Chief Legal And Equity Officer

Position Type:
Administration/Assistant Superintendent
Date Posted:
10/31/2023
Location:
Oak Park Elementary School District 97
Closing Date:
11/30/2023
Oak Park Elementary School District 97 is a PK-8 elementary school district serving the students of Oak Park in Cook County, Illinois. Oak Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, adjacent to Chicago. It is the 29th-most populous municipality in Illinois with a population of 54,583 as of the 2020 U.S. Census. The district consists of 8 elementary schools and 2 middle schools which serve 5,532 students.
Oak Park School District is a highly diverse and welcoming school community for all. Our community has a history of being forward-thinking and inclusive. We are racially and economically diverse with about 46% of our students identifying as African-American, Hispanic, multiracial, or Asian.
About the Role
The Chief Legal & Equity Officer supports student learning by assisting the Superintendent and the Board of Education with legal counsel, providing district oversight, and ensuring district operational compliance with State and federal policy and laws. The Chief Legal & Equity Officer will ensure that equity is at the center of the district's operations so as to positively impact student learning and employee practices by providing cross-departmental support and leadership development with a focus on equitable outcomes. The Chief Legal & Equity Officer will ensure fiscal responsibility by providing strategic access to outside counsel in an effort to reduce legal costs to the District.
The Chief Legal & Equity Officer will provide general oversight of the Human Resources Department through the direct supervision of the Senior Human Resources Director who will be responsible for the coordination of Human Resources functional areas including compensation and benefits administration, recruitment and employment, leave administration, workers compensation, training and development, employee relations, compliance, and human resources information systems. The Chief Legal & Equity Officer will assist and support in attracting, developing and retaining the quality and quantity of personnel who can ensure universal student success while supporting the district's equity commitments as expressed in Board Policy 7:12: Ensuring Racial and Educational Equity.
The Chief Legal & Equity Officer supports the School Safety and Security Office with building Threat Assessment capacity and the implementation of intergovernmental agreements with Oak Park Police Department (OPPD).
Essential Role Responsibilities:
Governance & Policy

• Serves as legal advisor to the Board of Education, Board committees, the Superintendent, and other staff on legal matters relating to the daily business of the District.
• Advises the Board of Education in open and closed sessions, regular and special meetings.
• Oversees the development of policy for the Board of Education in conjunction with the District's Policy Committee, including utilization of an equity framework to ensure equitable outcomes in the District.
• Centers the role of the equity policy in district decision-making and ensures its focus in leadership decisions, including use of an equity impact analysis tool.
• Oversees the formulation of administrative procedures in compliance with Board policy.
• Prepares necessary legal documents and oversees the legal compliance of all elections of Board members and for such referendums or special elections as may be called by the Board of Education.
• Conducts internal investigations of District-related matters at the direction of the Board of Education and/or the Superintendent.

Business Operations

• Drafts and negotiates a broad range of contracts and memoranda of understanding (MOU's).
• Review and monitor district Intergovernmental Agreements (IGA's)
• Advises staff on matters related to bids, procurement and contracts.
• Assists in reviewing Request for Proposals, Professional Service Agreements, and other procurement documents.
• Supports financial audits and compliance.

Labor and Employment

• Serves on the bargaining team in collective bargaining meetings with all represented labor groups.
• Provides legal guidance to District administration on matters related to labor and employment to ensure compliance with statutory and contractual requirements.
• Collaborates with Human Resources and other departments on issues relating to employee collective bargaining rights.
• Assists the Human Resources Department on issues involving employee discipline and misconduct.
• Coaches, develops, and supports Human Resources staff in conducting internal employee investigations.
• Represents the District in employee discipline and termination proceedings.
• Assigns counsel to represent the District in Labor and Employment law matters before State and federal courts and collective bargaining, as needed.
• Investigates and responds to complaints filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR), Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL), United States Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR), Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB) and other agencies.
• Investigates and responds to employee grievances in conjunction with the Senior Director of Human Resources on behalf of the Board of Education.
• Counsels employees who are subpoenaed to appear in court or before a State or federal agency in the course of their job duties.
• Supervises the Human Resources department.

General Legal Matters

• Reviews, develops, drafts, negotiations and implements legal instruments, contracts and documents for execution by Officers of the Board of Education or the Superintendent and in compliance with State and federal law and regulations.
• Prepares District's response to annual Regional Office of Education audit.
• Assigns counsel to defend the District in litigation and in certain legal matters that require specific subject matter expertise and when in the District's fiscal and strategic interests to do so.
• Assists outside counsel in the preparation of documentation responsive to litigation requirements.
• Coaches, develops, and provides cross-departmental support to District-level leaders to advance equitable outcomes.
• Provides support to student safety team
• Coaches, develops, and supports district complaint managers in carrying out various internal and external investigations within the District.

Open Meetings Act and Freedom of Information Act

• Serves as Open Meetings Act Officer.
• Assigns, coaches, and supports the capacity of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Officer to respond to requests and assists the FOIA Officer, as needed.
• Work with BOE and Secretary to BOE to develop and implement policy systems including community engagement and supporting the Public Information and Outreach Director with FOIA requests.
• Works with all District departments to identify records in all responsive subject areas and ensures they are processed in accordance with State and federal laws.
• Advises the Board and administration on public records laws and open government laws and requirements.

Records Management

• Ensures District-wide compliance with State and federal regulations and Board policies related to student and District business-related records, including the maintenance, retention and proper disposal of records.

Non-Discrimination and Title IX

• Assigns, coaches, develops and supports the capacity of the non-discrimination and Title IX Coordinator in investigating complaints in violation of state or federal law and Board Policy.

Training

• Informs staff of changes in legislation, Administrative Regulations, Board Policy and other issues.
• Presents training to staff on a variety of topics to remain compliant with State and federal law.
• Develop systems and capacity of leadership team to ensure strategic use of legal resources.
• Develop, organize and implement professional development opportunities for district, building, and program staff with an emphasis on racial and Equity awareness.
• Provide strategic guidance for training initiatives on topics such as cultural competency, gender and sexual differences, disability, and other topics designed to increase awareness, and support of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

General Student Matters

• Investigates and responds to regulatory inquiries from the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
• Oversees the residency investigations process.
• Develops, maintains and revises the District's Parent/Guardian Handbook and ensures compliance with School Board policy and State and federal law.
• Reviews court orders as they impact student issues.
• Oversees and supports District records custodians with the compilation and forwarding of documents responsive to student records requests.
• Assists school sites in suspension, expulsion, and transfer of students.
• Advises staff on constitutional issues related to student's civil rights, including free speech, searches, non-discrimination and other related issues.
• Support Assistant Superintendents of Elementary and Middle Schools to build capacity for supporting parents and students with Gender Identity Plans.
• Appoints the hearing officer in suspension review and expulsion proceedings.
• Represents District in student suspension review and expulsion hearings.

Special Education

• Advises staff on State and federal special education and Section 504 compliance issues.
• Attends IEP and Section 504 meetings when the student/legal guardian is represented by legal counsel.
• Advises outside counsel in Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Mediation and Due Process matters.
• Assigns counsel to represent the District in special education litigation.
• Trains staff in a variety of special education matters.

Ethics

• Advises the Board and administration on the Board's Code of Ethics, State ethics laws and conflict of interest laws and requirements.
• Acts as the District's Ethics Officer.
• Fosters effective and collaborative relationships with District 97 labor groups and union representatives.
• Works cross-functionally with instructional and operational leaders to execute the Chief School Business Official standards as outlined in the Illinois School Code.
• Performs additional job functions as outlined by the district and other duties as assigned.

Content Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required:

• Knowledge of position management, staff development and training, employee relations and related personnel functions and services.
• Knowledge of how policy and administrative procedures are developed, implemented and evaluated with fidelity.
• Knowledge of effective supervisory methods and practices, including performance appraisal of staff.
• Knowledge of contemporary diversity, equity, inclusion and multiculturalism concepts and issues, especially in public education.
• Knowledge of federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations governing
  administration in the public school setting.
• Knowledge of laws and legal standards pertaining to employee relations and human resource management.
• Knowledge of union protocols and processes.
• Knowledge of negotiations and collective bargaining strategies.
• Strong project management, planning and forecasting skills.
• Knowledge of current and emerging HR functions, processes, principles and practices.
• Knowledge and understanding payroll processing.
• Demonstrates ability to use various business computer applications proficiently (e.g., HRIS enterprise and other platforms, excel, cloud-based tools, data databases, etc).
• Ability to generate effective presentations and produce high quality reports, draft policies and procedures and produce publications and communicate clearly both orally and in writing.
• Ability to meaningfully engage a wide variety of stakeholders in critical conversations and reflection around racial identity, implicit bias, systemic racism, structural inequities, etc.

Portrait of a District 97 Leader:

• Champions the vision of the school district.
• Leads with an unrelenting commitment to serve ALL students.
• Embraces the connection between public school leadership, student learning and Equity.
• Aspires to the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and confidentiality.
• Models a forward-thinking and innovative mindset.
• Stewards public funds with a high sense of responsibility.
• Balances a drive to lead with an awareness of the cross-functional nature of district work.
• Demonstrates the ability to organize teams to achieve common goals.
• Generates a culture of care for, learning with and service to the community.
• Demonstrates a passion to work in collaboration with a culturally, racially and linguistically diverse district team of administrators, educators and staff in all roles.
• Actively seeks feedback, including critical feedback intended for professional growth.
• Courageously addresses adult behavior that does not meet professional expectations.

Candidate Qualifications:

• Juris Doctor Degree from an accredited law school
• Licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois
• Minimum of Ten (10) years of demonstrated successful professional experience as an attorney with experience in school law.

Physical Requirements:
This position requires the performance of light work-which requires exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently to move objects. The position includes close visual acuity, frequent talking, hearing, walking and standing, occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling, some stooping, kneeling, crouching and/or crawling and signific...