Parent & Family Coordinator - Collins School

GADS HILL CENTER•Chicago, IL

23h•$40,000 - $45,000

About The Position

The Parent Coordinator plays a vital role in fostering a supportive and engaging environment for parents and community members. This position focuses on connecting families to school and community activities and resources, coordinating adult education programs, and strengthening relationships with key school community members. Guided by the Sustainable Community Schools (SCS) Pillars and Principles, the Parent Coordinator advances equity, authentic engagement, and a whole-child approach to support student and family success through culturally relevant and inclusive initiatives.

Requirements

Ability to work in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) with successful completion of a background check.
Experience as a past, current or incoming parent.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
Professionalism, respect, and empathy toward others.
Genuine commitment to the well-being and success of students and families through equity-driven practices.
Ability to build trusting, professional relationships with parents, students, school staff, and administrators.
Positive, empowering attitude focused on inclusion and community strength.
Familiarity with the school community and its surrounding neighborhoods.
Flexible schedule to respond to community and opportunity needs.
Ability to utilize a computer for data entry and basic document design.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary contact for parent and community programming at the school, which can include the parent mentor program.
Connect parents with sustainable community school activities, resources, and wrap-around supports and opportunities.
Foster a welcoming, inclusive, and family-friendly environment that honors racial justice, equity, and cultural relevance.
Plan, coordinate, and manage adult programming, workshops, and events that promote lifelong learning and community engagement aligned with high-quality teaching principles.
Maintain accurate attendance records for all parent and community programming in Cityspan.
Build and nurture trusting relationships with parents, school staff, community partners, and school community members based on transparency and shared leadership.
Facilitate authentic parent engagement by ensuring parents and caretakers have a seat at the table as members of the SCS Leadership Team.
Support the SCS Leadership Team—which includes multiple parents—in conducting needs assessments and reviewing parent data collaboratively.
Work with the school to review parent and community engagement goals identified in the school’s Continuous Improvement Work Plan (CIWP).
Conduct ongoing parent programming and workshop interest surveys at key school events such as open houses and report card pick-up.
Assist parents in taking ownership of parts of the needs assessment and identifying opportunities for recruiting additional parent leaders.
Organize and offer parent and family workshops before, during, and after school, based on family-identified needs, including GED, English language learning, workforce development, and certification programs.
Engage parents and family members in professional development opportunities, including SCS professional development days and the SCS Summer Institute.
Collaborate with parents and community partners to meet parents’ needs in leadership development, social-emotional learning (SEL), health services, and other areas of support.
Ensure the SCS Leadership Team serves as a safe, inclusive space for parents to exercise voice and agency in school decision-making.
Empower parents to lead professional development and workshops within the school and at broader SCS cohort meetings and conferences.
Collaborate with parent leaders to facilitate and lead topics for SCS professional learning offerings across other SCS schools.
Encourage and support parent participation in Curriculum Circles if offered at the school.
Support the dissemination and publicity of school and community engagement successes to build community pride and transparency.
Track and monitor adult program participation and outcomes using data and best practices.
Organize family engagement events that reflect a whole-child approach and build community pride.
Lead recruitment and retention efforts for adult participants.
Provide ongoing support and resources to students and parents, connecting them to school, community, and organizational resources holistically.
Attend professional development to deepen understanding of Sustainable Community Schools frameworks and equity-centered practices.
Engage in consistent meetings with the SCS Coordinator, school administration, LPA manager, and the SCS Team to touch base.
Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.