Job Description

BREAKTHROUGH SCHOOLS

Breakthrough Schools is a nationally recognized network that was rated best CMO network in Ohio by the 2017 CREDO study at Stanford University. Breakthrough Schools originated as a commitment to increase educational options for Cleveland families. In 2009, three of Cleveland’s top stand-alone public charter schools discovered the challenges of operating individually and decided that sharing administrative functions would help them operate more efficiently and serve more students. As a result, they formed Breakthrough Schools, a charter management organization, in 2010 with the mission to develop a growing network of distinctive school options that prepare Cleveland area students for success in life.

After a decade of managing primarily operational support functions, Breakthrough has just launched its Better Together initiative to eliminate its three academic silos by creating a central academic team to develop deeper expertise, adopt best practices, and drive enhanced student performance. In the 2020-21 school year, Breakthrough Schools will serve more than 3,600 K-8 students and is committed to setting them on an early pathway to lifelong success in school, college, and career. For more information, visit https://breakthroughschools.org/.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of Family Partnerships provides network-wide leadership to enhance parent voice and support culturally responsive, equitable, and effective family partnerships at all Breakthrough schools. The ultimate goals are to improve family experience, engagement, and satisfaction; contribute to scholars’ academic success; and reduce student attrition to industry benchmarks. To do so, this position works with parents/families, in collaboration with school and network leaders, to support parents/families as effective advocates for their scholars' learning. The Director of Family Partnerships also collaborates with school and network staff to develop and implement family-friendly environments, practices, and policies and to design innovative family outreach programming. This position reports to the Chief Community Officer.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Strategy and Network Leadership

Enthusiastically and positively promote the network’s vision for family experience, engagement, and partnership.
Lead the implementation of the network's family experience and engagement initiatives, with a focus on culture, relationship building, communication, and community collaboration. This includes providing clear guidance and training to school leaders and staff.
Continue to research best practices to promote culturally responsive standards and national best practices in family engagement.
Serve as a vocal advocate for family voice across all network priorities, including our diversity, equity, and inclusion work.

Network-Wide Initiatives and Capacity-Building

Lead the Network Parent Advisory Council (NPAC).
Conceptualize and execute network and community events to build relationships and promote efforts to engage families, students, and communities.
Develop strong and innovative community partnerships aligned with family engagement priorities and in collaboration with the Chief Community Officer, Managing Director of Community Engagement and Enrollment, marketing team, and schools.
Assume leadership role in cultural sensitivity training for school leaders, teachers, and staff.

School-Based Initiatives and Capacity-Building

Train and support school-based family engagement staff in developing school-based programs that are aligned with and/or directly support the network's family engagement initiatives.
Support schools in running best-in-class school-based parent advisory councils, including establishing best practices and strengthening membership and participation.
Provide professional development to school leaders, teachers, and other school staff in support of family engagement priorities and in order to expand family outreach efforts.
In conjunction with the Academic Team, design and implement best practices in strengthening the teacher/parent relationship network-wide as a core Breakthrough competency and value.
Support school leaders and staff in responding to parent feedback and concerns, as necessary.
Assure compliance with family-engagement related Federal, state, and local regulations and established policies and procedures.

Data and Progress Monitoring

In addition to student attrition, develop metrics to monitor the success of our family partnership and engagement initiatives and the overall strength of our family partnerships across schools and over time.
Monitor parent participation data with school-based staff to better understand the effectiveness of different parent outreach activities.
Oversee the annual network-wide parent feedback survey. Manage survey content, develop and execute administration plan, and support network and school leaders in digesting results and developing action plans.

Other

Other duties or tasks as assigned.
May be required to work outside normal business hours, evenings, and work extended hours to accomplish requirements of the position.

Skills and Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty accurately. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Enthusiasm and commitment towards Breakthrough’s vision, mission, and values, including its commitment to being an anti-racist organization.
Familiarity with family engagement research and national best practices.
Ability to lead people and get results through others.
Ability to work and interact with individuals at all levels of the organization.
Ability or willingness to learn to lead cultural sensitivity training
Analyzes and resolves problems at botha strategic and functional level.
Ability to organize and manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
Looks for ways to improve and promote quality and demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness. Strives to research, evaluate and implement best practices.
Is proactive and takes initiative. Thinks creatively. Drives projects to completion. Insists on the highest level of quality.
Possesses strong customer orientation.
Establishes excellent interpersonal capability between all constituents: courteous, professional, and helpful; able to handle sensitive and confidential situations.
Courage and ability to have difficult conversations in firm, yet empathetic way, as needed.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools (i.e. Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.) and internet research.

Education and/or Experience:

Bachelor’s Degree (required)
A minimum of 5 years’ experience working in roles that directly support families and students
Experience working with and/or training teachers strongly preferred

Location:

The position is located at the CMO’s central office in Cleveland, Ohio.The position will include frequent travel to school locations in Cleveland.

Compensation and Benefits:

Salary and benefits will be commensurate with experience.

Breakthrough Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin.

This job was posted on Tue Oct 06 2020 and expired on Mon Oct 19 2020.

Minimum $18K /yr

$99K /yr Average

Maximum $281K /yr

Tasks

Identify main client groups and audiences, determine the best way to communicate publicity information to them, and develop and implement a communication plan.

Develop and maintain the company's corporate image and identity, which includes the use of logos and signage.

Manage special events, such as sponsorship of races, parties introducing new products, or other activities the firm supports, to gain public attention through the media without advertising directly.

Write interesting and effective press releases, prepare information for media kits, and develop and maintain company internet or intranet web pages.

Design and edit promotional publications, such as brochures.

Establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, government officials, and media representatives and use these relationships to develop new business opportunities.

Evaluate advertising and promotion programs for compatibility with public relations efforts.

Facilitate consumer relations or the relationship between parts of the company, such as the managers and employees, or different branch offices.

Establish goals for soliciting funds, develop policies for collection and safeguarding of contributions, and coordinate disbursement of funds.

Assign, supervise, and review the activities of public relations staff.

Manage communications budgets.

Draft speeches for company executives and arrange interviews and other forms of contact for them.

Respond to requests for information about employers' activities or status.

Direct activities of external agencies, establishments, and departments that develop and implement communication strategies and information programs.

Develop, implement, and maintain crisis communication plans.

Formulate policies and procedures related to public information programs, working with public relations executives.

Produce films and other video products, regulate their distribution, and operate film library.

Confer with labor relations managers to develop internal communications that keep employees informed of company activities.

Observe and report on social, economic, and political trends that might affect employers.

Maintain company archives.

Manage in-house communication courses.

Skills

Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

Negotiation - Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.

Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.

Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.

Systems Evaluation - Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.

Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Knowledge

Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.