Duties
The Champaign Unit 4 School District Board of Education seeks an experienced, visionary, and
student-centered leader who is dedicated to fostering an environment of academic excellence, staff
empowerment, and community engagement. The next superintendent will be a community centered
and approachable leader, committed to building strong relationships with students, staff, parents,
and community stakeholders.
This individual will collaborate with the Board of Education, district administration, business leaders,
and the broader community to ensure the success of every student. The superintendent must
demonstrate a proven track record of effective leadership, financial stewardship, and strategic
planning while cultivating a culture of trust, transparency, collaboration, and accountability.
Qualifications
Candidates must have or be qualified to obtain the Illinois Superintendency Certificate. To receive
the standard Superintendent Certificate, candidates must hold, at a minimum, a principal certificate
or the equivalent issued under this title or by another state or country. Questions regarding certification should be directed to the Champaign Unit 4 School District’s Human Resources department at hr@u4sd.org. Background checks and fingerprinting are required for hire.
A successful candidate will embody the following qualities and competencies:
- Demonstrated integrity, honesty, and transparency in all aspects of leadership
- A visionary, student-centered leader committed to improving academic outcomes, especially
early literacy, mathematics, and college/career readiness
- Deep instructional knowledge with a proven record of raising performance across diverse student
groups, including Black, Brown, multilingual learners, foster youth, and advanced learners
- A culturally humble leader who values and embraces the district’s diversity and promotes
equitable access to rigorous learning opportunities
- Strong commitment to inclusion, with a clear expectation to improve capacity across the district
and address language barriers that hinder communication and access
- Demonstrably capable of building and sustaining a leadership team that mirrors the cultural
diversity of the community
- Skilled at recruiting, retaining, and elevating fully qualified administrators and staff to ensure
equitable representation in every school and department
- Ability to rebuild trust across the system, repair fractured relationships, and create a respectful,
collaborative culture for students, families, teachers, and staff
- A visible, approachable, and empathetic leader who listens carefully, engages authentically, and
communicates clearly and consistently
- Politically astute, able to navigate complex board–superintendent dynamics, mediate conflict,
and foster a unified governance culture focused on students
- Strong organizational and operational leadership, with the ability to clarify roles, streamline
systems, and improve efficiency across departments
- Adept in special education, including improvement planning, compliance, staffing, culturally
responsive practices, and support for 504 processes
- Demonstrated commitment to teacher and staff support, professionalism, and retention,
including valuing autonomy, judgment, and classroom expertise
- Ability to lead with courage, make difficult decisions, and prioritize student needs
- Financially savvy, able to align resources with district priorities, invest strategically
- Experience managing complex facilities, enrollment, and capacity challenges
- Strong understanding of community context, including the expectations, assets, and challenges of
a vibrant university town with diverse socioeconomic backgrounds
- Proven ability to develop, implement, and monitor a strategic plan with measurable goals,
accountability systems, and transparent progress updates
- Skilled at building bridges across differing viewpoints, fostering civil discourse, and balancing
progressive and conservative community values
- Dedicated to creating safe, supportive, and inclusive school environments, addressing bullying,
mental health, discipline, and socioeconomic disparities
- Proficient in leveraging emerging technologies, including AI, to enhance teaching, learning, and
communication
- Able to attract and develop strong site-based leaders and empower teams to lead effectively
across buildings
- Highly relational leadership style rooted in humility, work ethic, authenticity, and a deep
commitment to the well-being of children
- Preference for candidates with experience in demographically comparable districts and a
willingness to reside in and actively support the Champaign community
- Capacity to inspire confidence, foster unity, and articulate a compelling vision for excellence that
reflects the values of Bondville, Champaign, and Savoy
Salary/Benefits
The salary will be in the range of $275,000 to $400,000 and includes an excellent benefits package. The final salary for the successful candidate will be negotiated and determined based upon proven experience, qualifications and meeting Board criteria.
Additional Notes
Champaign Unit 4 School District is a large unit school district serving more than 10,000 students in
grades Pre-K through 12 in Champaign, Savoy, and Bondville, Illinois. Our 19 campuses employ more
than 2,000 teachers, administrators, and support personnel, including some of the brightest
educators in the region. Our District represents the diversity of our world, fosters positive learning
environments to prepare students for college and careers, and our schools empower students to
succeed on any path they choose.
Champaign residents enjoy a thriving downtown and campustown, in addition to award-winning neighborhood parks, live music venues, museums, galleries, and theaters.
How to Apply
Please click here to review the full Leadership Profile and apply online.
The online application should include one (1) PDF file with the combined documents in this order:
- Letter of Interest
- Current Resume
- References (List or Letters)
- College/University Transcripts*
* All semi-finalist candidates will be required to submit sealed transcripts to the Board of Education
DO NOT SUBMIT WORD DOCUMENTS.
Electronic submittal is required. A reply email will be sent to confirm submission has been received.
All materials submitted as part of the superintendent application process will remain confidential to the extent allowed by the law. After all applications are reviewed and preliminary interviews are conducted by JG Consulting, the names of the candidates will be presented to the Champaign Unit 4 School District Board of Education for its consideration to conduct additional interviews. The first and final rounds of interviews will be in closed session with the Board.
Link to District/Third Party Online Application Web Page
https://jobs.jgconsulting.us/jobdetail/ZR_79_JOB