Parent Involvement Specialist

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.

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Manager, District Representatives, the Parent Involvement Specialist will be responsible for coordinating, monitoring, and supporting the Department's goal of improving the collaborative relationships between parents, advocacy agencies, educators, and administrative personnel. A key focus will be to support the District's parent/family involvement initiatives with a strategic focus on parents/families of students with disabilities. The Parent Involvement Specialist will provide and coordinate training for parents and District personnel and guide the development of information provided to parents within the Department's website, publications, and communications.

The Parent Involvement Specialist will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:
• Provide workshops and training to parents and educators of students with disabilities that focus on collaboration, effective communication, and working with parents as equal educational partners.
• Attend local special education advisory boards/committees on an as-needed basis to provide communication to parents at the local levels.
• Establish relationships with existing parent involvement departments, initiatives, or sister agencies to ensure that parents of students with disabilities are participants in those efforts.
• Develop and utilize needs assessment for parents of students with disabilities to help guide the District's efforts in supporting parent involvement.
• Collect, maintain, and analyze parent involvement data to determine the correlation of improved involvement to improved student outcomes.
• Establish partnerships with advocacy agencies to create supportive networks for parents that focus on collaborative relationships with schools and educators.
• Provide and/or coordinate workshops for parents of students with disabilities on a variety of topics that will assist them with understanding and navigating the special education process.
• Promote the use of early conflict resolution to help parents and educators maintain positive working relationships.
• Develop, refine, and disseminate District information for parents and educators that support the goal of improving collaborative relationships between parents and educators.
• Collaborate with an advisory committee of parents of students with disabilities, special education personnel, school administration, and personnel of advocacy agencies for the purpose of providing recommendations to the Chief Officer of the Office of Special Education and Supports on how to continue improving the overall quality of special education programs and services within the Chicago Public Schools.
• Work on other additional duties as determined appropriate by the Chief Officer and his/her designee.

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Parent Involvement Specialist must possess the following qualifications:

Education Required:
• High school diploma or GED equivalent, required
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, preferred

Experience Required:
• Minimum of two (2) years of experience supporting parents of students with disabilities, required
• Bilingual in English and SpanishBachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
• Effective verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
• Knowledge of the policies and procedures relating to Federal and Illinois special education laws and regulations.
• Ability to comprehend and implement ODLSS/CPS processes and procedures
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with others.
• Knowledge of and ability to use modern office equipment, including Microsoft Office software, internal CPS database.
• Ability to work independently and manage confidential information.
• Experience in developing, coordinating and delivering professional training and workshops.
• Demonstrate sensitivity to cultural and linguistic differences of families and educators.

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. Unvaccinated staff with an approved exemption must submit to weekly testing.