ESL Family Engagement Support Specialist

Our outstanding teachers, support staff members and leaders are top-notch educators whom others seek to emulate, and quite simply – we would like for you to consider joining us.

General Description:

The English as a Second Language (ESL) Family Engagement Support Specialist fosters parental outreach through collaboration with key Chesterfield County Public Schools (CCPS) stakeholders and school personnel to promote parental involvement and engagement in education. This position provides information, support, and resources to the parents of English Learners (ELs) from county and state sources. The Support Specialist also provides leadership, support, and direction to the ESL Program at the building and classroom level, as well as within the community.

Job Description:

Essential Job Functions:

• Provides support to newcomers and establishes contact with EL families new to Chesterfield County 
• Provides communication to stakeholders regarding trends in ELs' education and parental engagement
• Serves as a parent liaison between the student, home, school, and community resources, such as family resource agencies
• Co-Leads a parent advisory team to build support for the Imagine Tomorrow Strategic Plan
• Coordinates and facilitates parent educational stakeholder programming
• Supports and provides guidance to administrators and school personnel in implementing parent involvement programs according to state and federal guidelines 
• Serves as a resource on ESL-related matters for teachers, school administrators, instructional personnel, parents, school ESL personnel, and on committees in the county and community
• Works collaboratively with schools and central office departments to support countywide initiatives
• Plans and implements parent and community engagement events across the county 
• Works with professional personnel, students, and parents to help students be successful in school by making information available in various languages to increase the understanding of specific elements that may be attributed to emotional, physical, academic, and economic areas specific to the ESL and Refugee population
• Meets with students and families as needed to determine educational goals and supplemental  family and school supports
• Provides community resources to support students and families in collaboration with the school, teacher, home, and ESL Welcome Center
• Participates in on-going professional development by attending workshops, lectures, and institutes on specific subjects to enhance job performance; Keeps abreast of all federal and state English Learner Program guidelines
• Makes home visits as needed and works with parents regarding ways in which they can help their children achieve challenging state standards
• Assists with delivery of ESL program presentations, professional development sessions, state assessments, and training, as needed
• Assists and coordinates supplemental personnel, such as instructors, mentors, and/or volunteers to support students to reinforce academic and language skills during ESL sponsored events and parent workshops
• Performs other related duties as required

Budgetary Responsibility:     
N/A

Report Preparation:  
Prepares reports related to area as requested

Equipment Operation: 
Operates standard office equipment

Contacts:  
Contacts are made regularly and frequently with instructional and administrative personnel as well as personnel outside the school system.

Work Direction/Supervision:
This position has no supervisory duties, but may provide work direction to other personnel on ESL matters.

Decision-Making:  
This position requires independent decision-making, with supervisor input sought for atypical and/or challenging situations.

Formal Policy-Setting Responsibilities:  
This position has no formal policy-setting responsibilities

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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. Must have the ability to sit and stand for extended periods of time; exhibit manual dexterity to dial a telephone, to enter data into a computer; to see and read a computer screen and printed material with or without vision aids; hear and understand speech at normal classroom levels, outdoors and on the telephone; speak in audible tones so that others may understand clearly in normal classrooms, outdoors and on the telephone; physical agility to lift up to 25 pounds; and to bend, stoop, climb stairs, and to reach overhead. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to drive, sit, and talk or hear.

Work Environment:
The duties of this job are conducted in a CCPS location, including schools, and other locations within the community. Evenings and weekends hours required as needed. Noise level will vary based on work location.

Qualifications: 
Must have knowledge and understanding of parental involvement and cultural awareness. Demonstrated ability to plan and coordinate parental engagement events and meetings; to establish and maintain effective working relationships with students, staff, parents, teachers, administrators, and community-based organizations; and to read and prepare correspondence, reports, forms, etc., using prescribed formats and confirming the rules of punctuation, grammar, and style ( in multiple languages).  Demonstrated ability in decision making, problem analysis, conflict resolution, interpersonal relationships, program management, and research and planning. Working skills in the use of a personal computer, proficiency in Microsoft Office, Google Suite, and the student information system, and report creation. Must possess the ability to read and prepare correspondence, reports, forms, etc., using prescribed formats and confirming the rules of punctuation, grammar, and style ( in multiple languages). Position requires the ability to record and deliver information, explain procedures, and communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
 

Additional Job Requirements:

Applicants considered for employment must successfully complete the following background investigations/tests:

• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Criminal History Investigation

• State Police Criminal History Investigation

• Child Protective Services (CPS) Investigation

• Tuberculosis Screening/Test

Compensation

$32.59 per hour

Benefits

Chesterfield County Public Schools offers a wide variety of benefits to employees.  Benefit offerings may differ based upon full-time and part-time employee status.

Chesterfield County Public Schools assures Equal Employment Opportunities for employees as required by Federal and State Orders and Laws.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential tasks. This job description is intended to accurately reflect the position activities and requirements.  However, administration reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties and assign other duties as necessary.  It is not intended to be and should not be construed as an all-inclusive list of all the responsibilities, skills, or working conditions associated with the position and does not imply an employment contract.