Office Assistant

Office Assistant

ABOUT ASPIRE Aspire Public Schools operates a network of high-performing, college preparatory charter schools serving scholars in communities across California. Founded in 1998—in an effort to transform the inequitable racial, social, and gender outcomes that our communities persist through—Aspire is one of the largest and most forward-thinking open-enrollment public charter school systems in the nation. Our purpose is to prepare our scholars for success in college, career, and life. At Aspire, we set a foundation for our scholars to gain knowledge, skills, and power to access and make choices for their families and post-secondary lives. Every day, our community of students, families, teachers and staff comes together to learn, work, and play in an environment grounded in our values of Bienestar (Well-Being), Culture of Belonging, Community Partnership, Agency & Self-Determination, and Joy.

JOB SUMMARY The Office Assistant is responsible for assisting the Business/Office Manager in overall office operations of the school. The Office Assistant reports to the Business/Office Manager, and works closely with all levels within the school and Home Office, as well as with students, parents, and outside consultants/vendors.

Essential Functions

School Site Operations

• Provides administrative support for the Business/Office Manager and Principal. Screens visitors/telephone calls, manages correspondence, manages calendars, schedules meetings, orders supplies, and conducts necessary communications.
• Processes documents and materials such as student transfers, student cumulative records, schedules, reports, and school newsletters.
• Assists in the maintenance of student records, ensuring they are complete, accurate and properly organized.
• Assists in all aspects of student registration, enrollment and attendance reporting, including supporting parents with applications and educating parents on the importance of regular attendance, as directed by Business/Office Manager.
• Maintains accurate student attendance for the purpose of providing accurate information for District and State reporting as well as truancy compliance and scholars with alternative programs (e.g. Independent Study and Home Hospital) including but not limited to: daily absence verification calls, receiving/recording tardy students, ensuring weekly attendance sheets are signed by teachers, and assisting BM in exporting and ensuring accuracy of monthly attendance reports).
• Supports with testing administration including record-keeping.
• Manages confidential information appropriately.
• May assist in free/reduced lunch program reporting.
• Administers first aid and medication to students to meet immediate health care needs including attendance at required training.
• Assists in the collection and processing of payments for a variety of events such as lunch deposits, donations, and fundraisers according to Aspire policy and best practices.
• Supports administrators in behavior response with scholars, including nurturing and developing relationships with students, supporting social-emotional development of scholars, and behavioral reporting compliance.

Professional Development

• Attends all relevant Aspire-wide professional development and training sessions

Other Administrative Tasks

• Assists Office/Business Manager in completing school administrative functions/tasks as dictated by school site and Home Office deliverables – may work with outside vendors, and develop necessary communications internally and externally
• Maintains inventory including first aid kit supplies to ensure availability of required items

Additional:

• Demonstrate knowledge of, and support, the Aspire Public Schools mission, vision, value statements including antiracism, policies and procedures, operating instructions, confidentiality standards, and the code of ethical behavior
• Perform other related duties as required and assigned

Compensation: Aspire Public Schools is dedicated to our teammate's well-being! In addition to a competitive base salary that is benchmarked against local districts and charter schools, we offer employees exceptional benefits, including paid time off, 100% core health benefits coverage on select plans, life insurance/long-term disability, participation in a CA state retirement plan, tuition reimbursement plan, and adoption assistance program.

Qualifications

Competencies:

• Strong time management and multitasking skills
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to work with constant interruptions and remain focused; understand and carry out oral and written instructions; learn new procedures and upgrade skills in order to meet changing job conditions
• Ability to work independently as well as with a team
• Professional appearance and manner
• Fluency in Spanish - highly desirable

Minimum educational level:

• High School Diploma

Experience required:

• 2 plus years in fast-paced, ever changing administrative position; experience in a school environment preferable
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, network printing, copiers and fax machines

Physical requirements:

• Stand, walk or bend over, kneel, crouch, reach overhead, grasp, push, and pull. Move, lift and/or carry up to 30 pounds to shoulder height.
• Repetitive use of hands (i.e. fine manipulation, simple grasping, and power grasping).
• Demonstrate normal depth perception.
• Sitting, walking or standing for extended periods of time.
• Dexterity of hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard, operate standard office equipment, and use a telephone
• See and read a computer screen and printed matter with or without vision aids
• Read and understand rules and policies, labels, and instructions
• Hear and understand speech at normal levels and on the telephone
• Verbal communications, including the ability to speak and hear at normal room levels and on the telephone

Work authorization requirements:

• Clear the Department of Justice background screening
• Authorized to work in the United States
• Provide health (TB) clearance

WORK ENVIRONMENT The work environment characteristics are representative of those in a normal office, classroom/school setting which one might encounter while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Work indoors in a standard office environment, computer lab, and/or classroom environment
• Work is performed in indoor and outdoor environments
• Exposure to dust, oils, and cleaning chemicals
• Some exposure to childhood and other diseases in a school environment
• May be required to work outside of typical work days and office hours to meet operational deadlines

EEO STATEMENT Aspire Public Schools provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training. This position description intends to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this position. It is not intended to include all duties and responsibilities. The order in which duties and responsibilities are listed is not significant.