Restorative Re-Entry Coordinator

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is the third-largest school district in the United States, serving over 340,000 students in 600 schools and employing nearly 36,000 people, most of them teachers. CPS has set ambitious goals to ensure that every student, in every school and every neighborhood, has access to a world-class learning experience that prepares each for success in college, career, and civic life. In order to fulfill this mission, we make three commitments to our students, their families, and all Chicagoans : academic progress, financial stability, and integrity. Six core values are embedded within these commitments - student-centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning.

The Juvenile Justice (JJ) Team is part of the Office of Student Support & Engagement, which aims to overcome barriers to school engagement, particularly with the district's highest-need and most disadvantaged students. The program offered by the Juvenile Justice Team is intended to ensure the successful transition of court-involved students to CPS district and options schools. The goal is for arrested and detained students to return to school via a process where they feel safe, welcomed, engaged, and supported; and for schools to feel ready, prepared, and capable of integrating them back into the school community.

The Restorative Re-Entry Coordinator will work with the Juvenile Justice Team in the Office of Student Support & Engagement, the Office of Social Emotional Learning, and schools / networks to design and drive the implementation of restorative re-entry protocols and practices at Chicago Public Schools. Re-entry practices are applicable to students returning to school after periods of incarceration / detention, suspension / expulsion, dropout, hospitalization, safety transfer, and other significant absences or transitions. As the schools targeted by this program serve a large number of youth who were previously-detained or incarcerated, this position will work to ensure that these schools are well-equipped with the internal and external resources to support the specific educational and socio-emotional needs of these students. The Restorative Re-Entry Coordinator will work closely with school leaders, teachers, support staff, and agency partners to develop capacity at the school level, model, guide, provide feedback, track progress, and troubleshoot implementation challenges as schools execute and integrate re-entry processes with existing or emerging teaming structures (including Behavioral Health Teams). This position will report to the Juvenile Justice Manager.

The Restorative Re-Entry Coordinator will be held accountable for the following responsibilities :

• Work collaboratively with the Juvenile Justice Reengagement Team to develop new and restorative approaches to supporting the transition back to school for youth who have been out of school because they were detained or incarcerated.
• Support school teams in designing and implementing re-entry protocols that provide an organized, consistent, and restorative process for students re-entering school after detention or other significant absence / transition
• Revise existing, and create new training materials for re-entry protocols and re-entry circles / circles of support
• Guide development of school-specific policies and practices for enrolling, scheduling, integrating, grading, and providing academic, behavioral, and wrap-around supports for re-entering students
• Develop policies and alternative approaches to student behavior that focus on reducing harm and increasing youth engagement in school.
• Facilitate re-entry best-practice sharing across schools
• Guide schools in the efficient use of resources to support high-need students' retention, attendance, conduct, and progress toward graduation
• Provide training to network and school teams, coach school leadership and staff, and provide on-site support for students and schools
• Coach, model, and provide feedback / support to school teams on re-entry processes
• Work with Behavioral Heath / CARE / Student Support Teams at schools to ensure effective referral and tracking systems of re-entry students
• Develop and implement systems and templates for communication with staff, families, and students
• Establish tracking mechanisms to evaluate protocol step completion and student progress
• Create and monitor agreements for student support plans and follow-ups
• Survey key stakeholders for feedback on re-entry successes and challenges
• Provide regular updates on school readiness, progress, and needs in supporting re-entering students
• Build and maintain strong relationships and joint strategies with leaders in OSEL, OSSE, and Networks
• Support Principals and other leaders at schools in building a cultural shift in their schools, including a focus on student behavioral needs and restorative practices.
• Develop and maintain strong, empathetic relationships with school leaders and staff (including counselors and teachers at CPS schools), students and their families.
• Manage time and multi-faceted projects effectively and efficiently
• Evaluate and address social service and other needs of at-risk students, and coordinate efforts of service providers and community organizations.
• Other duties as assigned

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Restorative Re-Entry Coordinator must possess the following qualifications :

Type of Education Required :

Experience Required :

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities :

Other requirements :

Conditions of Employment

As a condition of employment with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), employees are required to :