Afghan Family Liaison - Francis C. Hammond Middle School

The Afghan Family Liaison promotes the successful integration of students and parents into the school community and will focus on family engagement efforts specific to Afghan families at Francis C Hammond Middle School. They create a welcoming school environment for families; conduct outreach through a variety of communications to empower parents/guardians to be actively engaged in their children's education; organize family involvement events/activities; manage school-based volunteer opportunities, and work with the principal to address parent/guardian issues and concerns at the school. The Parent Liaison is supervised and evaluated by the School Principal/Administration with feedback provided by the Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Manager.

Responsibilities will include:

• Creating welcoming school environments for all families, with a focus on Afghan families who speak Dari or Pashto.
• Conducting outreach through a variety of communications to empower all families to be actively engaged in their child's education
• Responding to Afghan families' concerns via Parent Square and telephone
• Connecting Afghan families to information, resources and services available to their student/family across the school division (i.e. ParentSquare, Student Services, Special Ed, Advanced Academic Services, etc.)
• Working with administrators to address issues and concerns presented by Afghan families
• Reviewing and translating flyers and documents as needed.
• Supporting family engagement in schools and the community (Including out of school time family engagement programs as needed (up to 2-3 nights a week).
• Serving as a cultural broker and facilitator in schools and community as needed.

Qualifications

• Education: High School diploma or equivalent.
• Certificates & Licenses: Valid Driver's License preferred

Experience

• Professional experience working with families, community-based outreach programs, schools, and/or non-profits with increasing levels of responsibility is required.
• Experience working with culturally diverse communities.

Key Competencies

• Highly proficient in Dari or Pashto required.
• Must have reliable transportation to travel to schools and community sites.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with other team members.
• Understanding and sensitivity for diverse cultural, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds of students.
• Ability to determine and assess confidential material, and maintain confidentiality.
• Excellent time management, customer service skills, and people skills.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including up to three evenings a week when necessary and weekend availability.
• Ability to work in a high-paced work environment and use good judgment.
• Passionate and committed to the mission of FACE Center and ACPS.
• Ability to use Microsoft products, smartphones, and social media.Monthly data collection and entry

Essential Functions

Create a welcoming school environment:

• Establish trusting relationships and serve as a point of contact for families.
• Serve as a contact person to facilitate "Welcome to ACPS" orientations to new families
• Assist families in efforts to navigate the school system.
• Advocate for families, as appropriate.
• Work closely with other school staff to coordinate services for students and families, including: Student Support Team members, English Learner (EL) department staff, special education staff, teachers and administrators.
• Provide information on services available to eligible students and families and encourage participation, as appropriate.
• Provide community referrals to families as needed.
• Provide families with information about ACPS volunteer process, opportunities and assist them with on-line application as needed.
• Work with bilingual parents/guardians and staff to ensure use of Language Line as needed and ensure necessary interpreter services are available at parent-teacher conferences, school meetings/activities and as requested.
• Ensure multilingual signs, bulletin boards and other displays visible at school entrance and/or lobby to welcome families and provide information.
• Attend appropriate FACE training and meetings.

Conduct outreach to empower parents/guardians to be actively engaged in their children's education:

• Review outreach materials for distribution in Dari language to parents/guardians (i.e. flyers about upcoming activities, school calendar of events, available school/community resources, etc.).
• Develop ongoing relationships with community-based and local faith-based organizations and make presentations to provide school information.
• Survey parents/guardians on welcoming environment, parent involvement opportunities and perceived access to resources
• Stay abreast of information, resources, and support available to families and share with parents/guardians ways to collaborate with the school
• Keep track of contact with parents.
• Attend PTA and parent support meetings and other relevant meetings within the community as needed.

Organize family involvement events/activities:

• Assist with logistics, facilitation and support school-based Family Liaisons, Family Engagement Coordinator during FACE-sponsored and other monthly events or activities to support family engagement in school (i.e., navigating the school system, parent coffees, preparing for parent-teacher conferences, bullying prevention, mental health support, and supporting literacy at home, etc.)
• Work with Parent Teacher Associations (PTA), Family Engagement Action Teams, and other Community and Family Advocacy groups

Work with the FACE Team to address parent/guardian issues and concerns in schools/Community:

• Work with FACE Assistant Director and other team members/school staff, as needed, to address and resolve specific parent/guardian concerns.
• Assist school administrators in the development or revision of strategies to facilitate school-family collaboration (Family Engagement Plans, Blueprints).
• Work with the school's leadership team to develop an appropriate involvement component of their school's plan.
• Attend appropriate training and meetings as requested
• Perform other related duties as assigned to ensure efficient and effective functioning of the work unit.

Clearances:

• Criminal Justice Fingerprint/Background Clearance.
• Tuberculosis Skin Test.

Public Health Compliance

• Must follow safety and health protocols.