISL and the evaluator, including weighting goals to their relative priority. In cases of misalignment, final goals and weighting shall be at the discretion of the evaluator and shall be reasonably related to job content and responsibilities.
Mid-year check-in. The evaluation system will include a mid-year check-in for each evaluator and ISL to provide an opportunity to discuss progress towards goals, feedback and additional support for the ISL.
At the request of Evaluator or ISL, a meeting will be scheduled to adjust the goals to reflect any changes in job duties and responsibilities.
Summative Rating. The summative evaluation will incorporate a 5-rating system, “exemplary,” “proficient,” “progressing,” “acquiring,” or “unsatisfactory” based on a numerical scoring system. The summative rating score will include the score from both the competency-based rubric and a rubric for assessing goals. Each shall be weighted 50% for the overall summative evaluation rating.
Remediation. Any ISL rated “progressing” or “acquiring” shall be placed on a Professional Development Plan, the parameters and timelines of which shall be set by the evaluator in consultation with the Talent Office. Any ISL rated “unsatisfactory” or rated “progressing” or “acquiring” for two consecutive evaluations will be placed on a Remediation Plan. The evaluation system shall set forth specific timelines and parameters for a Remediation Plan, including what constitutes successful completion, and which requires termination if an ISL does not successfully complete a Remediation Plan.
10-8.12. ISL Termination.
10-8.12(a). Appeal.
Review of dismissals under terms corresponding to CBA Article 29 and Article 9. ISL discharge procedures will be governed under the same terms as delineated for PSRPs.
10-8.13. Leaves.
ISLs shall have the same parental leave rights as Teachers except for access to a childrearing leave.
10-8.14. Travel Stipend.
ISLs shall be provided a $100 travel stipend every month instead of mileage reimbursement.