2024-2025 Family and Community Advocate

Position Summary :

The Family and Community Advocate works with families to understand and remove barriers to students’ academic success and to establish a positive and inviting school climate for families and the community.

This position is grant funded, continuation of employment is contingent upon grant renewal.

Essential Duties :

Seek out, understand, and respond to families' educational concerns and needs to assist in improving family involvement and enhancing student success.

Collaborate and coordinate with school staff, community members, partners, and families to implement programs and activities designed to engage families in learning with a focus on families who are underrepresented because of social, economic, racial, and / or language barriers

Coordinates volunteer programs in alignment with District best practices to include volunteer applications, logging time, and safety protocols

Counsels students, staff, parents / legal guardians for the purpose of evaluating situations, solving problems, providing support and resolving conflicts

Maintains a variety of confidential and non-confidential lists and records (e.g. work / appointment schedules, contact logs, parent resources, etc.)

Participates in a variety of meetings, workshops and committees (e.g. monthly district meetings, parent-student workshops, educational seminars, department in-service, etc.

to convey and / or gather information required to perform functions and remain knowledgeable of current professional program regulations

Develops and supports the creation of parent organizations at assigned school site

Communicates with families through phone calls, home visits and meetings at school or district sites as needed and / or as assigned to enhance student success, increase family understanding and / or ensure safety of students and / or personnel

Provides quality customer service, fosters two-way relationships between schools and families, and strengthens communication and family engagement programs for student success

Prepares a variety of documents, reports and written materials to communicate information to families, staff; also provides written support, developing recommendations and / or conveying information.

Refers and connects students and families to appropriate OKCPS resources including, but not limited to : Equity and Student Support : Family Connect, Mental Health, Embrace OKC, HOPE, Attendance Advocacy, etc.

Acts as school site representative for Coat A Kid and Kit A Kid programs to help identify students with most need and coordinates with Foundation / District point of contact

Assists in identifying and tracking community partnership opportunities

Acts as main point of contact for Weekend Food Backpacks and / or in-school food pantries and assists with distribution of food

Execution of essential functions will occasionally require some work to be performed outside of standard work hours, to include evenings and / or weekends

Performs other duties as assigned.

Job Specifications : To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and / or ability required.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills and / or Abilities Required) :

Completion of a High School Diploma / GED.

Preferred Qualifications :

• Oklahoma General Education Test (OGET);
• Education Testing Service ParaPro Assessment (passing score is 455);

ACT WorkKeys Assessment (Passing score is 4 or better on all three parts).

Specific skill-based competencies required to satisfactorily perform the functions of the job include : applying pertinent laws, rules and regulations;

utilizing pertinent software applications; performing standard bookkeeping; and planning and managing projects.

Excellent communication skills both written and verbal.

• Specific ability-based competencies required to satisfactorily perform the functions of the job include : being attentive to detail;
• communicating with persons with varied cultural and educational backgrounds; establishing and maintaining constructive relationships;
• and maintaining confidentiality being attentive to detail; communicating with persons with varied cultural and educational backgrounds;

establishing and maintaining constructive relationships; and maintaining confidentiality.

Bilingual English / Spanish fluency preferred; may be required for some sites dependent upon on school’s demographics

Relevant experience may be substituted for formal education at a 2 : 1 ratio. Therefore, for every 1 year of college lacking, 2 years of directly relevant experience may be substituted.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements :

The working conditions and physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Able to sit and stand for extended periods of time

Exhibit manual dexterity to enter data into a computer

Able to see and read a computer screen and printed material with or without vision aids

Hear and understand speech at normal levels, outdoors and on the telephone

Speak in audible tones so that others may understand clearly

Physical agility to lift up to 25 pounds, to bend, stoop, climb stairs, walk and reach

Duties are normally performed in an office environment.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.