JOB DESCRIPTION: COORDINATOR OF FAMILY & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

 

Springfield Realization Academy (SRA) is a  6th-8th grade school within the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership (SEZP) in Massachusetts. We are a dual-language school that offers a technology enhanced college preparation curriculum embedding 21st century learning skills. We are seeking a dedicated and competent educator and leader for the position of Coordinator of Family and Community Engagement . We are building a team of passionate, adaptive, and detail-oriented educators who are committed to equity in educational opportunities for children of underserved communities, and whose educational philosophy aligns with our mission:

Springfield Realization Academy (SRA) provides a technology enhanced, college preparatory curriculum that is tailored to meet the needs of students in grades 6-8. Through effective instruction, including an emphasis on bilingual education, purposeful use of data, and in partnership with our families, we ensure our students develop the 21st century learning skills to be successful in high school, college and beyond. 

Job Summary

As a learning community, one of our foundational core beliefs is that student engagement with rigorous instruction and grade level content ensures their academic success. In advancing that belief, we underscore the importance of our educators and staff and the need for them to be as effective as possible in meeting the needs of their charges. The importance of this core belief is especially relevant for our exceptional scholars, scholars learning English, and scholars who are substantially academically behind. The Family & Student Support Specialist will collaborate with administration in building family and community partnerships to provide a system of wraparound services for our scholars to advance their social and educational development.  

 

The Family & Student Support Specialist will work with administration to build family and community partnerships to address the out of school challenges that impact the performance of our students.  They will also work with school staff to create a positive educational environment that meets the needs of all students by providing instructional assistance, classroom support, and school wide culture and behavioral support.

Key Responsibilities

• Cultivate positive and supportive relationships with all families
• Facilitate two-way communication between the school and families
• Develop systematic approaches to identifying the needs of families
• Seek out and establish community partners to build wraparound services to support students and their families.
• Oversees and enforces attendance policy, including home visits when needed
• Oversees and enforces uniform policy 
• Organizes family programming and coordinates all parent and teacher meetings 
• Cultivate partnerships with community partners to build the school’s wraparound services for families   
• Assists with planning and supervising school events and field trips as needed
• Serves as a liaison between the school and the families it serves.
• Manages individual and classroom behavior, including supervising in-school suspension.
• Supports the building and maintenance of a positive school climate and culture that is conducive to student learning. This includes Positive Behavior and Intervention Support (PBIS) and Restorative Practices.
• Analyze student achievement and behavioral data with colleagues to strategically support student learning.
• Supports school systems by helping to run arrival, homeroom, dismissal, student rewards, grade-wide activities and school-wide functions.
• Participate in staff professional development; and
• Step in as a valued member of staff on ad hoc tasks and projects when necessary to support and build a strong school environment.

 

Key Competencies & Qualifications

• Unwavering high expectations for all scholars and a belief that all children deserve access to a college education and can all thrive academically given the appropriate support.
• Positivity and enthusiasm for the potential of every scholar.
• Bilingual in Spanish and English
• Experience with project coordination and program implementation
• Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with students, families and community members and develop partnerships to support student success.
• Commitment to professional growth and applying feedback to improve as an aspiring professional.
• Flexibility and adaptability.
• Ability to read a variety of correspondence, reports, handbooks, forms, lists, etc.
• Strong communication, organization, and on-the-fly problem solving skills.
• Capacity and passion to grow every day based on data and feedback from school leaders and peers.
• High School Diploma or GED, and Associate of Arts or Science Degree or higher, or 60 undergraduate college credits, or Meeting or exceeding the State mandated score on the Paraprofessional Assessment or Work Keys Assessment .
• Proficiency in technological tools, including Google Sheets, Google Slides, Google Docs, Google Drive (or equivalents) and other online teaching tools.

 

If you meet some of the qualifications above, we encourage you to apply or to reach out for more information. We know that historically marginalized groups – including people of color, women, people from working class backgrounds, and people who identify as LGBTQ – are less likely to apply unless and until they meet every requirement for a job. Therefore, we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other marginalized communities.

 

We encourage you to reach out to SEZP@springfieldempowerment.org if you have questions about the role or your qualifications. We are happy to help you feel ready to apply!

 

Benefits: 

 

SEZP offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience. Staff in SEZP qualify for benefits (personal/sick days, retirement, health insurance, etc.) offered to other employees in the Springfield Public Schools. In addition, there are several opportunities unique to SEZP schools to increase earnings above base salary.

 

Positions will be filled on a rolling basis; applicants are encouraged to apply immediately. Please contact sezp@springfieldempowerment.org with any questions.

 

Nondiscrimination Statement:

The Springfield Public Schools does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, age, disability or military service or marital status. The Springfield Public Schools does not discriminate in admission to, access or treatment in its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation, disability or homelessness.

 

Title IX Notice of Nondiscrimination

Springfield Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of sex in admission, administration of its educational programs or activities or employment. Springfield Public Schools is required by Title IX and its implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. Part 106 not to discrimination on the basis of sex in admission, administration of its educational programs or activities or employment. The Senior Administrator of Human Resources, Kathleen O’Sullivan, Springfield Public Schools, 1550

Main St. Springfield MA, 011103, 413-787-7100, ext. 55428, has been designated as the employee responsible for coordinating Springfield Public Schools efforts to comply with and carry out its responsibilities under Title IX. Inquiries concerning the application of Title IX and its implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. Part 106 to Springfield Public Schools may be referred to Kathleen O’Sullivan or to U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 400 Maryland Ave., SW Washington, DC 20202-1100, telephone 800-421-3481.