Community School Director

Salary: $85,000 - $95,000/yearly

Position Summary

Curtis High School in Staten Island is a community school whose mission is to prepare students for success in school and in life by providing them with rigorous instruction; addressing physical and social emotional health; fostering a sense of pride and hope; and serving as a safe and engaging community hub. The Community School Director represents Children's Aid as a critical member of the Curtis High School leadership team and works in collaboration with the principal and other school leaders to ensure that barriers to learning are eliminated and/or significantly reduced. The Community School Director designs, implements, and supervises programs that support the holistic development of all Curtis High School students. Community School programs include, but are not limited to, reducing chronic absenteeism; family support services and parent engagement; improving physical health and wellness; and academic enrichment. Programs are year-round and occur during the school day, during out of school time, and during the summer. The incumbent will understand and promote the organization's Mission, Vision, and Core Values to ensure alignment with the functions of the position.

Children's Aid Mission:

To help children in poverty to succeed and thrive. We do this by providing comprehensive support to children and their families in targeted high-needs New York City neighborhoods. Children's Aid annually serves children and their families at over 40 sites in New York, as well as through three national program models. Children's Aid is concentrating its efforts on creating cradle-through-college pathways in high-need neighborhoods, with a focus on children's health, family stability, education, and social and emotional development.

Culture and Values:

We put children, youth, and families first: We listen to and incorporate the voices of children, youth and families in all that we do.
We seek equity and transformation in our communities: We courageously work within and outside systems to create opportunities for children, youth and families.
We strive for excellence: We hold ourselves to the highest standards and are committed to continuous learning and improvement.
We are powered by collaboration: Our work is stronger when we trust, partner, and respect each other and the communities we serve.
We are driven by compassion: We lead with kindness, care, and empathy and believe in the endless potential of the people we serve and our team.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Actively collaborate with the principal, other school leaders, and members of the Children's Aid Youth Division leadership team to develop a clear, year-long, data-driven plan for the coordination and delivery of programs, supports, and services that meet the academic, social emotional, and health needs of the students.
• Build and maintain strong, positive working relationships with internal partners, school leaders, parents, and community stakeholders.
• Increase parent/caregiver involvement through regular communication and implementing creative initiatives for parent engagement, rate of participation, and student engagement.
• Initiate and develop partnerships with community agencies that provide relevant services for children and families.
• Strengthen monitoring systems to track student progress around school initiatives, program inputs (ex. attendance), and program outcomes (ex. academic achievement, reduced rates of chronic absenteeism).
• Represent Curtis High School and Children's Aid at events and initiatives related to community schools (i.e. social-emotional learning workshops, Community School meetings, etc.).
• Hire and supervise staff responsible for the delivery of afterschool programs and other specialty services provided by the Department of Youth & Community Development (DYCD).
• Be an innovative leader in Community School Initiatives, in the community and at Curtis High School.
• Participate in on-going training and professional development provided by Curtis High School and Children's Aid to strengthen practice focused on the Essential Framework for Community Schools.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in social work, education or related field; master's degree preferred.
• 3-5 years successful experience working with traditionally underserved student populations including English Language Learners, students involved in the child welfare system, students living in poverty, and students in temporary housing.
• Experience leading and supervising a diverse staff to achieve team and individual goals and outcomes.

Key Competencies:

• Familiarity with the Positive Youth Development Framework and Principles of Social Emotional Learning.
• Exceptional communication skills, especially in communicating sensitive topics to diverse audiences.
• Flexibility to manage multiple priorities in a constantly changing environment.
• Commitment to professional development and continuous quality improvement.
• Bilingual Spanish/English Skills a plus.
• Experience with data tracking, analysis, and continuous improvement.

It is the policy of Children's Aid to provide equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment and is dedicated to maintaining a work environment that is free from harassment and discrimination. Children's Aid will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or retaliation on any basis, including race, creed, color, national origin, ethnicity, alienage or citizenship status, gender/sex (including pregnancy), disability, religion, source of income, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, familial status, caregiver status, military status, marital or partnership status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence or stalking, predisposing genetic characteristics, arrest or conviction record, credit history, unemployment status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Children's Aid is committed to complying with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Children's Aid will conduct a prompt and thorough investigation of all allegations of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or any violation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Policy in a confidential manner and will take appropriate corrective action, if and where warranted. Children's Aid prohibits retaliation against employees who provide information about, complain about, or assist in the investigation of any complaint of discrimination or violation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Policy.

The incumbent is expected to work a schedule, whether in-person or hybrid, as determined by the department's needs to facilitate effective collaboration with the team. This flexibility is essential for maintaining seamless communication, fostering teamwork, and ensuring the smooth operation of the department's processes. The position's requirements are subject to periodic review and adjustment based on organizational needs and changes in work dynamics.