Family and Community Liaison (CC: 24062, 24065)

TITLE: Family & Community Liaison

REPORTS TO: Building Principal and Assistant Principal, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services or Designee

JOB SUMMARY: Under the direction of the Principal and Assistant Principal, the family liaison will collaborate with District staff in working with families, education staff, and community partners to ensure that the needs of the whole child are being met, reciprocal communication between families and the school is fostered, and family advocacy skills are supported.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function in the following categories satisfactorily.
Parent Engagement and Education

• Collaborate with administrators, teachers, support staff and instructional leaders to engage families in the classroom and school/site, including meaningful volunteer opportunities as well as outside classroom opportunities.
• Support written and oral productive communication between staff/faculty and families of students who are limited in their English proficiency that lead to improved student outcomes.
• Collaborate with the Building on soliciting family input on parent education offerings, which should include pedagogical, instructional, community-development, English and native language development, cultural, social-emotional topics.
• Collaborate with the Building in supporting activities to ensure a strong connection between home and school, including take-home learning activities.
• Participate in a liaison role on Building established parent/family advisory committees.
• Collaborate with the Building in referring families, including those new to the country (recent immigrants) to specific resources to support their plan. Document referrals and progress towards goals and follow up with families regarding referrals on a regular basis.
• Assist families with school-based technology. Examples include student information system parent access, school learning platforms.
• Support an assets based ecological approach to partnering with families.

Student Programming

• Collaborate with the Building with supporting program efforts to identify and recruit the most at-risk children in the community for after school programming if applicable.
• Collaborate with the Building by contacting parents of absent students to determine reasons for absence and support problem solving barriers to regular attendance.
• Collaborate with the Building with reviewing attendance on a regular basis to identify patterns of absenteeism.
• Collaborate with the Building with determining supports needed to support regular attendance and connect parents to resources as appropriate. Educate parents about the benefits and importance of regular attendance.

Comprehensive Services

• Collaborate with the Building to monitor health and dental records to ensure that children receive regular screenings and follow-up for any treatment needs.
• Partner with the Building with family meetings and workshops to educate family in the areas of child health, mental health and development.
• Direct family support groups.
• Partner with the Building with helping parents in establishing access to consistent health care.
• Work with the Building in collaborating with mental health consultants to facilitate evaluation of children with parent consent and referrals to mental health resources as needed.
• Coordinate and conduct home visits with Buildings as needed to support home-school connection, address concerns and conflict resolution, and provide other family support.
• Provide support to children with special needs, including empowering parents as advocates for their children in partnership with the Building.
• Collaborate with the Building in cultural brokering and family communication.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Principal or Assistant Principal, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services or designee.
• Provide clerical support in student documentation and records, including English Learning ones.
• Serve as a role model for all students and perform their duties to create an environment that is conducive to providing students an enhanced and engaged learning opportunity.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Five years of successful experience working with families in some capacity (preferred).
• Associates or Bachelor’s Degree in Child Development, Social Work or related field preferred.
• Community outreach experience preferred.
• Proficiency in Oral and Written Spanish.
• Knowledge of local community population preferred.
• Experience and demonstrated commitment to supporting at-risk families.
• Strong organizational skills that include workflow management, time management and planning ability.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule; Ability to occasionally work evenings and weekends a plus.
• Valid driver’s license with own vehicle as this position requires the staff member to drive between District locations throughout the community.

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT: The work year for this position is 12 months. The salary is based on market and district comparisons as determined by the Superintendent or his/her designee. FLSA Exempt.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: Work is primarily performed in the school/district environment where unusual temperature, noise, and hazards are relatively nonexistent. Work requires the employee to perform the following critical physical demands of the job in the school, district office, and community setting as applicable:

• Ability to regularly talk, see, and hear.
• Ability to lift, pull, push, walk, stand, sit, and use your hands for fine manipulation during the normal performance of tasks and responsibilities.
• Ability to occasionally stoop, kneel, crouch, and lift or move up to twenty-five (25) pounds.
• Ability to travel from building to District as needed, as well as community partners.
• Must have valid Illinois Drivers’ License and ability to travel throughout the District, as well as community

SALARY RANGE: $45,000 - $57,000

BENEFITS:

• Medical/Vision and Dental coverage through BCBSIL
• FSA and Dependent DayCare accounts
• Life, AD&D, and Long Term Disability insurance
• IMRF contribution included in base salary
• 403B
• Yearly professional development allotment
• Mileage reimbursement

EVALUATION: Performance of this job will be evaluated in accordance with provisions of the Board’s policy on evaluation of professional personnel.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER