Family Liaison - Muir - 0.838 FTE - 26-27 SY

Family Liaison - Muir

MMSD is seeking highly motivated and energetic applicants! Applicants should have a good attitude, willingness to learn, and passion for impactful work and learning.

The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) is the second-largest school district in Wisconsin. We have a simple but bold vision to ensure that every school is a thriving school, that prepares every student to graduate from high school ready for college, career, and community. We welcome applicants who will actively contribute to our ongoing commitment to making MMSD a thriving, welcoming environment for all students, families, and staff.

The Madison Metropolitan School District is committed to being anti-racist, culturally responsive, and inclusive. We have a simple but bold vision to ensure that every school is a thriving school, fostering the growth of every student so they graduate from high school ready for college, career and community.

The district serves a beautifully diverse population of more than 25,000 students. More than half are students of color. Almost half come from low income households. Nearly one third are English Language Learners, and more than 100 languages are represented in our schools. Madison schools are committed to making this district a place where every child thrives.

Purpose of the Position:

The Family Liaisons work to meaningfully strengthen the connection between school, home, and community. Family Liaisons at Full Service Community Schools will work collaboratively with the Community Schools Resource Coordinator to ensure that families are represented in decision-making and are aware of the partnerships and opportunities available through the school. Family Liaisons at all sites will increase access and linkages to resources and opportunities found in the community. They prioritize efforts that increase student attendance by working in partnership with families and school staff to provide resources and developing and implementing strategies to increase attendance. Family Liaisons collaborate with the Community School Resource Coordinator and other school staff to recruit and coordinate school volunteer opportunities.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Work Collaboratively with School Staff
• Work with Student Services staff and Bi-lingual staff to identify and work directly with individual families who may be in need of more support. When appropriate, manage a small caseload of higher-need students/families, not to exceed 5 students per semester.
• Work directly with School Student Support Teams, School Parent Support Teams, MSCR and the School PTO/PTA to promote diverse parent representation and involvement.
• Work Directly with Families
• Act as an advocate for parents to ensure parent voices are heard and valued throughout decision making.
• Meet with parents and Principal regarding concerns or complaints and work with school staff and parents toward resolution of the issue.
• Conduct home visits, including but not limited to accompanying the School Social Worker on home visits when needed.
• Attends school based evening events that the Family Liaison has been directly involved in planning or is needed for effective partnership with families. Attendance at PTO/PTA should be discussed with the Principal.
• Provide transportation for families through allocated funds for bus tickets / taxi cab. Transportation of students/families in personal vehicles may only be done in accordance with school district policy.
• Promote communication with families and community
• Write articles for the parent newsletter. Prepare presentations for the staff. Interact with media and community leaders with approval of the Principal.
• Family Youth and Community Engagement Responsibilities
• Serve as a co-lead with the IRT, Librarian or other designated staff for Read Your Heart Out. The Family Liaison will participate in the school committee, identify dates and resources needed to execute the program, solicit volunteer/community speakers, greet families and design appropriate recognition for families and volunteers. Work collaboratively with other Family Liaisons in the other elementary schools to engage in the development of Read Your Heart Out as a strategic way to address literacy and family engagement across the district.
• Attend professional learning and meetings offered by FYCE and/or Community Schools leaders to promote effective strategies aligned to the FACE standards such as:
• Submit payroll and appropriate expense documentation to the FYCE Clerical Assistant in a timely fashion. Manage FYCE budget funds and share with the Principal any updates on what funds are available for school activities.
• Bring key learnings on effective family engagement practices back to school to share for professional learning opportunities.
• Fosters strong school/community relations by keeping the community aware of and responsive to school programs
• Family Liaisons have four (4) priority workstreams:
• Attendance Support
• As their attendance area allows, they will coordinate attendance initiatives, support the PTO and Neighborhood Associations, area businesses/nonprofits, etc. to promote daily attendance and safe transitions from home to school, and back. They will also support enrollment efforts at the beginning of the school year and summer semester enrollment efforts in the spring by personally contacting families and sharing important deadlines, forms, and relevant events. They will also support intensive attendance initiatives during annual assessment weeks.
• Family Empowerment
• They will coordinate Family Empowerment Groups in order to lift caregiver voice and enhance community, especially for families who are less familiar with our district's and school's systems. Parent-Teacher Conferences are additional events they will prioritize support. Home visits and contacts should be regular and integral to not only support attendance efforts but ensure families stay informed about resources and opportunities, and for the school to stay informed about family experiences, strengths, and support opportunities. They will also support the annual Read Your Heart Out event at their school, in celebration of National African American Parent Involvement Day. They are encouraged to participate in Neighborhood Resource Team meetings run by the City of Madison, if their attendance areas have one. Collaborate with nearby neighborhood centers or community centers to promote program participation and enhance awareness of other services they provide. Facilitate resourcing of families and caregivers regarding school identity, priorities, opportunities, and its systems.
• Volunteer Recruitment
• Parents, caregivers, neighborhood associations, nonprofits, faith communities, and others will be recruited for strategic volunteer opportunities in the school.
• Family Orientations
• They will support the Principal or their designee in creating a system and resources to welcome new enrollees/transfers to their school and neighborhood community. They will work with the social worker or other designee to present resources available to families.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required to Perform Essential Job Functions:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent organizational skills
• Demonstrated interpersonal and problem solving skills to include conflict resolution and mediation
• Computer skills including experience with Microsoft Office and/or Google Suite

Minimum Qualifications:

• High School diploma or equivalent
• Demonstrated successful experience building positive community relationships
• Experience working cross-culturally and/or commitment to work toward one's own cultural competence (i.e., valuing difference/diversity, recognizing personal limitations in one's skills and expertise, and having the desire to learn in these areas)
• Willingness to learn District technology tools for reporting and monitoring student progress

Next Steps

• Upon submitting, your application will be reviewed by the hiring manager. Based on your application materials, a hiring manager may reach out to you to schedule an interview.
• Candidates who have indicated fluency in Spanish and/or Hmong are invited to apply for our bilingual positions as well. If interested in a bilingual position, candidates would be asked to complete reading, writing, and oral language proficiency assessments.

Working Conditions

• Work may require travel to different locations within the district and to off-site meetings.
• Position may require working evenings, nights, and some weekends.
• Certain positions within the District may allow hybrid work flexibility for a portion of their work schedule, depending on the needs of the position and the work unit. This topic and any remote work flexibility that may be available will be discussed in more detail in the interview process
• School-based positions are required to be in-person unless otherwise directed by the building principal.

Physical Requirements

Ability to work under generally safe and comfortable conditions where exposure to environmental factors is minimal and poses little to no risk of