Grade Level: 6-8

Teaching in SEZP

SEZP is seeking educators who are excited and ready to make an impact in a collaborative, engaging, diverse, and high energy environment. We are seeking educators who believe teachers are activists - promising instructional access, rigor, advocacy, and a tenacious commitment to anti-racism for all students. SEZP teachers are expected to:

• Create a safe, purposeful classroom environment that prioritizes learning for all students
• Collaborate with other teachers, instructional leaders, and partners to ensure instruction is meeting the needs of all students
• Assess students regularly, analyze data, and determine appropriate next steps for instruction
• Ensure that instruction meets the needs of all students, including students with special needs, English Language Learners, and students performing below grade level
• Build relationships and communicate regularly with students and their families to solicit input and share academic progress
• Engage in learning about issues of racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion in education to examine your own biases; reflect on how those biases affect you, your students, and their families; and plan and deliver instruction in a culturally responsive way
• Participate in and learn from regular professional development opportunities before and during the school year

BRIEF JOB DESCRIPTION: The Community Engagement Officer will serve as a liaison between families, the school, the community and the Family and Community Engagement division in an effort to increase effective communication between all educational stakeholders.

PRIMARY FUNCTIONS OF THE JOB: 

Connecting Families to Resources

Provide information on available Family and Community Engagement (FACE) events and resources including Springfield Parent Academy courses and activities

Support families with social needs by providing information on appropriate community resources

Assist parents with referrals to district programs and services

Actively promote district and school events and family activities 

Promoting Student Success

Help families understand district/school policies and procedures such as: attendance, homework, uniforms and other related information in the Student/Parent Handbook

Create ways for parents and teachers to personally meet to address students’ academic progress (i.e. Parent- Teacher Conferences)

Help parents with general questions and basic information related to special education and other academic related programs

Assist families with parenting skills to support their children

Work with teachers and other staff to develop learning kits to use in home visits (including meeting with TLT, Teacher Learning Team)

Building Relationships with Families

Welcome families, personally meet them and introduce them to the school community

Identify potential Parent/Teacher Organization (PTO) parents and personally meet them for active participation

Create ways for families and teachers to personally meet

Participate in school events such open houses, coffee hours to personally connect with parents

Act as a liaison between families and school staff when issues arise, more information needs to be shared or cultural differences are a barrier 

Assessing the Needs of Families

Document needs of families through Power School and other tracking tools

Using observation and other variety of techniques; identify the specific needs of families and their progress

Develop a support plan to work with the families

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE JOB:

(Minimum requirements)

• Work in collaboration with parents, teachers, counselors, and attendance officers to enhance communication between school and home
• Attend parent engagement capacity building workshops geared towards parents and/or school staff
• Work in collaboration with parent and community organizations to build the capacity of parents and families
• Work in collaboration with the FACE Center Team and community groups to support district activities and the Springfield Parent Academy
• Assist school staff with identifying potential translation services

EDUCATIONAL & JOB EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: 

• Associates Degree from an accredited college preferred or minimum of two years of experience in family services or related human services field
• Communicate effectively with families in a friendly and supportive manner
• Ability to work as an effective team member in a diverse educational, multicultural environment
• Skill, ability and knowledge of Microsoft word
• Skill and ability to access email and internet
• Possess interpersonal and organizational skills
• Access to transportation is required

This position will report directly to Principal Julia St. Martin along with her Administrative Team.

Benefits

SEZP offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience; salaries for new teachers start at $50,500. Teachers in SEZP qualify for benefits (personal/sick days, retirement, health insurance, etc.) offered to other teachers in the Springfield Public Schools.

In addition, there are several opportunities unique to SEZP schools to increase earnings above base salary. While not guaranteed, those opportunities currently include, but are not limited to:

• Empowerment Academies: Intervention and instruction opportunities implemented during February, April, and summer breaks, following an application and selection process

If you meet some of the qualifications above, we encourage you to apply or to reach out for more information. We know that historically marginalized groups – including people of color, women, people from working class backgrounds, and people who identify as LGBTQ – are less likely to apply unless and until they meet every requirement for a job. Therefore, we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other marginalized communities.

We encourage you to reach out to SEZP@springfieldempowerment.org if you have questions about the role or your qualifications. We are happy to help you feel ready to apply!

About the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership

While Massachusetts is consistently ranked as one of the top states for education results in the country, we have one of the highest and most persistent opportunity gaps. The Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership (SEZP) - established in 2015 as a collaboration between Springfield Public Schools (SPS), the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), and the Springfield Education Association (SEA) – seeks to improve the longitudinal life outcomes of the more than 5,000 students in our middle and high schools.

As a “zone” of schools within the city of Springfield, SEZP’s approach draws on a deep and embedded partnership with the school district and local teachers’ union, while harnessing the flexibility and innovation found in autonomous school models. As a result, each school within SEZP is accorded significant school-based autonomies - in curriculum, talent, calendar, schedule, and budget – while being held accountable for realizing achievement gains for historically marginalized students. In all of our work, SEZP is in pursuit of equity and anti-racism – acknowledging the systemic oppression our students and families encounter daily and working to disrupt these provision gaps urgently and courageously.

Nondiscrimination Statement

The Springfield Public Schools does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, age, disability or military service or marital status. The Springfield Public Schools does not discriminate in admission to, access or treatment in its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation, disability or homelessness.

Title IX Notice of Nondiscrimination

Springfield Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of sex in admission, administration of its educational programs or activities or employment. Springfield Public Schools is required by Title IX and its implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. Part 106 not to discrimination on the basis of sex in admission, administration of its educational programs or activities or employment. The Senior Administrator of Human Resources, Kathleen O’Sullivan, Springfield Public Schools, 1550 Main St. Springfield MA, 011103, 413-787-7100, ext. 55428, has been designated as the employee responsible for coordinating Springfield Public Schools efforts to comply with and carry out its responsibilities under Title IX. Inquiries concerning the application of Title IX and its implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. Part 106 to Springfield Public Schools may be referred to Kathleen O’Sullivan or to U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 400 Maryland Ave., SW Washington, DC 20202-1100, telephone 800-421-3481.