Social Worker 25/26 SY

WELCOME TO INDIANAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS!

At IPS, we believe in the transformative power of education. We work collectively every day to prepare our students for success in the classroom and in life by providing equitable, high-quality educational experiences across our family of schools. IPS is a place to make an impact, grow your career, and ensure every student has access to a high quality education, all while earning a good living in a district on the move. While the work is challenging, it is deeply meaningful and impactful. We seek innovators and trailblazers who bring varying experiences and expertise and share our belief that every child deserves access to an exceptional education. As part of TeamIPS, you’ll create lasting connections, find a sense of belonging, and feel supported to make a meaningful difference in students’ lives.

In return, no matter your role here, we expect a commitment to excellence and accountability. You’ll be held to high standards. Resilience and passion are key—you must be adaptable, handling adversity with flexibility while putting students at the heart of everything you do. Ethical conduct, clear communication, and mutual respect are fundamental. Being a dependable, collaborative team player who builds meaningful relationships is essential.

Together, we are Proving What’s Possible by building a community where everyone belongs and each student has the opportunity to fulfill their potential.

A TEACHING CAREER IN IPS OFFERS…

Purpose and Impact:

• Students First: Teaching for IPS is a rewarding opportunity to support bright, curious students as they shape their futures. We hold ourselves to the highest expectations of excellence, focusing on students’ holistic needs during their educational journey with us.
• Community: Working in a school means it is your home away from home, and you have a school family who supports you and leads with empathy and vision.

Professional and Personal Growth:

• Grow Your Career: We offer professional development and career advancement opportunities, including dedicated mentorship programs for early career teachers.
• Generous Compensation: We’re proud to offer the highest teacher starting pay in Indianapolis and one of the most competitive in the state, with teachers earning $53,460 - $94,000 depending on experience, plus a generous benefits package. Our teacher salaries are continually on the rise, as IPS regularly advocates for stronger teacher compensation.
• Access to Financial Benefits: Working in IPS makes it possible to benefit from federal programs such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) or Teacher Loan Forgiveness (TLF), helping reduce the financial burden of student loans.

Work-Life Balance and Well-being:

• Comprehensive Health Insurance: Access top-tier health plans covering medical, dental, and vision needs, plus IPS offers a private clinic for staff and their families through our partners at Ascension St. Vincent.
• Flexible Wellness Leave: Take the time you need to care for yourself and your family with our generous leave policies. Teachers receive 70 hours of sick leave in their first year (56 hours annually after) for illness, family, or mental health, plus three personal days, two floating holidays, and school breaks. Unlimited accumulated sick leave adds flexibility, supporting teachers’ health and work-life balance.
• Incentivized Discounts through IPS Wellness Program: Opportunities to earn hundreds of dollars off your medical premium by participating in proactive and simple health screenings, plus discounted group fitness classes, health and fitness assessments, personal training, and more.

WHAT WE EXPECT...

Commitment to Excellence:

• High Standards: Strive for the very best in all you do, maintaining high standards for yourself, your students, and your colleagues. Embrace lifelong learning and adapt to new teaching methods and challenges.
• Educational Equity: IPS is deeply committed to breaking down systemic inequities. We do this by “walking the walk” on new policies and practices, building diverse and inclusive classrooms and staff teams, and ensuring our environments are grounded in our values of respect, inclusivity, and educational equity.

Resilience and Passion:

• Dedication to Students: Put students at the heart of your work. Be passionate about their success and well-being.
• Adaptability: Handle adversity with resilience and flexibility. Be prepared for a dynamic work environment.

Professional Integrity:

• Ethical Conduct: Uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity. Act responsibly and respectfully toward all individuals, communicate with candor and care.
• Team Player: Be dependable, punctual, and collaborative, contributing positively to our supportive work environment.

JOIN US!

Indianapolis Public Schools is more than a workplace; it’s a community where purpose, impact, and belonging come together to help Prove What’s Possible – in your career and in your school. If you’re ready to embrace challenges, strive for excellence, and make a meaningful impact, IPS is the place for you.

SUMMARY OF ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

We are looking for a School Social Worker who will positively impact student success by planning, carrying out, evaluating, and supervising instructional activities. Our School Social Work addresses barriers to student learning, including social, emotional and mental health challenges and provide services at the school-wide, family, small group and individual levels. Assists students with behavioral, mental, emotional, or physical issues. As a member of the Unified Student Supports Team, you will receive excellent benefits, opportunities to grow within your role and the organization, and collaborative and supportive colleagues who put students first.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

The following outlines what your core duties and responsibilities will be for this position and provides a sample overview of what your day-to-day may look like.

Core Duties and Responsibilities

• Provides assessment and instruction/intervention at the school wide prevention level, at the targeted classroom/small group level and at the individual behavioral/mental health level to address issues that prevent learning readiness.
• Utilizes student, school and community data to plan, identify and implement evidence-based, culturally competent prevention strategies to meet student needs
• Confer with school counselors, school psychologists, and teaching staff too, to obtain additional testing information, and to gain insight on student behavioral disorders affecting the learning process
• Serves as a member of the educational evaluation multidisciplinary team with responsibilities that may include the preparation of a social and developmental history of a student. Assists in developing positive behavioral intervention strategies.
• Provides brief individual and group counseling to students and families who need help with personal concerns or development problems. Consults with school staff and parents regarding strategies for helping students cope with personal and social concerns.
• Accesses and links community resources to students, families and the school in response to identified needs. To accomplish this responsibility, home and agency visits are required.
• Counseling students whose behavior, school progress, or mental or physical limitation or condition indicates need for assistance.
• Consults with parents, teachers, and other school personnel to determine causes of problems and effective solutions. Serves as the Case Manager for Section 504/Disability which maintains case conference and monitoring compliance
• Serves as a member of the IPS /Crisis Team and can be called on to aid schools when a crisis occurs.
• Works with Mental Health Therapist to monitor mental health referrals
• Leads Attendance Team to work on using positive reinforcement for students who are chronically absence
• Works collaboratively with school professionals, parents and community leaders in a culturally responsive manner to support the optimum learning environment for students.
• Other duties as assigned

“Day In the Life” Overview

On a regular day, as the School Social Worker, you might:

• Support students by providing individual and group counseling to students and families
• Work with the multidisciplinary team to provide behavioral and academic support to students
• Meet with attendance team and provide strategies improve attendance
• Analyze attendance data to implement strategies to improve attendance
• Attend to 504 Case Conference to keep IIEP 504s in compliance
• Work collaboratively with other staff
• Hold parent conferences regarding academic achievement and behavioral issues

WHAT YOU’ll BRING: SKILLS AND MINDSETS

As an ideal candidate for this role, you will be able to achieve the following:

• Working knowledge of federal and state 504 laws, rules, and practices
• Broad knowledge of Indiana and IPS policies, practices and programs
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, strong strategic analytical and writing capabilities, and interpersonal savvy
• Proactive nature; able to anticipate conflicts before they rise, results/action-orientation; project management skills
• Racial equity mindset and other critical indicators related to DEI
• Organizational agility; developed negotiation skills
• Unquestionable personal code of ethics, integrity, diversity and trust
• Ability to successfully navigate within varying degrees of ambiguity in a fast-paced environment. Ability to be creative in developing alternatives to meet IPS Instructional needs
• Track record of developing and maintaining strong working relationships with and among a diverse group of actors. Ability to work well independently as well as collaboratively.
• Close attention to detail coupled with the ability to exercise good judgment
• Ability to execute meetings, calls, and emails with professionalism, courtesy, and accuracy.

FLSA CLASSIFICATION:

Exempt

ELIGIBILITY FOR REMOTE WORK:

Not eligible

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: None.

LANGUAGE SKILLS: Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos. Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one, small group, and large group situations.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS: Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

REASONING ABILITY: Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but written or oral instructions. Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS: Master’s Degree in Social Work from a qualifying university or college. Valid state Social Worker's license and IDOE school social worker license.

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 is regularly required to sit and use hands to find, handle, or feel. The employee frequently is required to talk or hear. The employee is required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 20 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

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 is occasionally exposed to wet and humid conditions and outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

DISCLAIMER:

The above job description is designed to denote the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications of employees assigned to this job.