Teachers' Secretary

Middle Or High School Teacher's Secretary

Under the direction of the principal, the Middle or High School Teacher's Secretary serves as a vital anchor for the school community, managing the essential operations and administrative functions that allow for a focused learning environment. This position acts as the primary point of contact for families and visitors, ensuring a secure and welcoming atmosphere through professional communication and diligent front office management. Beyond daily reception, the role is responsible for the meticulous oversight of student data, attendance tracking, and the maintenance of confidential records in strict compliance with federal and local mandates. This role directly aligns with the HCPSS Strategic Call to Action by fostering a safe, inclusive environment and ensuring organizational efficiency, which allows the school to focus on the mission of cultivating a vibrant learning community where every student thrives. This staff person also may serve as a back up for other support staff during non-peak times.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

• High school diploma or equivalent (must scan and upload to the online application at the time of submission). Foreign credentials must be evaluated as U.S. High School diploma or above by an MSDE approved organization. For a list of approved vendors, please click here

Experience:

• One year of general administrative or clerical experience. An Associate Degree or the successful completion of 60 credit hours from an accredited college or university may be substituted for up to two (2) years of the required experience.

Essential Position Responsibilities

Front Office Coverage:

• Reception & Security: Serve as the primary point of contact for the school community; manage visitor check-ins and monitor main entrances to ensure a secure environment.
• Communication Management: Handle high-volume phone calls and inquiries from families and staff with professionalism and timely message routing.
• Operational Support: Provide essential clerical and administrative assistance to teachers and administrators to facilitate smooth daily school operations.

Attendance Tracking & Record Keeping

• Manages, collects, and processes daily student attendance records, including absences, tardies, and early dismissals, accurately entering data into the student information system (SIS).
• Reviews and verifies all documentation (notes, emails, medical notes) submitted to excuse student absences, determining if they meet established criteria.
• Generates and distributes daily and other periodic attendance reports (e.g., tardy reports, monthly summaries) to administrators, teachers, and district personnel.

Substitute Coverage

• Coordinate substitute teacher and staff coverage by managing requests, assigning substitutes, communicating schedules, and ensuring adequate coverage to support daily school operations.

Field trips/School Events

• Organize, collect, and verify all required documentation for field trip requests, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and compliance with school and district guidelines prior to submission
• Maintain and manage a comprehensive spreadsheet of all after-school activities, including homeroom teacher assignments; create and distribute updated rosters to staff.
• Communicate roster updates to teachers and ensure all required space requests are submitted and approved in advance.

Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

The below list is a summary of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for success in this position, not an exhaustive or comprehensive list.

Knowledge

• District Liability & Policy: Thorough understanding of school and district field trip regulations, including chaperone-to-student ratios, transportation protocols, and insurance requirements.
• Facility Management Procedures: Familiarity with school space-use policies and the specific software or approval workflows required to reserve rooms, gyms, or outdoor areas.
• Data Organization Standards: Knowledge of best practices for maintaining living documents (spreadsheets) that require frequent version control and real-time updates.
• Safety & Compliance: Understanding of student privacy (FERPA) as it relates to sharing rosters and emergency contact information with after-school providers or staff.

Skills

• Spreadsheet Management: Expert-level proficiency in Excel or Google Sheets, specifically using filters, conditional formatting, and data validation to manage complex after-school activity lists.
• Document Auditing: Meticulous attention to detail when verifying field trip forms to ensure no missing signatures, dates, or required medical clearances.
• Strategic Communication: Ability to translate complex logistical schedules into clear, concise updates for staff and faculty.
• Logistical Coordination: Skill in "backward planning"—calculating deadlines for space requests and document collection to ensure all approvals are secured well before the event date.

Abilities

• High-Volume Accuracy: Ability to manage and verify vast amounts of documentation for multiple trips and clubs simultaneously without sacrificing data integrity.
• Proactive Problem Solving: Ability to identify scheduling conflicts (e.g., two groups requesting the same space) and resolve them before they disrupt school operations.
• Interpersonal Collaboration: Ability to work effectively with various stakeholders, from homeroom teachers and club sponsors to district-level administrators and facility managers.
• Adaptability: Ability to quickly pivot and redistribute updated rosters when last-minute changes occur in student enrollment or teacher assignments.

Additional Requirements

Working Hours

• The duty day for this position is 7.5 hours, which will include a 30-minute unpaid, duty-free lunch period.

Application Requirements

Complete applications must be submitted, and once your application has been submitted, you will not be able to add documentation or make any changes. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed application.

Selection Criteria

Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will be included in further evaluation. Interviews will be limited to applicants who, in addition to meeting the basic requirements, have experience and education which most closely match the qualifications and the school system's needs.

Employment Information

Compensation

This is a 10-month per year position in the Howard County Education Association, Educational Support Professionals (HCEA-ESP) employee unit. The Secretaries and Assistants Salary Scale for this position is Grade 7 on the HCEA-ESP Secretaries and Assistants salary scale. Step placement will be in accordance with the salary procedures of the Howard County Public School System and the HCEA-ESP Master Agreement which considers relevant prior experience. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, this position is not exempt from overtime.

Retirement

Membership in the Maryland State Retirement Agency (MSRA) pension plan is a mandatory condition of employment for all employees who meet the eligibility and membership criteria defined in the State Personnel and Pensions Article and the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR). A qualifying employee cannot reject membership, nor can an ineligible employee elect membership. The annual contribution to the pension plan will be 7% of an employee's annual salary.

Benefits

HCPSS offers a comprehensive benefits package for eligible employees. Information about additional benefits such as paid time off can be found in the negotiated agreement for employees in this bargaining unit.

Pre-Employment Requirements

Professional references will be contacted prior to any offer of employment. Recommended candidates will be required to provide references from current and recent supervisors.

All employees, regular and temporary, must be fingerprinted, have a criminal background investigation completed, and successfully complete the Maryland Employment History Review, pursuant to Section 6-113.2 of the Education Article, Annotated Code of Maryland. In addition, some positions will require completion of a physical examination and/or drug testing.

Anyone offered employment is required to provide proper identification and documentation of eligibility for employment in the United States. HCPSS participates in E-Verify and does not offer employee sponsorship.

For questions regarding this posting, please contact View email address on click.appcast.io.

Equal Opportunity Employer

To request an accommodation during the application or interview process due to a documented disability, please email View email address on click.appcast.io.

HCPSS celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation of any kind. HCPSS is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees in providing them with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at HCPSS are based on organizational needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability,