Engagement Specialist - Franklin MS FTE

Position: Engagement Specialist - Franklin MS - .75 FTE
Engagement Specialist
- Franklin MS - .75 FTE

Cedar Rapids Community School District Franklin Middle School
- Cedar Rapids, Iowa Open in Google Maps

Job Description

JOB SUMMARY
:

The Engagement Specialist is a dedicated advocate for student success, operating with the unwavering belief that all students can achieve when provided with the right supports. This role focuses on removing barriers through behavioral, attendance, and family-centered interventions. By utilizing an assets‑based approach, the Engagement Specialist identifies the strengths of students, families, and staff to foster a positive school culture. As a key member of the building's Multi‑Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), they ensure that every student has the opportunity to engage fully with their education and reach their highest potential.

ORGANIZATIONAL AND REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

The Engagement Specialist will report directly to the Building Principal with support from the Executive Director of Student Servicesor designee and will have a working relationship with building staff, district staff, families, and community agencies.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

The essential functions as shown below represent the key areas of responsibility that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

• Participating actively in PBIS and behavior intervention meetings to ensure school-wide systems support positive student outcomes.
• De‑escalating behaviors with a trauma-informed lens, facilitating a student's successful reintegration into the classroom.
• Modeling and facilitating self‑agency, empowering students to problem‑solve and recognize their own capabilities.
• Applying an assets-based framework when developing and implementing strategies for students in crisis, focusing on student strengths rather than deficits.
• Collaborating with staff to deliver school-wide social, emotional, and behavioral programming that reinforces a positive school climate.
• Family & Community Partnership
• Engaging families as essential partners, meeting them at school, in their homes, or in the community to collaborate on student needs through an assets-based lens.
• Building positive, respectful relationships with parents, staff, and community stakeholders, communicating with the belief that every family has valuable contributions to make to their child's success.
• Connecting youth and families to social services and community agencies, advocating for the resources necessary to ensure student achievement.
• Monitoring student attendance and behavior data to identify and address conditions that place students at risk, implementing proactive plans of support.
• Maintaining accurate records of interactions with students and families to ensure continuity of care and service coordination.
• Supporting staff by sharing strategies that align behavioral and attendance interventions with the goal of academic achievement.
• School Integration & Professionalism
• Serving as a collaborative member of the school staff, attending support team meetings to ensure a unified approach to student success.
• Providing up to 30 minutes daily supervision duties (e.g., lunch, recess), modeling positive behavioral expectations for students in all settings.
• Representing the school professionally, maintaining high standards of confidentiality and reflecting the district's commitment to equity and student potential.
• Other duties as assigned by the Superintendent

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

All candidates should either possess these skills or be willing to engage in professional learning once hired. All acting Engagement Specialists engage in ongoing professional…