Welcome & Outreach Specialist, Parent Information Center (PIC) Salem Public Schools, Salem, MA SY2024-2025

Work Year: Full-Year Temporary Position (Until 6/30/2025)

FTE/Hours: Full-time, 37.5 hours per week (some evening hours required) 

Salary: Hourly (includes benefits), $25 per hour

Reports to: Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Engagement

Summary:

The focus of this position is to a) play a key role in transforming the current Parent Information Center PIC into a Welcome Center, b) conduct family outreach around school choice and student assignment and c) support the daily operations of the PIC and future Welcome Center.

The Welcome & Outreach Specialist will assist the PIC Manager and other staff with implementation of the district’s choice-based student assignment policy, including procedures related to student registration, assignment, and enrollment as well as outreach efforts to inform and engage families in the school choice and assignment process. The opportunity to successfully engage families begins with their very first interaction with the district, which often begins during the student registration and assignment process. A key part of this process is assisting families in navigating this complicated process. Salem Public Schools wants to make sure that all of Salem’s families have the information and capabilities they need to successfully participate in this process.

In addition, the Welcome & Outreach Specialist will help implement and coordinate a growing number of “welcome services” offered by the Parent Information Center (PIC) and district to onboard and orient both students and families to the district, to their new schools, and to strategies and practices that lead to each child’s success in school. 

What we are Looking For:

We are looking for candidates of diverse backgrounds and experiences, who are inspired by our mission and are highly motivated to change children’s lives through education. You’ll be right at home here if you are a reflective practitioner who values collaboration with colleagues and pushes yourself, your work and the people around you to the next level.  We expect our SPS employees to:

• Hold a deep commitment to students and families and value diversity - The SPS community is vibrant, diverse in background, ethnicity, language, and perspective. You embrace and affirm the backgrounds of all members of the SPS community and view our diversity as a powerful resource that supports us each in learning and doing our best work.
• Hold high expectations for yourself, students, and colleagues – You see potential in all, especially our SPS students, and maintain high expectations for achievement, while providing the support necessary to meet that bar. You hold yourself to high expectations, modeling SPS values and seeking opportunities to continuously improve.
• Build authentic, caring relationships with colleagues, students, and families – You build strong relationships across students, families, and colleagues that are collaborative in nature and contribute to the individual and collective success of SPS. You partner with families and colleagues to make decisions in the best interest of students and learning.
• Embrace feedback – You are a reflective practitioner who learns from failure, using mistakes and challenges as opportunities for growth. You model persistence and growth mindset and thrive in a culture of feedback.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assist with the implementation of all aspects of the district’s controlled choice student assignment policy including the early stages of the process such as school choice and student registration and the end of the process including assignment notification and “welcome” supports as students prepare to enroll in their new school
• Implement a variety of outreach efforts to help families to better understand the student assignment policy and support them with navigating the process including assistance with the creation of communication materials and resources that help families to navigate the school choice process
• Assist with outreach and coordination tasks related to the annual Kindergarten Information Night, including follow-up
• Serve as a liaison between the Parent Information Center (PIC) and other district teams such as City Connects, Family Engagement, Pupil Personnel Services, etc. and collaborate with school teams and key staff members in the effort to welcome, support, and serve families
• Represent the PIC and participate in district-wide network of Family Engagement Facilitators working to improve family and community engagement strategies across the city 
• Assist with data entry and analysis, including enrollment tracking, and other tasks involving the district’s student registration and student information system
• Assist the PIC Manager with key tasks related to serving families at the Parent Information Center, including greeting families who visit PIC, providing assistance with the registration process, etc. 
• Provide assistance in the implementation of a broader range of “welcome services” to families in the district including efforts to onboard and orient them to resources within the district, key contacts, etc. including assisting with family engagement and outreach efforts at the district level, in coordination with other engagement staff  
• Promote positive relationships between the district and families
• Assist with event planning, coordination, marketing, and outreach to ensure success, including outreach to diverse groups of parents
• Provide interpretation/ translation in Spanish as needed
• Maintain flexible hours, including occasional evening hours to attend appropriate community, district, or school events and/or conduct outreach and other communication activities with families 
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications – Required

• Bilingual Spanish speaking (both oral and written fluency required)
• 3 to 5 experience working in a role that involves frequent interaction with families
• Experience and/or willingness to learn a variety of computer applications including MS Word, Powerpoint, Excel, and Aspen (the district’s Student Information System)
• Excellent organizational and communication skills (oral and written)
• Ability to communicate respectfully with families from a variety of cultural backgrounds
• Ability to collaboratively assess family needs and identify resources
• Commitment to equity and belief that all students can learn
• Citizenship, residency, or work visa in US

Preferred Qualifications

• Some college or equivalent 
• Experience working with data in Excel spreadsheets
• Experience working in an urban school or other setting
• Family outreach or other relevant experience

Start Date: This position is effective December 10, 2024  and will remain open until filled. This is a non-union position.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Salem Public School District is committed to maintaining a work and learning

environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin,

pregnancy, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital/civil union status, ancestry, place

of birth, age, citizenship status, veteran status, political affiliation, genetic information or

disability, as defined and required by state and federal laws. Additionally, we prohibit

retaliation against individuals who oppose such discrimination and harassment or who

participate in an equal opportunity investigation.