Description

Perspectives Charter Schools Network is seeking a Senior Restorative Coach - Dean for the 2023-2024 school year! 

About Perspectives Charter Schools

At Perspectives, our A Disciplined Life® education model teaches the whole child. We combine academic rigor, social emotional learning, and experiential opportunities to establish a culture of trust, curiosity and achievement. As one of the first charter schools in Illinois and founded by teachers, our mission is to provide students with a holistic, rigorous and relevant education, based on the ethical principles of A Disciplined Life®, preparing them for life in a changing world and helping them further become intellectually reflective, caring and ethical people engaged in a meaningful life. With 5 schools in three campuses, the Perspectives network has served public school students in grades 6 -12 on our city’s Southside for over 20 years. Our scholars come from some of the most disadvantaged neighborhoods in the country, but they graduate from high school, graduate from high school with a plan to enroll in college or trade school, and take with them the tools to persist in college and career. The keys to our success are our dedicated, hard‐working, creative, and compassionate colleagues.

Lead the culture at Perspectives, where we live A Disciplined Life®.

JOB PURPOSE 

At Perspectives, we pride ourselves in the quality of supports that we give to our diverse learners. We are committed to providing an equitable and inclusive education for all. Our Deans embody and lead by example to show our students how to live the 26 principles of A Disciplined Life® (our social emotional learning culture and curriculum). We truly believe that every student is capable of greatness, and we are committed to providing a caring community of dedicated staff that meet the emotional, and social needs of our scholars. Our ultimate goal is that we give our scholars an environment they can thrive in and the social emotional tools they need to be ethical leaders that will allow them to be positive change agents in their communities and lead meaningful post-secondary lives.

The Restorative Practices (RP) Coach will work to support the process by which students and adults develop skills to repair harm in relationships and build a stronger sense of community within the school. The RP Coach will work in an in-person environment to build and deepen a positive school climate and culture by training staff on various frameworks including but not limited to RP, Social Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies, and Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) as part of the Multi-Tier System of Supports (MTSS) Tier I process for behavioral interventions. Additionally, the RP Coach will directly support students in behavioral MTSS Tier II and Tier III. The RP Coach will be responsible for direct support to school staff on RP and MTSS programming. This position will oversee the restorative coaches at their given campus.

WHAT YOU’LL DO: CORE RESPONSIBILITIES 

Academic Rigor

• Provide support, guidance, and structure for restorative practices across the building, which includes managing and modeling restorative circles, developing processes and procedures for restorative conferences, and supporting the discipline process through a restorative lens.
• Serve as a resource person to staff regarding policy, procedure, and special situations.
• Conduct conferences with parents and personnel regarding restorative practices and/or disciplinary problems.
• Suggest and implement alternative means and new ideas, different approaches to achieve students’ success, improved educational and behavioral outcomes, and reduced out-of-school suspensions.
• Increase the relational capacity of students: to achieve the PCS graduate aims (scholars will be conscious contributors, effective communicators, life-long learners, critical thinkers, have a growth mindset, build self-awareness, and have emotional regulation.
• Develops and executes, consistently, processes and procedure to ensure implementation of the A Disciplined Life school culture within each classroom by teachers
• Implements ADL curriculum and best practices are within the classrooms
• Ensures school wide discipline systems are implemented evenly within classrooms
• Student learning and engagement are supported through the classroom management skill of teachers
• Third teacher (classroom environment is organized, attractive, engaging and student work centered)

• Develops and delivers professional learning for teachers requiring support around implementing the A Disciplined Life culture in classroom, hallways, assemblies, conferences, and celebrations
• Ensures effective communication protocols between teachers and parents
• Assists administration in the responsibility of protecting the health, safety and welfare of students
• Communicates with Instructional Leaders and Assistant Principals for teacher effectiveness, and follow through on expectations for classroom management and best practices
• Arranges and attend meetings that address student behavior interventions – including roundtables, heart to hearts and makes sure all teachers are informed intervention strategies for students
• Support the Maintenance records of student disciplinary action taken and student attendance by training and supporting teachers
• Assist with general supervision of school grounds
• Investigate, develop and implement proactive measures to encourage appropriate student behaviors, including improved school attendance
• Work with community and government agencies on issues relating to truancy from school
• Assist with operations duties: parent communications, external visits, assessments, schedules, food service program, student transitions, assemblies and ceremonies, assigning and monitoring student locker usage
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the principal or other school leader

Social Emotional Learning

• Creates and communicates school culture support systems and routines that support positive school culture to all stakeholders
• Manages the implementation of positive and negative aspects of the discipline systems, through teachers
• Regularly collects and analyzes data to improve school culture. This data includes referral rates by teachers, incident types, merits, and demerits by teacher and incidents. Compiles daily and weekly data reports and sends to staff and leadership team with key findings and recommended next steps
• Works collaboratively with social workers, Deans, and other academic personnel to implement restorative discipline practices, including facilitating of restorative conferences with teachers and students and coaching of teachers in leading restorative conferences
• Administers school climate surveys, ADL Assessments and Surveys and uses results to make strategic improvements in school-wide and classroom structures and systems
• Demonstrate self-awareness and poses emotional intelligence that allow to cultivate a culture based on the 26 principles of A Disciplined Life
• Engage in ongoing collaboration between stakeholders to contribute in a teamwork environment culture
• Build meaningful and professional relationships with stakeholders
• A unwavering belief in the power of inclusion and a commitment to equity in order to narrow the gap within the gap for students with disabilities
• A commitment to life-long learning with the desire to take advantage of professional development and coaching to constantly improve

Experiential Opportunities

• Observes teachers and provides feedback using Culture Rubric
• Conducts internal Culture Walks quarterly and invests grade level teachers in process and strategic initiatives
• Collaborates with Instructional Leader to evaluate teachers on Classroom Culture
• Provide weekly coaching of novice and emerging teachers in Classroom Culture
• Designs and provides Professional Development on Approach to Classroom Culture
• Facilitates surveys and supports teachers with analysis of data and creation of next steps based on data
• Participate in professional development and work collaboratively with instructional leaders to improve culture-based instructional practices

WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TEAM: 

Education: 

• ISBE PEL license preferred
• Bachelor’s Degree
• De-Escalation Certification, CPI preferred
• Powerschool, Schoology, G-Suite experience a plus

Language Skills:

• Ability to read and write proficiently using the English language
• Ability to interact and speak effectively in interpersonal situations and before groups of people

Experience: 

• Evidence of success working in an urban school environment strongly preferred
• At least three years of experience working in a culture based role with high impact
• Able to work independently and with a team
• History of building successful relationships with adults and school-aged children
• Proven track of leading interventions and round circles for restorative justice practices
• Be able to manage and organize large groups of students and teachers
• Detail oriented and thoroughly organized with large quantity of information
• Technology based communication skills – Video, Computer, Software: One Note, Google
• Presentation skills – developing and presenting
• Demonstrates reliability and meets deadlines

EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE COMPETENCIES

• Advocacy: Champion the growth and needs of our administrative leadership, teachers, and support staff, within a collaborative environment that takes into account the differentiated needs and goals of the entire organization to support our educational goals.

• Cultural competence: Effectively communicate and collaborate with diverse individuals and groups; apply positive strategies to confront social issues, including discrimination, bias and stereotype threat; and use this competence to inform teaching and learning practices.
• Equity-minded: The data-driven outlook and perspectives that call attention to patterns of inequity in access, outcomes and retention as institutional problems, in an effort to develop systemic strategies within the control of Perspectives that address these inequities. This includes being willing to have robust discussions about identity-based inequities.

OUR WORK CULTURE WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TEAM: 

Work Environment

• This job operates in a school setting and office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as laptop computers and smartphones.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• Nature of work requires an ability to operate standard business office equipment. Requires the ability to communicate and exchange information, collect, compile and prepare work documents, set-up and maintain work files.
• Physical demands require the ability to stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls; reach or pull with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl around the classroom and kneel. Must be able to stand for long periods of time and quickly ascend/descend stairs and/or being able to walk up and down stairs several times a day. Constant use of eyes (correctable vision to normal level required) to observe, read, interact with public and co-workers, view security monitors; includes hand/eye coordination
• Must be able to lift, push and pull 15 to 20 pounds for short periods of time .

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

• This is a full-time position. Days and hours of work are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This position regularly requires long hours and occasional weekend work as job duties demand.

Travel

• Travel is primarily local during the business day, although some out-of-area travel may be expected

Other Duties: Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. 

Benefits Summary: Perspectives offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package for all full-time employees, some including below.

• Comprehensive and competitive benefits package
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid time off including holidays
• Company 403B plan available
• Company contribution towards the Chicago Teachers' Pension Fund if eligible
• Paid life insurance
• Paid short and long term disability.
• ISBE-approved professional development provider

Perspectives Charter Schools works affirmatively to include diversity among its workforce and does not discriminate in the selection of its staff on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, income, marital status, or any other dimension of diversity. We encourage diverse candidates to apply for this position.