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Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is one of the largest school districts in the United States, serving over 320,000 students in 600+ schools and employing approximately 40,000 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 Community Schools Initiative (CSI) is a part of the Office of Student Support and Engagement (OSSE) within The Office of College and Career Success (OCCS).  The office supports the district's commitments to engage families, communities, and partners in every neighborhood to shape and support the CPS mission. CSI envisions schools as central, neighborhood locations where students receive an education and schools work with community groups to connect children and families to a range of services that foster individual and economic well-being. The CSI also extends the hours that schools are open so buildings may stay in use up to seven days a week and during the summer, creating a vibrant community meeting place.  

CSI Goals

• Transform and maintain selected public schools to become the centers of their communities
• Connect children and families to a range of services that foster individual and economic well-being
• Counteract the effects of a range of negative factors that contribute to students' lack of opportunities and underachievement
• Engage parents and the community to improve academic achievement

JobSummary: 

The Community Schools Program Specialist position in Community Schools Initiative (CSI) in the Office of College and Career Success directly supports external organizations that are seeking to apply for grants and implement the CSI model in CPS schools. The role supports CSI management by providing training and day-to-day support for the CSI coordinators. In addition, this role assists with the administration of Community Schools funded through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program for an assigned cohort of school partnerships. This role reports to the CSI Program Manager. 

The Lead CSI Coordinator will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Coordinate CSIx external partnerships
  • Serve as Chicago Public Schools centralized liaison to over 100 schools and community-based organizations awarded 21st CCLC funding to implement the Community Schools model.
  • Act as the liaison between CPS and ISBE for 21stCCLC external grantees.
  • Assess issues presented by external agencies and/or schools and provide recommendations and mediation as needed. Follow up with ISBE regarding results of mediation and next steps.
  • Provide onboarding assistance for new external organizations on CPS policies and procedures. Create onboarding and orientation documents.
  • Site Visits. Regularly visit schools during out of school time hours for schools receiving 21stCCLC funds through external partnerships.
  • Assist with grant document collection during the grant writing process. 
  • Provide technical support to external agencies utilizing Cityspan and other CPS systems.
• Support CSI daily operations of CSI team
  • Assist in the day-to-day operations of the CSI team, serving as an escalation point for complex program and grant coordination issues
  • Support CSI management by providing recommendations on processes and practices to improve supports for CPS schools and partners
  • Provide training and support to the CSI team
• Support CSI grants implementation and activities
  • Assist with identifying new schools, meeting with administration, collecting required data and signatures when CSI Request for Proposals are released
  • Implement the CSI grants, track all activities offered, monitor funding allocations for a portfolio of participating schools. Assist with grant writing and document collection during the grant writing process.
  • Generate data reports from Cityspan to complete mandated audit and reporting processes (i.e. APR, continuation applications)
  • Provide operational support for grant-related team members and work with key stakeholders, including principals and school leaders, parents, students, vendors, and community-based organizations
• Provide training and technical assistance to program participants and partners 
  • Provide program support and guidance to participating schools by planning and implementing professional development activities, trainings, and other resources to address needs that may arise
  • Provide ongoing training to school-based and external partner staff in the use of required program tools, such as systems (ex: Cityspan, CQIP, etc.) and required documents for compliance and implementation
  • Revise existing, and develop new resources (ex: training materials, communication templates, etc.) and establish an information clearinghouse pertaining to CSI planning and options forCSIteam, schools and lead partner agencies
• Participate in program quality improvement initiatives
  • Become  trained and certified in the Youth Program Quality tool and use this tool to observe programs, provide feedback and make improvements based on outcomes
  • Work with other departments in OSSE as well as the Office of Equity to ensure alignment with re-engagement strategies, SEL supports, school-based interventions, and other best practices
• Support CSI service delivery and program analysis
  • Review, approve and oversee service delivery plans and budgets, monitor service plan compliance and data entry for all CSI activities on a school by school basis; collect essential program data and generate reports as needed.
    • Budgets:  Open PO’s, transfer funds, review all invoices and required supporting documents prior to reimbursing the partner for payment and ensuring this aligns with our budget and grant guidance, track spend and provide monthly updates on progress
    • Provide budgetary supports to principals and clerks to ensure program codes and account codes match the service plan budgets
    • Ensure compliance with purchases as allowed by funding guidelines
  • Review and monitor data in Cityspan for accuracy and completion
  • Work with CSI data analysts to identify CSI opportunities across data sources
    • Oversee monthly deliverables on students and adults served, programs hours, and grant requirements
  • Respond to all internal and external audit and monitoring requests; support schools in compiling annual compliance binders.
• Develop strong, collaborative relationships with program participants and partners 
  • Develop and maintain strong, empathetic relationships with school leaders and staff (including counselors and teachers at CPS schools), partners, and students and their families.Work closely with CSI team and CPS departments to solve problems on behalf of schools, and broker relationships between school and community partners; mediate partner issues as needed 
  • Meet with Lead Partner Agency on a bi-monthly basis to provide hands-on coaching to the school Resource Coordinators
  • Ensure the development of a school-based leadership team
  • Regularly meet with school principals to ensure program delivery meets the needs of the school communities

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Lead CSI Coordinator must possess the following qualifications:

Education Required: 

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

Experience Required: 

• Minimum of five (5) years of relevant work experience involving coordinating programs and analyzing program data.
• Minimum of two (2) years of experience supporting community schools initiatives
• Experience in urban education or related fields is preferred
  

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Self-starter with the ability to conduct multiple projects concurrently, both independently and as a member of a collaborative team.
• Strong service and support orientation towards schools and school communities.
• Strong analytical and project management skills Exceptional verbal and written communication and negotiation skills necessary to effectively communicate with a variety of audiences
• Ability to work with minimal supervision outside of a formalized, central office setting.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and maintain paperwork and documentation.
• Detail-oriented, flexible, dedicated and responsible individual.
• Familiarity with non-profit organizations and school-community partnerships.
• Strong ability to organize and prioritize information quickly and strategically.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office, specifically Excel, PowerPoint, Word.

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.