Boston Arts Academy Retention Specialist (.5FTE)
PC#: 00053553

Boston Arts Academy is seeking a Retention Specialist to serve as a connection and resource for graduating seniors to ensure that they successfully enroll in and persist through college.

The Retention Specialist will provide support to BAA alumni enrolled in their first year of university by connecting them with the appropriate resources to ensure their continued success and eventual graduation. The Retention Specialist will also compile data on BAA alumni and help to coordinate alumni events throughout the BAA school year.

This position is a full-year, part-time position. The Retention Specialist will work three days a week during the school year and through the summer and will follow a BPS management (rather than teacher) schedule. Evenings and Saturdays may be required. This position requires at least a two-year contract as it will be important for the Retention Specialist to build and maintain long-term relationships with students and alumni.

Specific position responsibilities are as follows:

• Assist Guidance Counselor to:
• Support seniors through the college enrollment process.
• Ensure that seniors stay on schedule with their college, financial aid, and scholarship application process.
• Contact graduates during the summer to support their enrollment in college with personnel to comment student payment with staff resources on campus
• Support BAA alumni enrolled in their first year of university and beyond; connect them with the resources they need at their university, including
• Financial aid assistance
• Learning support services
• Residence life
• Admissions
• Follow up with students to analyze data on alumni
• Must be familiar with the struggles of the first year of college and be able to direct students to the appropriate resources at their university. The majority of BAA students attend local universities and colleges, so it will be important to develop local partnerships.
• Coordinate BAA's annual alumni event and gather data on alumni who attend.
• Collect data on all alumni from a variety of sources, including from the state of Massachusetts, the National Student Clearinghouse, state of the alumni, graduation, etc. Analyze data on alumni.
• Work closely with BAA Foundation staff to identify those alumni success stories that best exemplify BAA efforts to produce the next generation of Artists-Scholars-Citizens.
• Prepare the senior class to become alumni. Educate them about the BAA alumni association and connect them with other alumni at their university. Establish and coordinate an alumni network.
• Collect data on alumni persistence, graduation. Familiarize seniors with alumni association and website.
• Prepare retention reports annually.

Other responsibilities:

• Recruit alumni to participate in BAA events throughout the school year, such as our annual Senior Grant Project Fair, and more.
• Build relationships with Pro Arts Colleges to collect data on students who have attended Pro Arts colleges.

Required

• Bachelor's Degree (copy of transcript required).

• Commitment to the arts as an important element in a complete education.

• Commitment to cultural, ethnic and linguistic diversity as an element in a complete education.

• Ability to take on responsibilities and prioritize quickly.

• Ability to work within flexible working hours.

• Ability to work within a complex school system.

• Excellent communication skills.

Preferred

• Fluency in languages in addition to English.

TERMS: Managerial Tier B

Please refer to www.bostonpublicschools.org/ohc (under "Employee Benefits and Policies") for more information on salary and compensation. Salaries are listed by Unions and Grade/Step.

NOTE: School-based managerial employees will work 223 days between July 1st and June 30th each year. The 223 day work-year will include the 180 days in which school is in session, and the additional days will be determined by the employee and the principal or headmaster of the school. This position subject to the City of Boston residency requirement.

School-based managerial employees are not eligible for vacation time or compensatory time. In the event of school cancellation due to snow or inclement weather, school-based managerial employees need not report to work.
The Boston Public Schools, in accordance with its nondiscrimination policies, does not discriminate in its programs, facilities, or employment or educational opportunities on the basis of race, color, age, criminal record (inquiries only), disability, homelessness, sex/gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, genetics or military status, and does not tolerate any form of retaliation, or bias-based intimidation, threat or harassment that demeans individuals' dignity or interferes with their ability to learn or work.