24-25 - Memorial/Toki/Gillespie - Student Engagement Specialist - 1.0 FTE (40 hpw)
Memorial High
Gillespie Middle
Toki Middle
$26.84 - 26.84 Hourly Wage
MMSD is seeking highly motivated and energetic applicants for openings for the 2024-2025 school year. The Madison Metropolitan School District actively seeks and encourages women and candidates of color to apply.
Becoming a Model School District
The Madison Metropolitan School District is committed to being anti-racist, culturally responsive, and inclusive. We have a simple but bold vision - to ensure that every school is a thriving school, fostering the growth of every student so they graduate from high school ready for college, career and community.
Our strategy is captured in our strategic framework , and centers on three major goals: that all children achieve academically, that our schools are places where children and adults thrive, and that our Black youth excel at school. To achieve this vision, we seek to retain staff in all positions, who are committed to being anti-racist, culturally responsive, and inclusive. Staff who will actively contribute to our ongoing commitment to making MMSD a thriving, welcoming environment for all students, families and staff.
We firmly believe and are here to create a work environment that is challenging and rewarding, while supporting you in your career path. We aim to foster, cultivate, and retain a skilled workforce that supports and mirrors the diversity of our student population.
We know this vision doesn't come to life without dynamic leaders and support staff in every school.
About Our District
The Madison Metropolitan School District is the second largest school district in Wisconsin. The district serves a beautifully diverse population of more than 27,000 students. More than half are students of color. Almost half come from low income households. Nearly one third are English Language Learners, and more than 100 languages are represented in our schools. Madison schools are committed to making this district a place where every child thrives.
Purpose of Position
The Student Engagement Specialist (12 months) will provide mentorship for our most disengaged secondary students within a feeder pattern, strengthen relationships with caregivers, and expand strategic community programming and partnerships to holistically support the student and family. Under the supervision of the Executive Director of EDEI, the SES will:

1. provide mentorship for a caseload of students to enhance belonging, social-emotional well-being, community readiness, and restorative values and practices in a secondary feeder pattern (high school and its feeder middle schools), enhancing relational continuity for students and families through level matriculation;
2. build trusting relationships with families to ensure holistic services are provided, school-family partnership is synergized; and
3. lead and promote out of strategic school time programming in partner community sites to expand MMSD's partnership opportunities and provide holistic support of both students and families. This role also creates an upward mobile, developmental opportunity for entry-level positions to expand career opportunities in MMSD via degree completion partnerships (Grow Your Own programs) and professional development.

Supervisory Responsibilities
None
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
The Student Engagement Specialist will have 3 primary workstreams:

• Mentorship
  
  • Coach students in goal-setting for career development, academic growth, and social-emotional development both during and after school
  • Support restorative justice teams and practices, including but not limited to re-admit meetings, conflict resolution amongst students and/or staff and/or families
  • Connect students from residential community centers and our schools to community-based programs and opportunities that build on their strengths and align with students' goals
  • Promote co-curricular participation
  • Enhance employability skills in students via mock interviews, resume writing, and more
• Family Engagement
  
  • Create and expand family partnerships with caregivers members so they stay informed and empowered in their student's academic journey
  • Partner with caregivers to support their student's social-emotional development
  • Promote family inclusive events to families
  • Be responsive to critical incidents in the community and collaborate with administrators and social workers to support
• Community-based programming
  
  • In partnership with strategic community or neighborhood center sites, and residential learning centers, provide strategic focus groups and programming that inspires and promotes identity and culture, and equips students with tools for social-emotional development
  • Co-create out-of-school-time programming and plans with students
  • Co-create out-of-school-time programming and plans with parents/caregivers
• Perform other tasks as assigned

Education, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities to perform essential job functions

• High school diploma or equivalent
• Minimum of two (2) years of project management experience with demonstrated experience with projects that were implemented and completed within one year timeframe
• Minimum of three (3) years of being involved in parenting classes, parenting groups, PTO/PTA involvement, other adult leadership development or community organizations
• Demonstrated experience with group facilitation and professional learning settings for adults
• Experience with equity and inclusive practices and working cross-culturally
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to keep accurate records and prepare reports
• Available to work a flexible schedule that includes evenings and weekends
• Has a valid driver's license and access to an automobile

• Computer skills including experience with Microsoft Office and/or Google Suite
• Demonstrated experience with strategic thinking and large-scale strategy implementation
• Successful experience planning, organizing and implementing within a system
• Demonstrated ability to access community partners as way to create new solutions for family-school partnerships
• Record of public speaking and/or presentations before groups
• Bilingual in Spanish or Hmong preferred

Working Conditions
Some regular evening and occasional weekend work is required. Regular travel to school and community sites is also required.
Environmental Adaptability
Ability to work under general safe and comfortable conditions where exposure to environmental factors is minimal and poses little to no risk of injury.
The Madison Metropolitan School District is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the District will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourage both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.