Afghan Refugee Family Liaison

POSITION SUMMARY: The family liaison will work under the Director of Multilingual Services and school principal(s) in coordination with the school improvement team. They will help Multilingual Services and building principal measure the effectiveness of family engagement efforts and implement research-based strategies and tools that promote effective family/school partnership practices connected to student success.

This includes but is not limited to coordinating and facilitating workshops, trainings, parent recruitment, and partnership activities in a variety of languages and locations as developed by Multilingual Services as well as supporting effective processes already existing within the school. Afghan Refugee Family liaisons will support connections with Afghan families but measure impact and effectiveness of supports aligned with particular emphasis on helping parents and families use at-home support strategies to help students make academic and language proficiency progress across all grades K-12.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. This list is meant to be representative, not exhaustive. Some incumbents may not perform all the duties listed while in other cases related duties may also be assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Under the direction of the multilingual services director, recruit parents to become parent partners, partnership team members, facilitators, and/or participants for school and neighborhood events and activities. Work in collaboration with Teaching for Learning (TFL) staff to help parents/families understand and use at-home support strategies to help students meet grade level standards across all grades K-12 Help school staff and families create a network of culturally responsive emotional/social supports for students, in partnership with counselors and trusted community partners Collect information and student data from parents and staff to help establish and/or integrate best practice strategies that promote student achievement through family/school partnerships Coordinate and facilitate workshops at school and in a variety of community locations as well as other collaborative family/school activities as defined by the multilingual services director and principal Identify effective processes/events already going on at the school and partner with staff and parents to improve and or continue those efforts Collaborate with the other family liaisons and key communicators to help measure effectiveness and promote continuous improvement in the area of student focused family/school partnerships OTHER RESPONSIBLITIES: Develop and maintain positive school/community relations with families, staff, and service providers Work collaboratively with district staff and promote teamwork with co-workers
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Education and Experience
Associate’s degree
Direct experience working with Afghan families and schools
(Additional experience may be considered in lieu of the educational requirement on a year for-year basis)

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
Possess the desire, skill and patience to listen to parent and teacher concerns and help facilitate support resources and information to promote effective communication and outcomes
References indicating success and experience developing effective parent/staff partnerships and communication processes
Must have a history of consistent attendance, punctuality and professionalism

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Bilingual: Dari, Pashto, Persian or Farsi

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:
Criminal background clearance
Work scheduled hours on a consistent basis
History of consistent attendance and positive evaluations

KNOWLEDGE OF:
Microsoft Office programs
Community support services
Best-practice strategies that promote student achievement

SKILL IN:
Facilitation

ABILITY TO:
Demonstrate excellent facilitation skills
Recruit, support, and lead team members effectively
Demonstrate basic knowledge of use of an e-mail system
Demonstrate proficiency in use of Microsoft Excel to organize data
Demonstrate basic knowledge of modern technology (Microsoft Word, internet usage) and willingness and ability to increase knowledge to proficiency
Demonstrate a respect and flexibility when working with a variety of staff and parents from a range of cultural backgrounds, socioeconomic income levels, geographic locations and community settings
Communicate clearly and effectively with students, staff and parents
Follow directions with a minimum supervision and complete assigned tasks in a timely manner
Collaborate with families and staff to organize and coordinate workshops and school partnership events/activities
Handle confidential matters in an ethical manner
Speak, read, and follow written communications in English
Exhibit the ability to interact positively with a wide-range of temperaments and personalities
Facilitate the identification of learning supports with individual and groups of students Relate effectively in a multicultural and multiracial community and maintain cultural awareness and sensitivity to work cooperatively and collaboratively with staff, parents and the public
Interact effectively and collegially with adults and students and ability to maintain positive and effective working relationships
Abide by Federal Way Public Schools’ policies and procedures
Perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodations

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES RELATED TO CULTURAL COMPETENCE AND EQUITY:
Knowledge/awareness of own cultural identity and how this influences behavior, and desire to learn about the cultural identity of others.
Ability to establish and nurture an environment that promotes cultural competence and equitable treatment of staff, students, and patrons of the district.
Ability to understand and hold self and others accountable for promoting the Federal Way
Public Schools’ commitment to “Each Scholar: A Voice. A Dream. A Bright Future.” Ability to recognize that each person is a unique individual even as we celebrate their group cultural heritage.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee will constantly stand and walk, bend neck and back, use hands for repetitive grasping and pushing/pulling. The employee is frequently required to squat, kneel, use hands for fine manipulation, knee stand and push/pull. The employee will occasionally be required to sit, climb stairs/ladder, lift and reach overhead, crawl, and lift/carry. The employee must constantly lift/carry up to 5 pounds and must frequently lift /carry up to 10 pounds. The employee will occasionally lift/carry a maximum of 35 lbs. The employee is occasionally required to push/pull a maximum weight of 200 pounds.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works in indoor conditions and regularly works near video display. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. The position constantly deals with frequent interruptions, demanding deadlines, and occasionally deals with angry and distraught employees and community members.

WORK SCHEDULE
This position typically works 180 days per year. Some evening work may be required.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIP
This position reports to and is evaluated by the Multilingual Services Director and building principal(s)

REPRESENTATION
Non-represented

LEVEL OF COMPENSATION
Specialist level on the non-represented salary schedule
This position includes the following benefits prorated based on FTE – Medical, dental vision; sick leave; life insurance; retirement; and Veba for eligible sick leave cash out

CLASSIFICATION HISTORY
Updated 10/2023
Created 03/2023

DISCLAIMER
The preceding list is not exhaustive and may be supplemented as necessary. The statements contained herein reflect general details as necessary to describe the principal functions of this job, the scope of responsibility and the level of knowledge and skills typically required, but should not be considered an all-inclusive listing of work requirements, skills or duties so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside their normal responsibilities from time to time as needed.

All employment open positions are made available on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or veteran status.

Job descriptions are written as a representative list of the ADA essential duties performed by the entire classification. They cannot include, and are not intended to include, every possible activity and task performed by every specific employee.

---