Family Life Coordinator, Community Partnership School

Posted by Community Partnership School on March 20, 2017

Position: We seek a Family Life Coordinator to start in August 2017.

School Overview
Founded in 2006, Community Partnership School (CPS) is a Pre-K through 5th grade independent elementary school located in North Central Philadelphia. CPS works tirelessly toward realizing its ambitious mission: to meet talent with opportunity by providing pre-kindergarten and elementary aged children from low-wealth, low-income backgrounds in North Philadelphia with a high-quality, affordable education that prepares them for lifelong success and strengthens the communities to which they belong.

Our approach embraces family engagement and whole-child development – in other words, actively stimulating the intellectual, social-emotional and physical well-being of each of our students in active partnership with their families. CPS begins with Pre-Kindergarten in order to capture early learning benefits for both our students and their families. The school program ends after fifth grade, with strong focus on individual fit in the placement of our graduates into middle school. Our investment in the success of our students doesn’t end at graduation as we provide on-going support of our graduates through a comprehensive alumni program. Community demand is approximately ten times the number of spots available each year.

Position Profile The Family Life Coordinator develops and/or facilitates preventive, proactive services for families centered on developmental information, family life cycle information, and topics such as safety, physical and mental health, and family fun. The Coordinator serves as a resource for families in need of support around health care, emergency assistance, or counseling, offering information and/or referrals when necessary. The Coordinator provides individual attention and manages overall support for students and families, appropriating a strengths-based, holistic service approach that engages families as partners in the process of helping their child/ren succeed.

Other essential tasks follow:

 Support classroom teachers and the School Counselor with behavior management, particularly with students facing social and/or learning challenges.
 Liaise between family and school personnel as appropriate to ensure healthy and informed communication between home and school.
 Work cooperatively with students, adult family members, school staff and community partners to remove barriers that prevent students from learning.
 Facilitate professional development on effective family engagement practices for school staff.
 Develop and maintain academic/enrichment resources (i.e. tutoring, community calendars, etc.) for students and families.

Additional duties include:
 Closely collaborating with Cluster Teams, the Support Services Team, the CPS Family Council, the Enrollment, Placement and Alumni Support team, and the Family Connections Committee
 Organizing general family life activities such as Parent Night sessions, meet and greets for new families, Dads and Donuts, and Grandparents/Special Friends Day
 Identifying and reporting child abuse and neglect
 Providing case management for students and families requiring multiple resources

Experience as a counselor, 3-5 years minimum, is required and an MSW or equivalent degree is preferred. Successful candidates will also have 1) strong communication and people skills, 2) a demonstrated commitment to principles of equity and inclusion, and 3) experience working in traditionally marginalized communities.

The Family Life Coordinator is a full member of the faculty and reports directly to the Director of Curriculum and Instruction. Flexible hours possible; compensation based on experience.

Application
Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references to:
Beth Vaccaro, Director of Curriculum and Instruction (b.vaccaro@communitypartnershipschool.org)