Family Engagement Specialist, #1150: Charter School, Canoga Park, CA

Family Engagement Specialist

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Family Engagement Specialist Schedule: 40 hours/week

Job Type: Full-Time, 12-month

FLSA Status: Non-exempt

Reports to: Director of Recruitment and Development Pay: $22/hr, starting (DOE); Salary Schedule

Special: Requires weekend work, nights

and early mornings; Travel to local events

Location: Ingenium Charter School

ABOUT INGENIUM SCHOOLS

At Ingenium Schools, we create communities where everyone experiences joy and meaning in learning. We do this by preparing our students to be the best learners, leaders, and collaborators by empowering them with the capacity and tools to continually improve themselves and the world around them.

Since 2009, Ingenium Schools has helped students build confidence, leadership, and a lifelong love of learning through the Ingenium Learning System, an easily replicable, standards-based educational model that promotes personal mastery. Ingenium Schools currently operates several charter schools, serving students throughout Los Angeles.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The family engagement specialist is a dedicated school staff member who works specifically to help parents get the information and assistance they need to support their student and to ensure their student's academic and social success in school. The family engagement specialist's primary responsibility is to build bridges of communication and work to remove barriers that can impede the success of the student. Family engagement specialists are the face of the school

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS & JOB DUTIES:

Duties may include, but are not limited to:

NETWORK CONTRIBUTIONS:

• Support the mission, vision, and core values of Ingenium Schools
• Strive to implement, by instruction and action, Ingenium Schools' philosophy of education and instructional goals and objectives
• Continuously maintain and improve professional competence
• Attend mandatory trainings, professional meetings, and educational conferences, as required

POSITION GOALS AND TASKS

• Communications and Family Engagement

• Family Involvement

• Recruiting and Enrollment

• Community Connection

• Events, Workshops, and Organization

Communications

• Connect parents with the school by providing information about the school and its programs
• Oversee and create engagement in family social media groups
• Oversee and create content for monthly school/principal newsletters to families
• Track, develop, and assist in the management of school success stories
• Assist, promote, and build community engagement in the school parent Facebook group through thoughtful discussion, sharing of information, promotion, and more
• Together with the Dir. CME, support school leaders in Ensuring families receive regular and clear communication from the school site on a regular basis
• Provide translation/interpretation, as needed
• Respond to internal and external family inquiries and provide information and direction to new and returning families, as needed

Family Engagement and Support

• Actively build strong parent partnerships that lead to a satisfactory school ratings and positive promotion of school
• Participate in, develop, and manage/implement school-wide events, parent workshops, and community partnership events that build upon family strengths in support of their student's learning and build upon the recruitment efforts.
• Coordinate the recruitment, training, and retention of consistent volunteers to help improve involvement and increase student success
• Arrange meetings between families and school staff members, including providing translation and interpretation when necessary
• Support/coordinate a calendar of events for parents
• Counsel families for the purpose of making appropriate referrals to outside agencies in coordination with other school staff
• Support families in understanding complaint procedures, processes for communication at the school site, family rights, and responsibilities, and understand school's policies and procedures
• Maintaining suitable records of parent participation and other data, as needed

Recruiting and Enrollment

• Be an active participant in the recruiting and enrollment process including community outreach efforts, supporting families who need to submit documents, have difficulty completing the enrollment process, etc.
• Organize and coach parents to participate in board meetings, ELAC/DELAC meetings, school site council meetings, PTO, and other parent meetings
• Support new and current student recruitment by engaging with the recruiting and enrollment team and potential new or returning familiesEngage in and activate other parents to engage in student/parent canvassing, as needed to support student recruitment

General School-Wide Support

• Broaden teacher and staff understanding of each student, their interests, and needs
• Share strategies to use in the home that support school and student success
• Help supervise students as needed and build strong relationships with students to ensure their students' success and to identify key areas of focus for family/parent workshops and outreach
• Actively participate in monthly staff meetings and professional developments, as required
• Participate in community and district meetings, as needed
• Review and understand parent/student data as it applies to position and use data to improve parent and student support
• Assist with office support, campus supervision, and other school duties assigned by the principal and Director of Communications, Marketing, and Enrollment, as needed

KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES

KNOWLEDGE OF

• Effective practices for motivating parents to actively participate, volunteer, and to adhere to high standards of conduct
• Knowledge of urban children and their families, especially knowledge of those from the dominant cultural groups represented in the school's student population

ABILITIES

• Bilingual; English/Spanish-speaking preferred
• Experience using Google Suite, Student Information Systems, and Enrollment Software
• Clear communication skills
• Problem solving training: An ability to see multiple perspectives and help resolve problems.
• Knowledge of resources in the community.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

• High School Diploma or GED equivalent
• Documented customer service experience
• Documented experience working with a parent or advocate group

REQUIRED LICENSES AND CERTIFICATES

• Negative TB test and clear background check required
• Annual Mandated Reporter and Blood-borne Pathogens Certification provided by employer and required

WORKING CONDITIONS

ENVIRONMENT

Work performed indoors and outdoors. Exposure to varying weather conditions (heat, cold, rain, dust, wind, etc.). Some exposure to childhood and other diseases. Exposure to moderate and loud campus noise and seasonal temperatures.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Parent engagement specialists are physically active and must be able to lift at least 50 pounds and run at least 100 yards. In addition, this job requires at least 1 hour of sitting and potentially 5 hours of continuous standing, walking, and/or recruiting outdoors in minimal shade. Job requires stooping, crouching, kneeling, squatting, and twisting. Parent engagement specialists must have adequate vision and the ability to communicate orally and in writing. Must have the ability to use a telephone, computer, and other office equipment.