Durango School District 9-R is accepting applications for a District Newcomer Specialist, working under Student Support Services, .6 FTE, 24 hours per week. This is a grant funded position for the 2024/2025 school year. Continuation of the position beyond the 2024/2025 school year is not known a this time. Existing Durango School District 9-R 183 Day Licensed Staff hired into this position will be placed on the Cell they currently reside on times 1.05 index times .6 FTE, plus an additional 10 days for the total salary, per the current Licensed Compensation System guidelines. New hires to the District will be placed within the range below. Begins August 1, 2024 and includes full benefits.
Job Title: District Newcomer Specialist, 0.60 FTE
Pay Grade: Licensed Compensation System
Job Family: Licensed
FLSA Status: Exempt
Department: Student Support Services
Prepared Date: January 30, 2024
Typical Work Year: 183 days, plus 10 days
SUMMARY: The District Newcomer Specialist is an integral part of ensuring all Multilingual Learners (MLs) meet or exceed the 9-R Graduation Standards and Graduation Requirements. The District Newcomer Specialist will lead the implementation of system-wide practices that are inclusive and supportive of Multilingual Learners (MLs) and that contribute to the academic achievement of Multilingual Learners (MLs) with a particular focus on students who are newcomers. The Newcomer Specialist will collaborate with building and district leadership to develop staff understanding of effective CLD programming, English Language Development instructional practices, and effective family and community partnering techniques with a focus on students who are new to the United States. The District Newcomer Specialist is not a supervisory position and will not include the evaluation of teachers.
This is a one-year only position.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Develop a robust set of systems for schools in order to successfully welcome newcomers into our schools. These systems would include
• Enrollment/registration systems and supports for new immigrant families
• Process for accurately identifying newcomers
• Systems to acculturate students to the U.S. school system
• Acculturation check-in protocols
• Class schedule guidance for middle and high schools
• Creating a welcoming classroom environment for newcomers
• Instructional plan for support (Newcomer Achievement Plan)
• Support system for teachers of newcomer students
• Supports for new immigrant families
• Help engage newcomer students and their families in an intake process to welcome them to the school, orient the family to U.S. schools, and gather additional information about their educational history, their interests and assets. Administer newcomer intake assessments to gather information about general academic skills in their home language. Communicate results with school staff in a timely manner.
• Help engage new immigrant students and families in choices about schedules and the option of a strategic transition into a full course schedule.
• Support schools in creating a transition plan, when appropriate, for newcomers.
• Support general education teachers through short-term co-teaching, providing resources, helping set attainable goals, capacity building, and PD.
• Work directly with newcomers to provide short term ELD support in collaboration with the ELD teacher.
• Collaborate with school staff to support the mental health of newcomer students and their families as appropriate.
• Support new immigrant families in their understanding of the U.S. school system, comparing/contrasting previous school systems with ours, and exploring ways parents can support their children as learners in this country. Create opportunities for new immigrant parents to connect with other families and engage in highly relevant learning and leadership opportunities in our district.
• As appropriate for individual students' needs, partner with staff and community agencies to ensure that newcomers can access additional social/emotional support.
• Collaborate with Parent/Guardian Liaisons and community partners to reduce barriers and improve access to educational opportunities.
• Partner with the District ELD Specialist and other staff to ensure schools have and are implementing processes and procedures related to newcomers. Support the district procedure for enrolling new immigrant families; create yearly updates to welcome fliers; address and provide recommendations regarding district benchmark assessment for newcomers.
• Expand the instructional resource bank available to ELD teachers and general education teachers.
• Help administer WIDA Screener and ACCESS as well as enter and maintain state reporting data into the student information system in partnership with the ELD Specialist.
• Support newcomer engagement with the Portrait of a Graduate (PoG) including with artifacts, how staff can recognize PoG traits in newcomers, and PoG traits as a way to leverage and acknowledge newcomers' strengths and lived experiences.
• Assist with facilitation of the Spanish-language Superintendent's Advisory Committee.

ADDITIONAL JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Demonstrate faithfulness and promptness in attendance at work.
• Submit required reports promptly at the times specified.
• Demonstrate care of and protection of School District property.
• Report suspected child abuse or neglect as required by law.
• Use the District's Internet and E-mail system as specified in Policy.
• Fulfill other duties as assigned by the Director, Superintendent or their designees.
• Model continual improvement, demonstrate lifelong learning, and apply new learning to help all students achieve.
• Demonstrate evidence of professional growth, including leadership and participation in a wide range of significant professional development activities.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Minimum: Bachelor's degree from accredited university; education and/or training in English Language Development and/or Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD)
Preferred:

• Master's degree from accredited university
• Multilingual, oral and written proficiency in Spanish preferred

EXPERIENCE
Minimum: Three years of successful teaching experience in ELD required.
Preferred:

• Teaching experience at elementary, middle, and high school.
• Experience in teacher leadership, learning-focused conversations, and/or cognitive coaching.
• Experience implementing personalized learning practices in a competency-based learning model.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, & REGISTRATIONS
Valid driver's license required. Colorado Teaching License with CLD endorsement.
TECHNICAL SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, & ABILITIES:

• Excellent interpersonal relations and oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to collaborate with individuals from various cultures.
• Commitment to increasing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in the District.
• Strong decision making, analytical and organizational skills.
• Ability to work with teachers with diverse needs in various contexts.
• Ability to develop and implement lessons and programming that lead to student success in meeting the graduation standards.
• Ability to lead others.
• Critical thinking and problem solving skills.
• Ability to utilize formative and summative assessments to assess student learning.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality in all aspects of the job.
• Ability to promote and follow Board and District policies, Superintendent policies and building/department procedures.
• Ability to communicate, interact and work effectively and cooperatively in a team setting.
• Ability to recognize the importance of safety in the workplace, follow safety rules, practice safe work habits, utilize appropriate safety equipment and report unsafe conditions to the appropriate administrator.

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT OPERATING KNOWLEDGE:

• Computers and general office equipment.
• Microsoft Office applications and Google Office Suite.
• Student Information Systems.
• Presentation tools.

Durango School District 9-R is an equal opportunity educational institution and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, creed, age, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability or need for special education services in admissions, access to treatment, or employment in educational programs or activities which it operates, or any other applicable status protected by federal, state or local law. For information regarding civil rights or grievance procedures, contact Laura Galido, Compliance Officer, Durango School District 9-R, 201 E 12th Street, Durango, CO 81301, (970) 247-5411, lgalido@durangoschools.org, or the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, 1244 Spear Boulevard, Suite 310, Denver, CO 80204-3582, (303) 844-5695.