Middle School Advisor

Liberty LEADS is a NYC-based college access - high school completion program that has served over 200 underrepresented children between 5th and 12th grade each year since 1989. Liberty LEADS was founded to empower youth by helping them attain higher education, embrace leadership engagement, and create a positive future for themselves and others. Liberty LEADS provides an alternative learning environment in which young people can experience success as learners and increase their ability and motivation to graduate from high school and seek entry into postsecondary education and/or meaningful employment.

The program is guided by the principle that all children have gifts, talents, and great potential and can contribute to one another's social and academic growth. We are looking for a passionate individual who can work in a collaborative team environment and is invested in connecting and supporting children and families. The ideal Middle School Adviser is flexible, creative and is dedicated to helping families and children develop and succeed academically, socially and emotionally.

Salary: $ 66300 annually

The Middle School Adviser will report to the Director and Program Coordinator (Task Supervisor).

• Meet with students and families to conduct registration.
• Develop individualized student schedules, Personal Learning Plans (PLPs), and behavior support plans.
• Meet regularly with students to review goals, monitor academic progress, attendance, and overall development.
• Provide individualized academic, social, and emotional support to students by identifying strengths and areas requiring additional help to support students being promoted to next grade level.
• Monitor student participation and attendance, implementing strategies to promote engagement and retention.
• Conduct ongoing/weekly outreach to students and families through phone calls, emails, text messages, Remind, and other communication platforms.
• Meet individually and in groups with parents and caregivers to support student development and strengthen family engagement.

• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with guidance counselors, teachers, administrators, and other school personnel.
• Advocate for students by attending parent conferences, IEP meetings, school meetings, and other educational planning meetings as appropriate.
• Collaborate with schools to identify interventions and resources that support student success.

• Guide students and families through the middle and high school admissions process.
• Assist students in identifying and applying to "right-fit" schools that align with their academic strengths, interests, goals, and individual needs.
• Support families with applications, admissions requirements, interviews, deadlines, and enrollment processes.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive NYC high school admissions handbook for families and staff, including step-by-step guidance, key contacts and resources, and Liberty LEADS’ role and support throughout the process.

• Develop and teach after-school and/or Saturday classes for students in grades 5–12, including the High School Exploration course when assigned.
• Coordinate the planning and implementation of middle school programming, including workshops, enrichment activities, and special events for parents and students.

• Collect, organize, and maintain student records, including report cards, progress reports, evaluations, teacher feedback, and other educational documentation.
• Enter and maintain accurate attendance, outreach, and direct service data in Liberty LEADS  File Maker database and maintain both electronic and hard-copy student files
• Assist in preparing reports and documentation for the New York State Education Department and other funding agencies.
• Participate in weekly staff meetings and attend Bank Street College meetings, professional development, and external meetings as required.

• Assist with recruiting, interviewing, hiring, onboarding, and training part-time staff.
• Support the Program Coordinator in supervising, coaching, and providing ongoing support to part-time staff.
• Contribute to continuous program improvement by assisting with planning, evaluation, and implementation of program initiatives.
• Perform other duties as assigned to support the mission and goals of Liberty LEADS.

• Full-time; requires evening, Saturday, and occasional overnight work
• 3 or more years experience working with 5th-8th (10-14 year old) children
• Experience with the NYC public school system
• Experience with the NYC middle and high school public school application process
• Experience in an out of school time setting
• Bachelors in Education, Special Education, Social Work, Counseling or other related field
• Bilingual Spanish Preferred