Student Support Advocate - High School

KIPP New Jersey • Newark, NJ

16h

About The Position

The Student Support Advocate (SSA) helps keep students safe, supported, and ready to learn. Working under the direction of the Assistant Principal of Culture and alongside Deans, Assistant Deans of Students, and the Associate Director of Student Life, the SSA provides hallway, student store, and small-group student support. The role helps free Deans and Assistant Deans to focus on higher-level culture and compliance work. SSAs also maintain a small caseload of students whom they observe in classrooms and support directly, in partnership with and under the direction of the Assistant Principal of Culture.

The SSA helps ensure safe, structured hallways and transitions; student safety in the lunch space; consistent operation of the student store as a culture incentive system; regular observation and visible support for caseload students; and effective support for Deans and Assistant Deans so school culture systems run without gaps. Hallways and transitions must be supervised at all times, the student store must be consistently staffed, caseload students must be checked on regularly, and relevant observations must be shared with Deans and Assistant Deans.

Requirements

• Experience working with children, ideally in a high school environment.
• Strong presence and belief that all children can and will learn; ability to uphold high expectations for all students.
• Strong relationships with staff, families, students, and leadership.
• Strong communication skills.
• Passion for the work, scholars, families, community, and the mission of making a difference.
• Growth mindset; takes initiative and seeks and implements feedback.
• Ability to self-monitor and hold oneself accountable to a schedule and daily responsibilities.
• Ability to track and analyze data.
• Ability to facilitate meetings with various stakeholders.
• Discretion, particularly given the sensitive nature of the role.

Responsibilities

• Be present and visible during arrival, hallway transitions, lunch, and dismissal.
• Ensure clear, safe, and orderly student movement throughout the building.
• Redirect low-level behavior in the moment and refer ongoing concerns to the Dean or Assistant Dean.
• Support school-wide systems during arrival, lunch, dismissal, and transitions.
• Staff and support the student store during its operating hours.
• Track and maintain student store inventory and points or incentive systems as directed.
• Support students in redeeming incentives tied to school-wide culture systems.
• Maintain a small caseload of students identified by the Dean or Assistant Dean.
• Observe caseload students in classrooms regularly and provide in-the-moment support as needed.
• Share observations and updates about caseload students with the Dean or Assistant Dean.
• Assist Deans and Assistant Deans with day-to-day execution of culture systems as directed.
• Help supervise students while Deans or Assistant Deans respond to incidents elsewhere in the building.
• Flag emerging issues in hallways, the student store, or with caseload students to the Dean or Assistant Dean.
• Support whole-school events, traditions, and school-wide culture moments as directed.
• Coordinate with teammates to help ensure student safety in the lunch space.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision benefits.
• Participation in the New Jersey Teachers Pension and Annuity Fund, subject to appropriate teacher certification and role classification.
• Optional participation in the KIPP NJ 403b retirement plan, including matching contributions.
• School-issued laptop.
• Transportation benefits for TEAMmates commuting into Newark from the New York City area.
• Time off including 3.5–4 school vacation weeks depending on the year, allocated sick and personal days, and an extended summer break.
• Up to 12 weeks of 100% parental leave for primary caregivers.
• Employer-paid life insurance.
• Optional ancillary benefits, including short-term and long-term disability, accident, and hospital indemnity coverage.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed