Family Engagement Facilitator (FEF), Horace Mann Laboratory School, Salem Public Schools, Salem, MA SY2024-2025

 

About Salem Public Schools, where belonging leads to opportunity.

Salem is a small, diverse city with a proud maritime and immigrant history.  Salem Public Schools is an urban public school district enrolling nearly 4,000 students across our 11 schools. Our vision is to ensure that all students will be locally engaged, globally connected, and fully prepared to thrive in a diverse and changing world. We hold dear our core values of belonging, equity, and opportunity in everything we do. Over the next three years (2023-2026), we are committed to the work outlined by the four core priorities in our strategic plan: 1) Elevate Learning; 2) Empower Educators; 3) Center Belonging; and 4) Strengthen Our Foundation. We seek individuals who are passionate about urban education and understand the urgency of improving student achievement for all students, regardless of ability, economic status, gender/gender identity, language, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, or other backgrounds. Applicants who have experience working in urban schools and settings and are bilingual are strongly encouraged to apply.

 

The Family Engagement Facilitator reports to the Director of DEI & Engagement and principals will serve as primary evaluators. They will work in collaboration with school-based leaders in school initiatives and support the Director of DEI & Engagement with district initiatives. The Family Engagement Facilitator is expected to work within a flexible schedule to account for evening and weekend events with families or in the community. 

 

SPS Vision for Engagement:

The goal of family engagement in education is to build genuine relationships over time between students, families, educators, and the community. Positive relationships and shared responsibility supports family well-being, and children's healthy development from the earliest ages into young adulthood.

• Effective family engagement is culturally responsive, collaborative, equitable, and respectful of diverse languages, norms, and values.
• Effective family engagement tries to eliminate barriers to participation and take place in schools, in the community, and wherever students live and learn.

The Salem Public Schools sees the engagement of families and caregivers as a key

component of the work of raising student achievement and providing equitable educational opportunities for all Salem students.  

 

As a district, we share a common goal: To enhance family and community engagement

within our district. In Salem, we aspire to authentically engage all voices in the collective effort to ensure student success.  We believe that parents, guardians, and other family members are critical partners in the educational process, and we embrace our responsibility to proactively reach out to all families in a variety of ways to support their engagement in the schools. 

 

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.

 

Role Responsibilities:

 

Engagement with Families

• Work with Director of DEI & Engagement in developing and implementing a family and community engagement plan that will meet the district’s annual and long-term engagement goals
• Implement strategies and build capacity to support teachers, school leaders, and other school staff in establishing connections and deepening partnerships with families by facilitating home visits, modeling of learning strategies, classroom observations by parents, staff understanding of family and community context and resources, etc.
• Work with the school leadership to promote a family-friendly atmosphere that respects and honors student and family diversity within the school community
• Under the direction of the Director of DEI & Engagement, develop programs and activities designed to engage families and the community in order to improve student achievement
• Collaborate closely with the school’s City Connects Coordinator and others to identify families’ needs and interests and enable access to community resources through referrals, orientations and coaching of families to navigate and access necessary services and special opportunities.
• Participate in district-wide professional development to enhance own skill set in family engagement strategies
• Support district-wide collaborations and initiatives to increase family and community engagement 
• Represent school and participate in district-wide network of Family Engagement Facilitators working to improve family and community engagement strategies across the city

Communication and Outreach

• Provide basic interpretation (day-to-day, for routine meetings and events) and translation (for documents less than a page) in Spanish for the school site in collaboration with the Director of DEI & Engagement and Coordinator of Translation and Interpretation
• In coordination with teachers, communicate family basic translation needs to the ELL Department and/or the PIC with approval of the Director of DEI & Engagement and Coordinator of Translation & Interpretation
• Facilitate the development of strong partnerships and two-way communication between teachers and families
• Co-develop and execute strategic communications and outreach plans that employ a variety of methods and modes to maximize outreach and eliminate barriers for family engagement and communication
• Regularly communicate family concerns or needs to the principal/ school leader
• Serve as the liaison with the school’s Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) and School Council - Working to promote diversity in parent leadership within the school council, PTO, and other parent groups
• Assist the school principal with outreach and plan welcoming activities pertaining to new or incoming families
• Assist summer, after-school programs, Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten enrollment with parent outreach

Activities/Event Planning and Coordination

• Design, support, lead and coordinate periodic school-based family activities, such as educational workshops, fun nights, cultural celebrations, community outreach, etc. in collaboration with school leaders and staff. Work with school principal and teachers to support and promote family events planned by the school leadership team
• Assist and execute with all event planning, coordination, marketing, and outreach to ensure success, including communication to traditionally hard to reach parents and parent groups  
• Assist the district with planning for Kindergarten Information night and other district- or city-based events where the school will be represented and the presence of families is encouraged
• Adjust schedule to accommodate and attend appropriate community and or school events and/or conduct outreach and other communication activities with families as decided in consultation with the principal and Director of DEI & Engagement.

Attendance, Communication, and Family Relationships

• Assist in the implementation of district and school attendance policies and communicate with families regarding attendance and punctuality concerns
• Work with school leaders in ensuring families are knowledgeable and engaged in school spirit activities or efforts 
• Participate in school-based teams (attendance, student support, etc.) to address key issues to support student achievement and family engagement 

Other

• In a limited capacity provide office coverage, including answering phones, responding to student and parent requests, and assisting administration with dismissal procedures
• Work at the Parent Information Center (PIC) to assist with enrollment and onsite services as needed particularly during peak times
• Attend needed trainings/professional development required by the district and per Director of DEI & Engagement and/or at the direction of building principal
• Other duties as assigned by the Director of DEI & Engagement or Building Principal. 

Job Expectations and Requirements:

• 2 years of college-level coursework or 3 years of highly relevant experience or equivalent training in a school, early education or community agency setting which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities to perform essential job functions. 
• Bilingual abilities in English/Spanish required (speaking, reading, writing) 
• Understanding of the needs of the diverse families residing in Salem and experience working in multicultural settings. Cultural competence and experience working in Dominican/Latinx communities.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate well orally and in writing, persuade and develop leadership in others, and work well with multiple stakeholders (school staff, parents, community leaders) 
• Able to work independently and be a self-starter                                              
• Demonstrate punctuality, good attendance, solid work planning and organization, and work ethic for all duties assigned 
• Able to multitask and be flexible to meet the varying needs of parents, school staff, students, community partners, and office visitors 
• Maintain confidentiality of student data and information 
• Able to work nights/weekends with adjusted work schedules
• Computer skills required to create documents: Powerpoint, Excel, Word etc
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Second language (Spanish and/or Portuguese) proficiency a plus
• Bilingual candidates and candidates of color strongly encouraged to apply
• Current authorization to work in the United States

Work Year:        School year District staff

FTE/Hours:        Full-time, 37.5 hours per week, Evening hours frequently required

Salary:              $44,800- $49,500

Reports to:        Director of DEI & Engagement  

 

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.