REPORTS TO: Chief Family Advancement Officer
ACADEMIC/NON-ACADEMIC: Non-Academic; Managerial

POSITION OVERVIEW:
Executive Director of Family and Community Advancement and Shared Decision Making (ED) resides within the Office of Family and Community Advancement of the Boston Public Schools, reporting to the Chief Family Advancement Officer. The ED is responsible for supporting and advancing the district's vision, mission, and goals through building capacity for effective engagement with families and student participation in OFCA initiatives and the overall school and district level shared decision making model. Under the direction of the Chief the ED is at the forefront of providing visionary leadership and strategic direction to promote authentic family and community engagement, as well as collaborative decision-making within the school environment and district for Boston Public Schools. They play a critical role and are responsible for leading and integrating standards based decision making on efforts in shared decision making, parent universities, policy development in alignment to MA law and systematic supports of all BPS stakeholders in this work participating in School and Parent Site Councils, District Parent Councils, Joint Steering Committees and the overall BPS community.

Executive Director of Family and Community Advancement and Shared Decision Making has a leadership role in the direct advancement of all BPS students and families by developing a strategic plan to update district policies around shared-decision making and Parent Universities by implementing researched and standards based professional learning communities for family engagement facilitators and school level family liaisons and the parent university team. The ED will set metrics and goals aligned to BPS priorities that will help establish the mission and vision of the OFCA and ensure direct correlation and alignment of positively impacting student outcomes and authenticity and transparency around shared decision making.

The position will have a particular emphasis on creating meaningful opportunities for authentic input and feedback from students and families and impacted stakeholders, developing policies and district materials and resources that will empower BPS families, strengthen community partnerships, and enhance shared decision-making processes to improve educational outcomes and foster a culture of inclusivity and equity.

This position will serve in an executive director role within the office of OFCA. The ED will also be responsible for having previous school level administrative experience and proven ability to analyze and use data and stakeholder voice to positively impact student academic and other measurable outcomes used to measure authentic family and community advancement, student progress and school accountability.

RESPONSIBILITIES :
Vision and Strategy:

• Develop a compelling vision and strategic plan aligned to national standards and BPS priorities for authentic family and community advancement and school shared decision making.
• Establish goals, objectives, and performance indicators to guide efforts and measure progress toward achieving desired outcomes.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure alignment of initiatives with BPS values and priorities.
• In collaboration with the Chief Family Advancement Officer, design the vision of BPS' Parent University ensuring that it is aligned to district priorities, state and national standards.

Family and Community Engagement:

• Develop and implement strategies to promote genuine family involvement and engagement in all BPS schools.
• Create opportunities for families to participate in decision-making processes, including school governance, policy development, and program planning.
• Foster meaningful partnerships with community organizations, businesses, and other stakeholders to support family and community advancement initiatives.
• Oversee the Parent University Team leading the efforts to provide resources, workshops, and training sessions tailored to meet the diverse needs of parents, equipping our caregivers with the knowledge and skills necessary to support their children's academic, social, and emotional development.
• Collaborate with stakeholders, including educators, community leaders, and parents, to identify relevant topics and areas for parent education and engagement.
• Lead the effort of the Parent University Team in designing innovative and interactive learning experiences that cater to the diverse needs and backgrounds of parents.
• Develop marketing strategies utilizing various communication channels, including social media, newsletters, and community networks to promote upcoming events and raise awareness of Parent University programs and increase participation among target audiences.
• Establish authentic relationships and develop systems and structures that will ensure that our district councils including the CPC, DELAC and SPEDpac, have a consistent voice in the decision making and have opportunity to provide recommendations on current and future district priorities.

School Shared Decision Making:

• Establish the policies systems and structures needed to ensure that all BPS schools, councils and committees are consistently following and implementing the shared-decision making model.
• Provide direct support and facilitation of collaborative decision-making processes within schools via school parent councils and school site councils that include shared governance structures aligned to MA Shared Decision Making Law and BPS contractual agreements.
• Provide training and support to school leaders, staff, parents, and community members on shared decision-making principles and practices and open meetings act where required.
• Foster a culture of transparency, inclusivity, and mutual respect in decision-making processes.
• Ensure that all BPS schools have an established and functioning shared decision making council, proper bylaws and process aligned to MA Law
• Ensure that all BPS schools are represented in district, state and and national councils.

Program Development and Implementation:

• Develop and implement programs and initiatives that support authentic family and community engagement and shared decision making.
• Identify and leverage data-driven best practices, research findings, and innovative approaches to advance the BPS's goal of providing a high quality shared decision making model.
• Collaborate with the OFCA Director of Data Analysis and Marketing to monitor program implementation and outcomes to ensure alignment with BPS goals and priorities.
• Establish metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness and impact of family and community advancement initiatives based on qualitative and quantitative data.
• Use data to identify areas for improvement and inform programmatic decisions and resource allocation. Provide recommendations for action based on data-driven insights and analysis.
• Develop a comprehensive curriculum for Parent University programs, ensuring alignment with educational standards, best practices, and community needs.

Supervision/Budget/Reporting

• Evaluate, coach and support regional family engagement facilitators and parent university team leaders and OFCA Director of Data Analysis and Marketing.
• Responsible for the overall budget, implementing and analysis and procurement process for the department.

• Generate presentations and quarterly reports on the status of the shared-decision making and parent university experiences.
• Engage in cross-departmental and stakeholder collaboration.
• Establish metrics and benchmarks to assess the effectiveness and impact of Parent University initiatives.
• Collect and analyze data on participant satisfaction, engagement levels, and outcomes to inform program enhancements and future planning.
• Prepare regular reports and presentations for stakeholders, highlighting key findings, successes, and areas for improvement.

Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement:

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including parents, OFCA team members, educators, administrators, researchers, and technology specialists, to address shared-decision making.
• Facilitate communication and collaboration among stakeholders to support the development and implementation of effective family and community advancement initiatives aligned with OFCA and BPS goals and priorities
• Develop policies and practices that promote authentic family and community engagement and shared decision making at the local, state, and national levels.
• Collaborate with other organizations, agencies, and advocacy groups to amplify the voice and influence of families and communities in education.
• Collaborate with school leaders on the hiring and development of family liaisons.

Professional Development

• Create meaningful standards based professional development for family engagement facilitators and parent university managers.
• Facilitate monthly joint steering committee meetings in collaboration with the Chief.
• Develop monthly professional development for family liaisons in collaboration with school and district leaders and aligned to district goals and priorities.
• Create professional development for school leaders around shared decision making and school level expectations aligned to MA law.
• In collaboration with stakeholders lead shared-decision making professional development for school and parent site councils for all Boston Public Schools.

Perform such other tasks and responsibilities as may be assigned by the Chief Family Advancement Officer.

QUALIFICATIONS - REQUIRED :

• Master's degree in education, public administration, social work or related field
• 5 Years in School Leadership
• Strong understanding of best practices, research, and policies related to family and community engagement and shared governance in education.
• Must have a cultural and linguistic growth mindset and the ability to develop strong professional relationships across departments and other constituencies across the city and state.
• Strong community relationships and ability to develop partnerships across diverse constituencies including school and district leaders, community based organizations, district parent councils, school level parent and school site councils and the overall Boston community.
• Strong analytical, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders and cross-functional teams.
• Current authorization to work in the United States
• An understanding of and commitment to gain greater understanding of what is necessary for an urban school system to enjoy continuous improvement in an increasingly complex and competitive environment.
• A deeply held and unyielding belief in the overarching mission of public education.

QUALIFICATIONS - PREFERRED :

• Doctorate Level Education
• Previous experience in leadership roles related to family and community engagement, shared decision making, and education reform.
• Bilingual or multilingual
• Experience in school district administration or similar role
• Familiarity with Boston and Boston Public Schools

Terms: MANAGERIAL, D71

The Boston Public Schools, in accordance with its nondiscrimination policies, does not discriminate in its programs, facilities, employment, or educational opportunities on the basis of race, color, age, criminal record (inquiries only), disability, homelessness, sex/gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, genetics or military status and does not tolerate any form of retaliation, or bias-based intimidation, threat or harassment that demeans individuals' dignity or interferes with their ability to learn or work.