What are the responsibilities and job description for the School Culture Specialist position at Oliver Middle School?
Lawrence Public Schools is an urban district, located 30 miles north of Boston, serving more
than 13,000 students. More than 70% of our students speak a language other than English as
their first language. We are committed to ensuring that our students, who have for too long been
under-served, are provided with a high-quality, free, public education at their local, district
schools
Oliver Middle School is located in the heart of Lawrence and consists of students in grades 5-8. The ideal candidate believes deeply in our core values of Resilience, Integrity, Scholarship, Empathy, and Community, and believes that all students have the potential to achieve greatly. The culture specialist supports schoolwide culture and classroom teaching by:
Core Duties and Responsibilities:
● School Culture Specialists will help lead the school’s efforts to create a positive, safe,
supportive, consistent, and caring school culture.
● With the Student Support Team, build systems and procedures which support the
sanctity of instructional time and reinforce a positive school culture;
● Provide proactive, daily support to teachers and students to maintain high behavioral
expectations;
● Assist teachers, students, and families in the effective creation and implementation of
individual student support plans;
● Reinforce the effective use of restorative practices;
● Be highly present and visible during school hours; and Implement a referral process into
the restorative system to be used by staff, and develop a system for students to request
circles
● Attend professional development and staff meetings;
● Schedule, facilitate, and document restorative conferences, mediations, and other types
of conflict resolution circles;
● Facilitate circles as deemed necessary;
● Liaison with court, police, probation, and DYS for all court involved youth;
● Maintain weekly documentation of outreach efforts;
- Engage regularly with student families
● All other duties as assigned
Desired Skills and Characteristics:
● A deep desire to work with educationally underserved student populations and their
families;
● An unwavering commitment to the academic success and personal development of our
students;
● An eagerness to set ambitious, challenging, and tangible goals, and a relentless drive to
achieve them;
● An ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment and a capacity to remain calm and
focused when faced with unexpected challenges;
● Excellent interpersonal and communication skills;
● A sense of humility;
● A strong familiarity with the neighborhoods and community of Lawrence;
● Ability to implement systems and follow up as needed;
Qualifications:
● Bachelor's degree preferred
● Urban School Experience preferred
● Bilingual Spanish Preferred