Early Childhood Community Partnership Liaison

Chicopee Public Schools•Chicopee, MA

About The Position

The Early Childhood Community Partnership Liaison plays a critical role in the Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative (CPPI). This initiative and position supports a mixed-delivery preschool system by coordinating across public schools, Head Start programs, community partners, and private providers to ensure families have access to flexible, high-quality early education that meets their individual needs. Serving as a key connector between schools, community-based programs, and families, the Liaison helps ensure a seamless preschool experience for every child in Chicopee. The primary objective of the Liaison is to strengthen parent and family engagement across Chicopee Public Schools and community partners. By fostering effective communication between home and school and expanding community outreach and training opportunities, the Liaison works to enhance student academic outcomes. This role is dedicated to reducing barriers, promoting equity, and empowering families with the resources, information, and personalized support needed to ensure all children in Chicopee are prepared for kindergarten.

Requirements

Associates Degree or equivalent experience is required.
Prior experience or equivalent training in a school, early education, or community agency setting is highly desired.
Ability to communicate verbally and in writing in English and in a second language. (Spanish, Arabic, or other prevalent language preferred)
Strong interpersonal skills, must be able to communicate, interact and work effectively and cooperatively with all people including those from diverse ethnic, cultural, educational, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Ability to relate to and work with a variety of constituencies including but not limited to: administrators, teachers, other school staff members, families, students, visitors, and community and social service agencies.
Ability to work weekend and evening hours as needed.
Familiarity with computers and computer software programs, particularly Microsoft Office and Google Suite.
Ability to maintain accurate records.
Ability to work well as part of a team.
Must maintain confidentiality.
Self-motivated, flexible, and well organized.
Detail oriented with analytical and problem solving skills, along with customer service abilities and other related characteristics.
Must be physically able to operate a variety of equipment including computers, copiers, adding machines, etc.
Must be able to exert up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to lift, carry, push, and pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body.
Must be able to stand, crouch and bend over for a long period of time at intervals throughout the day.
Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural or composite characteristics (whether similar or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or things.
Requires the ability to speak and/or signal people to convey or exchange information. Includes giving instructions, assignments or directions to subordinates or assistants.
Requires the ability to read a variety of correspondence, reports, forms, newsletters, schedules, manuals, invoices, requisitions, menus, recipes, journals, etc.
Requires the ability to prepare correspondence, reports, forms, evaluations, procedures, charts, surveys, articles, bid specifications, brochures, news releases, handbooks, budgets, etc., using prescribed formats and conforming to all rules of punctuation, grammar, diction, and style.
Requires the ability to speak before groups of people with poise, voice control and confidence.
Requires the ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions; to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagrammatic form; and to deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
Requires the ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and written instructions. Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in a variety of technical or professional languages including medical, legal, accounting and marketing terminology.
Requires the ability to utilize mathematical formulas; to add and subtract; multiply and divide; utilize decimals and percentages; and to apply the principles of algebra and geometry.
Requires the ability to inspect items for proper length, width and shape.
Requires the ability to coordinate hands and eyes rapidly and accurately in using office equipment.
Requires the ability to handle a variety of items such as office equipment and hand tools. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/foot coordination.
Requires the ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instructions. Must be adaptable to performing under stress and when confronted with emergency situations.
Must be able to talk (expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words) and hear (perceiving nature of sounds by ear). Must be able to communicate via telephone or radio.

Responsibilities

Serve as a point of contact for families exploring early education; provide hands-on assistance with applications, enrollment, and specialized knowledge of special education services.
Conduct active outreach via phone calls, home visits, and community meetings to welcome new families, build trust, and engage those not currently connected to early education services.
Partner with the CFCE Coordinator, Family Engagement Specialists, and Principals/Directors to align frameworks (CPPI, CFCE, ESSA) and develop a unified family engagement plan.
Assist with the development of a centralized website hub and maintain physical family resource centers to provide clear, accessible information on district and community programs.
Create and distribute toolkits, messaging, and resources to support smooth transitions between early childhood programs and kindergarten.
Plan and execute family engagement nights, open houses, parent education sessions, and workshops focused on school readiness and the importance of family involvement.
Identify and address obstacles to access, ensuring communication is delivered in understandable terms and languages to promote equitable participation for all Chicopee families.
Work with school leadership to foster a safe, welcoming, and respectful school climate where families feel empowered to voice concerns and participate in their child’s education.
Design and implement surveys and feedback loops to gather meaningful data on family needs, using these insights to drive program improvements.
Assist with before/after-school and summer enrichment programs; ensure all activities meet federal Family Involvement Policy (ESSA) standards and perform other duties as assigned.