Restorative Culture Specialist

North Cook ISC is officially certified as a Great Place to Work! Work Calendar – August1– June30 annually (11 months). NOTE– For FY 27 the schedule may be adjusted due to a construction project. Work Schedule – This position will follow the teacher calendar plus August and June days. Winter break off (paid) Spring break off (paid) School holidays off (paid) Work Location – North Cook Young Adult Academy – 852 Feehanville Drive, Mount Prospect, IL60056 Essential Duties Student Support & Incident Response Respond to student incidents in classrooms, hallways, common areas, and other school spaces as directed by the Dean of Culture. Provide in‑the‑moment de‑escalation and support for students experiencing frustration, conflict, emotional distress, or behavioral dysregulation. Use calm, trauma‑informed, relationship‑centered strategies to help students regulate and return to learning. Support students in identifying triggers, understanding impact, and developing replacement behaviors. Assist with student check‑ins, reflection conversations, and re‑entry after incidents. Maintain student dignity while upholding NCYAA expectations and schoolwide policies. Restorative Practices & Conflict Resolution Facilitate restorative conversations between students, staff, and peers when harm has occurred. Support students in taking accountability, repairing harm, and restoring relationships. Assist with restorative conferences following peer conflict, classroom disruption, policy violations, or repeated behavioral concerns. Help students prepare for restorative conversations by reflecting on what happened, who was impacted, and what needs to happen next. Partner with the Dean of Culture to strengthen schoolwide use of restorative practices. Promote a culture where discipline is consistent, fair, reflective, and connected to student growth. Student Engagement & Attendance Intervention Support students with attendance concerns, chronic absenteeism, class cutting, disengagement, or inconsistent participation in school. Conduct regular student check‑ins for students identified as needing attendance or engagement support. Help students set attendance and engagement goals and monitor progress toward those goals. Identify barriers impacting attendance, such as transportation, family responsibilities, health concerns, housing instability, peer conflict, school avoidance, or disengagement. Support individualized attendance intervention plans in partnership with the Dean of Culture and school leadership. Participate in attendance intervention meetings with students, families, staff, and support team members. Assist with re‑engagement plans for students returning after extended absences, suspensions, or periods of disengagement. Help students reconnect to school routines, expectations, trusted adults, and academic supports. Monitor patterns of late arrival, early dismissal, class cutting, and missed instructional time. Support positive attendance incentives, recognition systems, and schoolwide engagement initiatives. Document attendance‑related interventions, family contacts, student goals, and follow‑up steps. Home Visits & Family Engagement Participate in student home visits, when appropriate, for students with significant attendance, engagement, or behavioral concerns. Conduct home visits in partnership with school leadership, attendance staff, counselors, or other designated team members. Use home visits to build relationships, understand barriers, communicate school expectations, and connect families to supports. Approach family outreach from a strengths‑based, culturally responsive, and non‑punitive perspective. Communicate with families through phone calls, text messages, meetings, and home visits to support attendance, behavior, and engagement goals. Partner with families to create practical plans that help students attend school consistently and participate successfully. Document family outreach, home visit outcomes, agreed‑upon next steps, and follow‑up actions. Schoolwide Culture Support Support implementation of schoolwide culture routines, expectations, and behavior systems. Monitor hallways, transitions, lunch, arrival, dismissal, and other high‑need times or locations. Help reinforce expectations through positive student interactions and proactive relationship‑building. Identify patterns in student behavior, conflict, attendance, and engagement that may require additional support. Assist with Tier1, Tier2, and Tier3 culture and attendance interventions. Support schoolwide initiatives that promote belonging, accountability, attendance, and positive student culture. Document student incidents, restorative conversations, interventions, attendance supports, family contacts, home visits, and follow‑up steps accurately and promptly. Support tracking of repeated student incidents, attendance concerns, intervention plans, and progress toward student goals. Assist with collecting and reviewing culture, discipline, attendance, and intervention data. Help identify trends in student behavior, attendance, engagement, and school participation. Maintain confidentiality and professionalism in all student records and communications. Qualifications Required Bachelor’s degree in psychology, education, social work, counseling, youth development, or a related field. Preferred: Master’s degree or graduate coursework in counseling psychology, social work, education, or a related field. Experience working with adolescents, students, families, or youth‑serving organizations. Strong interpersonal and communication skills. Ability to remain calm and professional during student conflict, crisis, or dysregulation. Commitment to restorative practices, equity, student dignity, attendance improvement, and relationship‑centered discipline. Ability to collaborate effectively with school staff, families, and external partners. Ability and willingness to participate in home visits and family engagement activities as part of student support planning. Strong documentation and follow‑through skills. Physical Demands In performing the duties – NCYAA – the following physical demands are typical: Sedentary to Light Physical Activity: The role involves frequent sitting, working at a desk, and using a computer, as well as attending meetings. Standing, walking, and moving around to locations in the school occurs regularly. NOTE: For PE teachers, the role requires the ability to be outside and using and demonstrating use of standard PE equipment such as balls, weights, etc. Mobility: Ability to move between classrooms and other areas, attend meetings, including off‑site meetings is required. This may include some walking and climbing stairs. Lifting and Carrying: Occasionally required to lift and carry up to 10 pounds, such as documents, briefcases, or small equipment. This typically involves light to moderate physical effort. Reaching and Grasping: Regular use of hands and arms to handle documents, operate office equipment, and conduct presentations. Visual Acuity: Requires good vision for reviewing reports, analyzing data, and using computer screens. Communication Frequent verbal communication is necessary when interacting with team members, school district personnel, and parents. Must also be able to hear and respond to verbal communications in a variety of settings. Benefits Employee health insurance premium 100% paid by North Cook – PPO or HMO, Blue Cross Blue Shield (dependent coverage available at 50% cost share). Employee Dental insurance premium 100% paid by North Cook through MetLife (dependent coverage available at 50% cost share). Life insurance, MetLife – 1x annual salary + $50,000 AD&D. Retirement benefits for this position are facilitated through the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) – Enrollment required. 11 sick days (earned 1 per month of work), and 5 personal days each year. #J-18808-Ljbffr