Director Of Equity, Belonging And Community Engagement

Director of Equity, Belonging and Community Engagement

Job Description

Department:

Central Office

Job Title

Director of Equity, Belonging and Community Engagement

FLSA Status:

(Exempt/Non-exempt)

Exempt, Nonaligned

Reports to:

Superintendent of Schools

GENERAL DESCRIPTION (1-3 LINES DESCRIBING ROLE):

The Director of Equity, Belonging, and Community Engagement is responsible for developing and promoting opportunities to define, assess, and promote equity, student and staff belonging, and community engagement throughout the district, which encompasses Pre K - 12th within two towns. The Director will work in collaboration with district and school-level administrators on the implementation of educational programs that foster a sense of belonging and strengthen awareness, dialogue, and practices that support the growth and connection of underrepresented and minoritized communities related to race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, religion nationality, and ability among other identities, This position leads and supports professional development and communications in all of these areas, working collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders.

QUALIFICATIONS:

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master's degree or higher from an accredited college or university in education or a related field;

• Appropriate DESE licensure is required;

• Minimum of five (5) years of successful experience as a school district leader in an academic or operational role in a school district and at least three (3) years leading work around equity, and belonging. This position is a member of the School and District Leadership Team;

• Ability to facilitate conversations and dialogue;

• Ability to be a program/project manager and develop programming and initiatives in collaboration with the Leadership Teams, staff, parents, and students;

• Knowledge of pedagogy, methodology, and curriculum frameworks that can promote equitable and inclusive educational experiences;

• Team player with strong communication skills, high tolerance for ambiguity, and comfort in a rapidly changing environment;

• Strong knowledge of techniques and frameworks for professional learning and community engagement;

• Ability to positively motivate staff, students, parents, and community members from various cultural and linguistic backgrounds;

• A deep belief in the capacity of all students to achieve at high levels;

• Effective written and verbal communication skills, expertise in newsletter platforms, and social media dashboards;

• Deep knowledge of research, principles, and practices around diversity, inclusion, and/or racial equity;

• Ability to coordinate and collaborate with diverse groups across departments, schools, and organizations to achieve convergence in strategy and practice;

• Initiates, builds, and manages cohesive partnerships and professional relationships with stakeholders at all levels internal and external to the district;

• Confident, clear presenter skilled at using data to drive critical conversations and continuous improvement among peer and non-peer colleague groups;

• In-depth knowledge and experience in leading data-driven practices at a systems level, including distilling analysis into insights and translating insights into action;

• In-depth knowledge and experience in leading restorative justice in schools;

• Skilled multi-tasker and excellent time manager; ability to effectively achieve multiple goals and manage multiple projects simultaneously and drive transformative change within and outside of an organization;

• Experience with conflict resolution among students, families, community and/ or broader population;

• To assist in the support of cultural competency, and;

• Possess an understanding of federal and local civil rights regulations for students and staff.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES (NOT LIMITED TO):

• In collaboration with the school's administration and staff, lead a process of developing a short and long-term vision for supporting belonging, equity, and community engagement within our school and community.

• Develop clear, specific, and ambitious performance goals for the leadership team relative to belonging, equity and community engagement and manage the continuous progress of the team and initiatives.

• Develop and implement a plan to effectively and consistently communicate the progress and opportunities for improvement toward district goals and school/community concerns in a timely manner.

• Create and assess key performance indicators and continuously review track progress on equity-based goals

• Review and assess district policies, practices, and decisions for impact on equity, and increase transparency on how district decisions and policies impact equity.

• Work with leadership to develop and monitor programs and/or strategies to address student opportunity and achievement gaps, advance racial equity, and make recommendations to improve the district's performance.

• Lead the Coalition for Equity that includes district and community members with clear short and long term goals.

• Work with other departments to lead the development and implementation of the district's improvement initiatives aligned with the strategic plan under the superintendent's direction or on their behalf.

• Develop trusted relationships with a team of cross-functional leaders to implement a district-wide engagement strategy, with the ultimate goal of building a community of school and district leaders that value and support the district's family engagement initiatives.

• Create and implement a consistent feedback loop with stakeholders to solicit input and assess progress with the district's engagement strategy and use the information to improve strategy implementation.

• Create systems within the district that improve communication and resource sharing between schools and district departments related to family engagement and other applicable topics.

• Oversee the planning of content and implementation of staff, student, and parent affinity group meetings.

• Foster a culture supporting equity and social justice within school communities.

• Develop and oversee pathways for building internal capacity and implementing restorative justice in the District and schools.

• Promote the district's belonging, equity, and community engagement accomplishments, initiatives, recognitions, and events through newsletters, community meetings, social media accounts, school website, and town organizations.

• Collaborate with various parent organizations, non-profits, and parent advocacy groups to strengthen family engagement and to ensure the district is leveraging the strengths of those organizations that seek to support the district's efforts around engagement.

• Facilitate and coordinate ongoing high-quality professional development, courses, and partnerships that help all employees embed culturally responsive and linguistically sustaining practices into their daily work.

• Develops and delivers professional development for key personnel including educators, principals, front-office staff, and family liaisons to ensure engagement standards and effective practices are embedded in the day-to-day work. When appropriate, engage with school family liaison and administration to work with equity leadership teams to create and support comprehensive engagement strategies.

• Collaborate with the Human Resources Department to recruit, develop, mentor, and retain diverse staff who reflect and/or support a diverse and inclusive school community.

• Other duties and responsibilities as needed or assigned by the Superintendent.

WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Work Environment:

Work is generally performed in a school environment during the school day; however, there may be occasions for after-school meetings.

Physical Requirements:

While performing the duties of this job, the Director is frequently required to walk, stand, sit, talk, and hear. The Director is regularly required to bend, stoop, crouch, and/or kneel. The Director is occasionally required to lift and/or move objects weighing up to 25 pounds. Must have sufficient mobility to navigate within a large school building. Must have reliable transportation to support multiple school sites.

The physical demands described here 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 essential functions.