Community Schools offer a holistic approach toward improving academic performance driven by strong, collaborative partnerships among principals, parents, teachers, and CBOs. In Community Schools, parents are real and active partners in their children’s education, the school climate is joyful and positive, and expanded learning opportunities are standard.

The Community School Zone Leader possesses the ability to think outside the box and be a self-motivated initiative-taker willing to go above and beyond expectations. The Zone Leader facilitates the connection between the school and the community. The Zone Leader provides oversight and supervision to the Community School Navigators within the zone. The Community School Zone Leader is hired by Say Yes in consultation with the Associate Superintendent of Strategic Alignment and Innovation.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership

• Provides oversight and supervision to the Community School Navigator
• Partners with Post-Secondary Institutions to leverage programs and services
• Plans and directs efforts to involve students, families, and neighborhood residents in community school initiative
• Establishes linkages with local businesses to promote their involvement in the school
• Assures the functioning of all community school core components are effectively linked to the school curriculum and fulfill the basic principles of community schools
• Develops, maintains, and nurtures relationships with school administration and staff, parents, family members, and neighborhood residents
• Integrates programs that aim to increase educational opportunities and social connections for children, families, and neighborhood residents
• Develops relationships and partnerships with neighborhood residents, community-based organizations, local businesses, and communities of faith to support the goals of the leadership team and the key priority areas
• Facilitates Zone and Community Meetings
• Assures the alignment of partner services with the Community School strategies through partner service agreements
• Assists school and partner agencies with resource management and development
• Facilitates ongoing communication between the CSN, principal, CBO partner, and service providers
• Serves as point person for agencies and programs interested in partnering with the school and helps to broker new partnerships that are aligned with school goals and needs
• Participates in Core Leadership meetings
• Performs administrative tasks for the day-to-day management and coordination of activities
• Manages staff HR functions in UltiPro

Community Outreach/Engagement

• Recruits and supports school site team that includes neighborhood residents
• Co-designs and conducts community forums
• Represents school at community meetings and events
• Conducts community needs assessment
• Coordinates and provides oversight of weekly community outreach/recruitment (door-to-door, tabling, presentations, telephone calls, social media, etc.)

Data Management

• Supports the evaluation of the community school by supervising and coordinating the collection of data, timely submission of reports, and responses to other requests for information
• Utilizes SMS data management system to gather, maintain, and report on student academic, attendance, and behavioral success in school and offered programs

Professional Development

• Participates in capacity-building activities, including initiative-wide and site-based trainings, network meetings, and with the Principal ensures the participation of other site-based staff as needed or required
• Coordinates and plans the Professional Development check-sessions with CSNs
• Participates in professional development opportunities centered around the development of full-service Community Schools. Share lessons learned and best practices with the district and colleagues to inform site-level improvements and expansion of community schools
• Participates with Coalition of Community Schools Site Facilitators Network - Professional Development (webinars, conference calls, etc.)
• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualification, Skills, and Knowledge Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in a human services field with at least 6 years of community-based experience and 2 years of supervisory experience
• 2 years of proven skills in leaders, group facilitation, coordination, marketing, budgeting, data collection and project management
• Valid NYS Driver’s License
• Knowledge of community resources
• Working knowledge of program-based budgeting and request-for-proposals administration
• Ability to work 70% of Saturdays, flexible hours (evenings and weekends)
• Bi-lingual skills may be needed depending on the needs of the school
• Ability to work effectively with school-aged youth, educators, families, and communities from a wide range of cultural, social, and economic backgrounds
• Ability to work collaboratively, and “build bridges” with strong relationship building skill
• Ability to clear background check screening
• Experience in collaboration, meeting facilitation, problem-solving, and team-building
• Ability to organize, prioritize, and respond to deadlines while working on multiple tasks
• Ability to work in school bureaucracy
• Adhere to school policies and procedures
• Exhibits ability to be a creative thinker and self-starter
• Effective oral and written communication skills

• Believe and practice Say Yes Racial Equity Statement, “Equity will be achieved when we can all just wake up and live freely; be valued and respected; live free from structural impediments based off of perceived racial characteristics; and, have fair representation and opportunity.”

Pay Rate- $61,000 per year