Facilitator: Family & Community Outreach Bilingual (10 Month - 0.5 FTE - Urdu)

Anne Arundel County Public Schools•Annapolis, MD

23d

About The Position

Assists with implementation of the county's programs for language minority families with the goal of developing and maintaining connections between home, school, and community. Must possess native or near-native fluency in English and a second language, including both written and oral communications skills. The position may be 10 or 12 months depending on assignment. Additional Work Days/Hours Based on the assignment, the following additional work days and/or hours may be required as needed: Evenings/Nights Extended hours Outside of normal business hours

Requirements

Associate's Degree in related field of education from a regionally accredited college or university required; Bachelor's Degree in education, social work, interpretation/translation, or other related field from a regionally accredited college or university preferred; Or an equivalent combination of education and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities deemed sufficient to prepare the employee to successfully perform the duties of the position.
One (1) year experience in an educational setting and/or interpreting for language minority families required; Or an equivalent combination of education and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities deemed sufficient to prepare the employee to successfully perform the duties of the position.
Ability to stay current with the latest information and research on the involvement of language minority families in the education of their children.
Willingness to remain current with the latest information and research on the involvement of language minority families in the education of their children.
Willingness to learn instructional methods, strategies, and techniques to assist teachers in the education of English language learners.
Ability to exercise considerable patience, courtesy, tact, good judgment and confidentiality in working with students, teachers, administrators, fellow employees and parents.
Ability to understand and appreciate cultural diversity.
Demonstrated ability to effectively work and communicate with diverse populations.
Demonstrated proficiency with business technology applications (e.g. Video/Web Conferencing, Microsoft Office Suite -Word, Excel, Outlook, and/or PowerPoint preferred).
Bilingual/Biliterate in English and a second language (all skills) native or near native required.
Employee must retain active licenses, certifications, and enrollment as a condition of employment.
Hold or be eligible for Driver's License (DL) Class C Non-Commercial issued by Maryland or State of Legal Residence (MVA/DMV) required.
Daily access to reliable transportation.
Driving is required to conduct bona fide Board business that is within the scope of employment in this position.
Personal Vehicle

Responsibilities

Assists schools with creating a welcoming environment for language minority families and communicating with them in a meaningful way about academic programs, services, and their children’s progress.
Interprets for school events and conferences, e.g. back to school nights, parent-teacher conferences, reinstatement conferences.
Assists language minority families in (1) helping their children improve their academic achievement and (2) becoming active participants in the education of their children through meetings and workshops with parents.
Assists the School Counselor and/or Administrator, explain to families about state and local assessments including Maryland School Assessment Program, High School Assessment Program, content area Benchmark Assessments as well as school programs, policies and procedures, e.g., AVID, magnet programs, attendance and grading policies, graduation requirements.
Maintains connections with community stakeholders and provides information to language minority families about the availability and use of these community resources.
Facilitates communication between school staff and families during periodic home-visits regarding attendance, emergency family needs and crisis situations; informs school and/or community agencies of the needs and concerns of language minority families.
Attends and actively participates in staff development activities in Central Office and assigned schools when required.
Translates school-based documents, e.g. report card comments, notes and fliers for language minority families.
Facilitates school registrations in assigned schools, as well as registration for transfer students.
Works with Office of School & Family Partnerships to provide support of their programs and initiatives in order to ensure equal access for language minority families.
Assists the Manager with providing professional development to AACPS staff on language support and services, as well as best practices for working with international families.
Performs other related duties as assigned within the same classification or lower.
Based on assignment, maintains year-round support between home, school, and community to ensure continuous engagement for language minority families, particularly during the summer months.
Based on assignment, assists schools in enrolling new families over the summer, ensuring smooth transitions into the AACPS system and providing support with registration, school orientation, and access to programs and resources.
Based on assignment, encourages and facilitates family participation in summer orientation events and provide guidance on school processes, including the use of the Parent Portal, accessing services, and completing required forms such as FARMS applications.
Based on assignment, designs, implements, and evaluates systems of support to promote academic success for English Learner (ELL) students, including outreach to families of students in summer programs and helping prepare families for the upcoming school year.