Position: Family and Community Outreach Specialist

Position Summary:

The Family and Community Outreach Specialist is responsible for providing leadership and support in formulating, developing, implementing, sustaining and evaluating the school’s parent and community engagement programming strategies to enhance student success at Prince George’s County Public Schools. 

Duties and Responsibilities:

Working closely with administrators, family, community members and staff to align family engagement practices with school improvement plans and overall school priorities;

Supporting the principal and school staff in facilitating a needs assessment for the school, students, and parents/families, identifying focus areas and creating a customized action plan for increasing family and community engagement;

Developing and/or facilitating staff development on current family engagement research, best practices and effective utilization of resources;

Organizing parent and community volunteer programs;

Developing community partnerships for providing extra-curricular programming, career insights and/or internships, community-outreach programming for students (for example, reading to the blind, neighborhood/park clean-ups, etc.);

Providing administrative and organizational support for parents and staff at various parent/family/community engagement activities (i.e., school parent teacher organization [PTA meetings], Back to School Night, workshops, etc.);

Organizing parent/community fund-raising efforts through grant-writing and events;

Coordinating Paragon® Nights and other school events for parent and community attendance/participation;

Coordinating/facilitating workshops and academic events to help educate parents about academic expectations and to equip parents with strategies that will help them help their students to be more successful in school;

Serving as a liaison for parents/children and assist parents in utilizing available community and county services;

Helping  parents and students to effectively navigate the school system;

Networking with other school districts departments and community partners to provide resource information to staff and families; and,

Working with the school Board, leadership and teachers to establish and maintain effective, productive relationships with parents that help to ensure support for student learning in and out of school. 

Qualifications:

Experience in educational community engagement, marketing, and/or communications preferred;

Demonstrated successful experience organizing groups and events, making presentations, working with volunteers and/or community organizations, and coaching others in doing so all desired;

Broad knowledge of parent involvement programs and techniques;

Broad knowledge of the Prince George’s County Public Schools curriculum/guidelines and programs;

Ability to serve as a parent advocate;

Ability to develop and implement programs to involve parents and the community in school affairs;

Knowledge of the school community and organizations;

Effective interpersonal skills/ human relations skills;

Ability to work effectively with school staff, parents, the community, local organizations, and diverse socioeconomic groups;

Skills in organizing and working with groups; and,

Excellent oral and written  communication skills.

Education and/or Experience Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university; Master’s preferred.

Certification:

None Required.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

No direct supervisory responsibilities.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, talk, hear, walk, sit, and use fingers, tools or controls. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision such as to read handwritten or typed material, the ability to adjust focus, and depth perception. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may occasionally push or lift up to 25 lbs.

Working Environment:

The work environment characteristics are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job.

Additional Information:

Some evening and/or occasional weekend work may be required.