Family Liaison

Springfield Public Schools • Springfield, MA

17h

About The Position

The Family Liaison will use home visits as a strategy to support families to positively affect student achievement and to increase effective communication between home and school. PRIMARY FUNCTIONS OF THE JOB: A. Connecting Families to Resources Provide information on available Springfield Parent Academy workshops and other school and district family activities Support families with social needs by providing information on appropriate community resources Assist parents with referrals to district programs and services Actively promote district and school events and family activities B. Promoting Student Success Help families understand district/school policies and procedures such as: attendance, homework, uniforms and other related information in the Student/Parent Handbook Create ways for parents and teachers to personally meet to address students’ academic progress (i.e. Parent- Teacher Conferences) Help parents with general questions and basic information related to special education and other academic related programs Assist families with parenting skills to support their children Work with teachers and other staff to develop learning kits to use in home visits C. Building Relationships with Families Welcome families, personally meet them and introduce them to the school community Identify potential Parent/Teacher Organization (PTO) & School Centered Decision Making (SCDM) parents and personally meet them for active participation Create ways for families and teachers to personally meet Participate in school events such open houses, coffee hours to personally connect with parents Act as a liaison between families and school staff when issues arise, more information needs to be shared or cultural differences are a barrier D. Assessing the Needs of Families Document needs of families through Power School and other tracking tools Using observation and other variety of techniques; identify the specific needs of families and their progress Develop a support plan to work with the families

Requirements

• Associates Degree from an accredited college preferred or minimum of two years of experience in family services or related human services field
• Communicate effectively with families in a friendly and supportive manner
• Ability to work as an effective team member in a diverse educational, multicultural environment
• Skill, ability and knowledge of Microsoft word
• Skill and ability to access email and internet
• Possess interpersonal and organizational skills
• Access to transportation is required

Nice To Haves

• Bilingual skills highly desirable

Responsibilities

• Work in collaboration with parents, teachers, counselors, and attendance officers to enhance communication between school and home
• Attend parent engagement capacity building workshops geared towards parents and/or school staff
• Work in collaboration with parent and community organizations to build the capacity of parents and families
• Work in collaboration with the PACE Center Team and community groups to support district activities and the Springfield Parent Academy
• Assist school staff with identifying potential translation services

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: Associate degree