About South Bend Empowerment Zone The South Bend Empowerment Zone was created in spring 2019 to transform five schools on the west side of South Bend. We have a phenomenal team of teachers/staff, school leaders, and central support leaders who are on fire to actualize our vision and mission in service to our children and families. We serve approximately 2000 children on the west side of South Bend, who inspire us daily with their greatness. Vision We are a system of schools that works to eliminate academic and social-emotional opportunity gaps and cultivates the greatness that exists within each child to confidently pursue their dreams in our city, nation, and world. Mission We nurture the mind, body, and spirit of each child by embracing equity, learning, and change for students, staff, and families. We harness the power of community and relationships to ignite transformation. Our Core Beliefs ● Students and Families First: We make collaborative decisions that are in the best interest of students and families by lifting all voices. We will strategically use every resource to meet the individual needs of every student. ● Equity: We acknowledge the systemic & institutional inequities that currently exist in public education. We will repair harm by shifting away from exclusionary discipline practices and restore relationships between community, students, and educators. ● Excellence: Our schools are relentless in the pursuit of greatness by implementing bold and innovative practices. We hold ourselves and others to high standards and guide students to take ownership of their learning through trust and accountability. Position Overview The Director of School Culture & Family Empowerment manages the planning, development, organization, management, direction, and implementation of all aspects of school culture and family empowerment for the Empowerment Zone which includes but are not limited to creating and maintaining a supportive and rigorous culture that also demands excellence and continued improvement from staff and students while providing real support for all to be successful. This role is also responsible for providing the visionary leadership as well as the day-to-day direct guidance, in developing and maintaining the best possible support for children and their families in our community utilizing the Dual Capacity Building for School Partnerships framework and other practice-informed frameworks as a guide for authentic family engagement. Furthermore, the Director of School Culture & Family Empowerment assures compliance with all laws, codes, and regulations related to Student Services; evaluates assigned direct reports and collaborates/provides support to administrative and professional staff in meeting identified Student & School supports goals for the Empowerment Zone.Management of Student & School Supports Personnel ● Manages and supervises the Student & School Supports staff including School Culture Coordinators, Family and Community School Specialists, and Health Services. ● Assists in the development and implementation of Student & School Supports policy and Administrative Regulations related to Student & School Supports Services. ● Develops and maintains budgets for Student & School Supports based on assessed needs, Empowerment Zone philosophy, and State and Federal law and regulations in consultation with the Executive Director of Student & School Supports, Executive Director of Operations and Finance, and Zone Chief. ● Supervises and evaluates School Culture Coordinators, PeaceBuilders, and Family and Community School Specialists. ● Serves as a resource person for Student & School Support Services committees by facilitating communications, preparing reports, and compiling research. Support Family Engagement and Empowerment Design & Implementation ● Work in partnership with the Executive Director of Student & School Supports and Empowerment Zone Chief to develop and enact an Empowerment Zone-specific family empowerment and parent leadership strategy ● Manages and supports family and student initiatives that promote student achievement, family involvement, and school culture (ex: student attendance, high school placement, etc…). ● Leads information sessions targeted to parent and family needs. ● Plans and executes family, student and community events and manages a family engagement budget. ● Creates surveys and other tools to measure the impact and effectiveness of student and family engagement programs. ● Leverages a variety of resources to learn and communicate expanded educational opportunities for students. ● Supports student culture and behavioral needs as necessary. Support with Service Delivery Design & Implementation ● Maintain the Scorecard and Dashboard for the Student & School Supports services. ● Collaborate with building principals and other administrators on implementing Student & School Supports initiatives of the Empowerment Zone and assist in moving from a program-based model that separates students to a service-based model that unifies support for all students using the MTSS framework. ● Assists in the determination of types of programs needed by the schools and makes appropriate recommendations (programs include but are not limited to all special education services, early childhood services, school culture elementary and middle level services, services for the gifted & talented, services for families). ● Develops proposals, new services, budgets, and grants for the purpose of meeting Empowerment Zone goals. ● Prepares documentation and reports data to the Executive Director of Student & School Supports for the purpose of providing written support, conveying information, and complying with Federal and State regulations. ● Communicates information on services and regulations to school personnel, parents, the broader community and other districts for the purpose of understanding the services.Programming Service Delivery Oversight and Compliance Support ● Serves as the Empowerment Zone representative for IEP meetings when resources beyond school budgets may be considered for the purpose of efficiently managing fiscal resources while meeting education regulations and student needs. ● Coordinates with outside agencies to provide services to students and staff, for the purpose of offering appropriate services. ● Oversees the training of Empowerment Zone staff for the purpose of assuring well-trained personnel. ● Collaborate with school-based administrators and district office administrators regarding the discipline of students with disabilities. ● Assists in planning and implementing services that support alignment of learning standards with effective special education teaching practices. . ● Articulate exceptional education with regular education, including Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports. ● Assist in the preparation of bulletins, courses of study, public relations materials, and other instructional devices as pertinent to exceptional education. Social Emotional Learning and Health Services ● Coordinate a robust Health Services Program that integrates already existing school personnel and also engages outside community stakeholders. ● Coordinate social emotional and mental health curriculum, instruction, and assessment in collaboration with Student & School Supports staff. ● Oversee the parent and student engagement initiatives and programing. Key Competencies for Success in this Role: ● Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written ● Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively with a diverse team of leaders ● Ability to organize workload, set priorities, and adapt quickly to changing priorities ● Ability to manage multiple people and high-priority projects under intense deadline pressures ● Ability to perform high-quality work under pressure ● Incredible attention to detail and precision ● Enjoys solving problems/navigating challenges ● Ability to navigate a politically complex environment with grace and focus ● Strong strategic thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving capabilities ● Belief and alignment with Zone’s core beliefs and philosophy, including the belief that every child can excel academically and that every family deserves partnership and respect Ideal Competencies (Not Required) ● Deep roots, connection, and commitment to the west side of South Bend ● Fluency in written and oral Spanish Compensation Up to $85K/annually