Family Engagement Team Lead (OECE)

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is one of the largest school districts in the United States, serving over 330,000 students in 600+ schools and employing nearly 36,000 people, most of them teachers. CPS has set ambitious goals to ensure that every student, in every school and every neighborhood, has access to a world-class learning experience that prepares each for success in college, career, and civic life. In order to fulfill this mission, we make three commitments to our students, their families, and all Chicagoans: academic progress, financial stability, and integrity. Six core values are embedded within these commitments - student-centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning.

The Office of Early Childhood Education (OECE) supports students and families by providing early learning programs for children from birth to second grade in a variety of settings. OECE's mission is to ensure all Chicago children and families engage in high-quality early learning experiences that lead to success in early grades and beyond. The Early Childhood Family and Community Engagement team play a critical role in supporting schools to provide high-quality experiences.

Job Summary:

The Family Engagement Team Lead reports to and works with the Manager of Family and Community Engagement and other OECE staff to implement family and community engagement support to networks and schools with early childhood programs. The Family Engagement Team Lead works with OECE leadership to provide technical assistance, training, coaching, and support to the Family Engagement Coordinators. The Family Engagement Team Lead also is a project leader for strategic goals, including annual attendance, application, enrollment, and community engagement initiatives.

The Family Engagement Team Lead will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• In collaboration with the Manager of Family Engagement, develop and implement coaching plans and professional development to enhance the skills and knowledge of FECs.
• Conduct site visits to provide coaching and feedback to Family Engagement Coordinators.
• Monitor and support OECE initiatives designed to support targeted schools with their early childhood family engagement programs and resources
• Support the design and implementation of the Office of Early Childhood PK attendance initiatives to increase the average daily attendance of PK students across the district
• Review and analyze district and network early childhood attendance data
• Work in collaboration with the Application and Family Resource teams to plan and lead annual initiatives to support early childhood application outreach and recruitment efforts in collaboration
• Provide technical assistance and consultative support to Network Leaders and School Leaders as needed
• Consult with Network Leaders to support the enhancement and expansion of family and community engagement opportunities for network schools
• Work in collaboration with OECE teams and various CPS Departments to support the implementation of family and community engagement district initiatives.
• Develop, maintain, and track community partnerships with citywide partners that support or lead community-based programs or initiatives in support of families with young children.
• Prepare and monitor PSRP evaluations.
• Collaborate with members of the Office of Early Childhood leadership team to design, implement, and track the OECE strategic plan and prioritize initiatives.
• Other duties as assigned.

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Family Engagement Team Lead must possess the following qualifications:

Education Required:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
• Master's degree preferred

Experience Required:

• Minimum of 5 years of experience working in the field of early childhood, family engagement, and/or community partnerships, including the following, is required:
  • Minimum of 2 years experience managing long-term projects
  • Minimum of 2 years experience managing staff
  • Experience in leadership, group facilitation, project management, communication, and data analysis
  • Experience working and serving urban diverse families and understanding knowledge of their needs
• Bilingual (preferred)

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to articulate a vision, set high standards, and effectively guide networks, schools, principals, and early childhood staff in the realization of high-quality family and community engagement in ECE
• Knowledge of best practices in coaching to support staff members in meeting and exceeding goals
• Ability to assess and evaluate community and school needs; ability to design resources or supports for communities or schools based on evaluation
• Ability to work effectively with parents from multicultural and economically diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing with all stakeholders.
• Ability to collaborate with a diverse set of stakeholders in support of the mission, vision, and priorities of the district, network, and Office of Early childhood
• Knowledge of best practices for family engagement in early childhood settings
• Ability to facilitate adult learning
• Able to work independently as well as to function effectively and collaboratively with team members
• Excellent organization skills
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Able to analyze and use data to monitor, assess, and improve program quality, and complete reports, projects, and other tasks in a professional and timely manner.
• Ability to use a range of technology and tools, including but not limited to Microsoft and Google.
• Able to possess a valid driver's license and a car to travel to various locations throughout the district.
• Maintain confidentiality of sensitive or privileged information.

Conditions of Employment

As a condition of employment with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), employees are required to:

• Establish/Maintain Chicago Residency - Employees are required to live within the geographic boundaries of the City of Chicago within six months of their CPS hire date and maintain residency throughout their employment with the district. The Chicago residency requirement does not apply to temporary/part-time positions, however, all CPS employees must be residents of Illinois.
• Be Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19 - Unless approved for a medical or religious exemption, all employees are required to be up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations, including boosters, and to submit proof of vaccination to the district within 30 days of hire. "Up-to-date" on vaccination is defined as being at least two weeks past all primary vaccine doses and any applicable boosters.