PARENT/COMMUNITY LIAISON

The Utica City School District’s mission is to ensure that all students succeed and are well-rounded, with knowledge, skills, and character to be productive members of society.

The District’s vision is that students can reach their goals and find academic success through a variety of pathways and with different levels of support.

About the Utica City School District:

The Utica City School District serves a community of approximately 64,500 city residents in an urban and multi- cultural environment with a current enrollment of roughly 9,644 students in its 13 schools __ Proctor High School, Donovan Middle School, JFK Middle School and 10 elementary schools. The District’s greatest asset is its diversity, with more than 50 languages spoken and 16% of students being English language learners.

Elementary - The District’s elementary schools integrate a vibrant curriculum across all grade levels and subject areas, aligning with the New York State Learning Standards. The District is also investing in the realignment of math goals, instruction and curriculum to focus on research-based best practices in mathematics that are proven to increase student performance outcomes. In all subject areas, there is an understanding that developing foundational skills will support students in bridging gaps in learning. Students are provided with a well-rounded curriculum focused on fostering academic and social/emotional competencies that will carry them through their academic career.

Middle School - The focus at the District’s middle schools is to ensure that students are provided with equitable opportunities to successfully transition from elementary to high school. Both middle schools offer opportunities for students to succeed at every learning level, with dedicated classes for English Language Learners and students with disabilities, as well as honors/advanced studies. The Family and Career Sciences and Technology programs have incorporated science, technology, engineering and math topics into each curriculum to help prepare students for the Career and Technical Education opportunities available at the high school.

High School - Proctor High School provides numerous avenues for students to achieve the District’s vision. This is accomplished through supportive and adaptive special education and English language learner programming, a robust honors and Advanced Placement curriculum, and partnerships with post-secondary institutions including Mohawk Valley Community College and Syracuse University’s Project Advance. The District most recently embarked upon a groundbreaking initiative working with community and business partners to create innovative Career and Technical Education programming for its high school students. Proctor’s Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corp (NJROTC), music, art and drama programs, along with numerous extracurricular activities and athletics, offer additional avenues to showcase students’ talents and interests and support them throughout their school experience.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS: This is a professional position that exists at the Utica City School District and involves responsibility for bridging the communication between school and home by helping parents get the information, help, and support they need to ensure their child’s academic and social success in school. The incumbent will support reducing the achievement gap between various student groups through improved Home School Connections. The incumbent provides parents with a variety of information about programs, school requirements, resources, special events, and/or activities. The Parent/Community Liaison serves under the supervision of the Superintendent of Schools or his/her designee. Supervision is not a responsibility of employees in this class. Does related work as required.

TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES: (Illustrative Only)

Works with parents to help them better understand the rules, policies, and recommendations made by their child’s school, principal, teacher, and/or other school staff;

Makes home visits to parents to encourage parent involvement, increased achievement and improved communication;

Makes home visits to parents of children in danger of retention or with serious academic/discipline problems;

Attends conferences with parents and teachers when requested. Teachers may request the Parent/Community Liaison to meet with parents;

Schedules conferences to meet with the teachers of children whose parents request a meeting; Develops a schedule of parent related activities for the yearly school calendar;

Develops, prepares and presents workshops, arranges for speakers, and coordinates with community-based informational meetings when appropriate;

Keeps plans, attendance records, and parent evaluations for each activity, with the activities being designed to increase student achievement, parent involvement, and improved communications between school and parents;

Attends Superintendent Hearings, CSE, and IST meetings with the Building Principal’s approval;

Communicates with school staff concerning student and parent needs;

Helps defuse student and community problems using techniques of conflict resolution and mediation;

Keeps documentation of parent contacts such as home visit forms, mileage logs, parent contact logs, referrals from teachers, requests from teams, attendance at workshops and PTSO meetings;

Recruits parents to serve on District committees and school SDM’s to gain input for school staff;

Train parents to work with students at home and in school;

Assist in implementation of tutoring program for all students in need;

Assist staff using mediation, conflict, and diversity training techniques;

Attend monthly meetings of PTSO and SDM’s and encourage parents to do the same;

Develops a cross section of parents from each building to be involved in school and District

activities;

Prepares and presents reports pertaining to the above as requested by school administrators and the Board of Education;

Attends court as necessary for students with attendance or discipline problems;

Completes all other activities assigned by the Superintendent of Schools, his/her designee, and the Building Principal.

FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES and PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: Must be able to learn and proficiently use various technology platforms used for school-to-home communication; must have adequate computer skills and must be able to easily adapt to various computer software such as Microsoft Publisher, Excel, Word, etc.; excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to listen and empathize to build trust with the student and families; ability to adapt the way you communicate to meet the needs of different families; ability to establish and nurture beneficial relationships; ability to empower parents to become active participants in the education of their children; ability to get along well with others; highly organized and detail oriented; ability to work independently; flexibility to adjust changing priorities.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS, INCLUDING SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

High School Diploma or a High School Equivalency Diploma, and three (3) years of experience in a related area.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Possession of a valid NYS Drivers License at the time of appointment. A valid NYS Drivers License must be maintained throughout employment.

Any position involving contact with children/students will require a background and fingerprinting check before employment commences.

Utica residency requirement per City of Utica Civil Service.

Per Chapter 180 of the Laws of 2000, and by Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, to be employed in a position designated by a school district or BOCES as involving direct contact with students, a clearance for employment from the State Education Department is required.

The Utica City School District offers a comprehensive benefits package.

• All interested candidates must apply through our online platform: https://uticaschools.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx

The Utica City School District will only accept applications through this site. Please note, you must create an online account in order to apply. If you have questions relating to the application process, please contact Chief Human Resources Officer, Sara Klimek at sklimek@uticaschools.org. *

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer which fully and actively supports equal access for all regardless of Race, Color, Weight, National Origin, Ethnic Group, Religion, Religious Practice, Disability, Sexual Orientation, Gender, Age, Veteran Status or Genetic Information.