Assistant: Student Advocate - Arundel Middle

Anne Arundel County Public Schools•Odenton, MD

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Assistant: Student Advocate performs school-based duties to help maintain a safe and orderly environment. The role supports administration, guidance, and teaching staff with student-teacher and student-student conflicts, monitors student activities and areas where students congregate, and alerts school administration to potential discipline and safety concerns. The position engages students outside classrooms and intervenes as appropriate to deescalate disruptions. The Assistant monitors student behavior and attendance, supports behavior modification and Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) programs, mentors assigned students, and helps students follow the Code of Student Conduct. The role also communicates with families, supports investigations and crisis response, maintains required student records, and participates in staff planning, training, and assigned school activities. The job is based in an office, school, or similar indoor environment and is scheduled for 191 days, 10 months, and 7 hours per day.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalency certificate.
For work in a Title I-funded school, 48 college credit hours or a passing score on a paraprofessional assessment issued by ETS or NES.
Ability to develop rapport with young people.
Skill in deescalating aggressive behaviors.
Patience, courtesy, tact, and good judgment when working with students, teachers, administrators, coworkers, and parents.
Ability to work and communicate effectively with diverse populations.
Proficiency with business technology applications; video/web conferencing and Microsoft Office Suite applications such as Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint are preferred.
Hold or be eligible for Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) certification issued by AACPS/Crisis Prevention Institute, or hold or be eligible for Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) certification issued by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc.; these certifications are preferred for the position.
Maintain active licenses, certifications, and enrollment as a condition of employment.

Nice To Haves

Training and/or experience working with youth.
Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) certification or eligibility for certification.
Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) certification or eligibility for certification.
Experience with video/web conferencing and Microsoft Office Suite applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and/or PowerPoint.

Responsibilities

Assist teachers and administrators in maintaining building traffic flow.
Monitor hallways, bathrooms, cafeteria, parking lots, outdoor areas, entrances, and exits as directed.
Monitor students via cameras and computers, as directed, and monitor community hot spots to support school safety.
Participate in behavior modification activities and escort students to and from classrooms, as directed.
Help students regain self-control and transition between classrooms and the office; use intervention techniques, including non-violent crisis intervention, to deescalate behavior.
Seek assistance when student behavior becomes violent or disruptive.
Conduct after-school administrative detentions, Saturday School, and other alternative-to-suspension programs, as requested.
Communicate with student families through conferences and phone calls, as directed; serve as a contact for student and parent referrals and liaison between families, community, and school.
Assist administration in gathering information for investigations and responding to teachers requesting help with students.
Complete required forms and procedures and maintain adequate student records.
Participate in planning activities with other staff and assist at athletic events as assigned.
Support PBIS by knowing and enforcing rules for behavior outside the classroom and providing positive rewards for appropriate behavior.
Mentor an assigned caseload and monitor identified students’ grades and attendance, as directed.
Monitor peer mediations, as directed, and track student performance improvements while providing positive feedback.
Support student adherence to the Code of Student Conduct, including dress code, athletic-event rules, cell-phone policy, and anti-bullying and harassment policies.
Support attendance goals by calling identified students when absent and assisting students who are tardy.
Serve on the County Crisis Team to assist other schools with student crises or disruptions, as directed.
Participate in ongoing professional development and training.
Perform other related duties as assigned within the same or a lower classification.