Re-Engagement Specialist

The Re-Engagement Specialist will work as part of a team dedicated to contacting recent high school dropouts and students who are chronically absent, with a goal of re-engaging them in the Boston Public Schools (BPS). The team works at the BPS Re-Engagement Center to welcome returning and chronically absent students and assist them with finding a best-fit school placement, often matching them with alternative education schools. The team maintains contact with these students at their new schools. If re-engagement in the BPS is not a viable option, the team strives to connect young people with other public or non-profit support systems, such as high school equivalency (HSE) programs and Boston’s Career Centers.

This work evolved as an action-oriented research project and is part of Boston’s larger dropout prevention and re-engagement strategy. The team develops quantitative and qualitative reports on the BPS dropout re-engagement initiative to refine its practice and to inform dropout prevention efforts. These reports are presented to the Youth Transitions Task Force and the PIC Board of Directors, as well as BPS administrators, and other concerned audiences, both local and national.

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

Outreach, assessment, referral, and follow-up (50%)

• Reach out to dropouts, chronically absent students, and, where appropriate, parents or guardians
• Follow up on high school referrals of students
• Advise dropouts and disengaged students on the education or training options available to them and assist dropouts in connecting to these options
• Follow up with a small caseload (15-20) of older students regularly after school placement to support them in finishing the school year successfully
• Assist the district with outreach projects for special populations, such as overaged students, late graduation candidates, discharged students, or other special populations

Data management, research, and evaluation (25%)

• Document and track the reasons for dropping out, current program needs, educational levels, and other critical information on interviewees who have left school without a diploma
• Contribute to the improvement of data tracking processes both before placement and after, to monitor students’ progress
• Capture the stories and perspectives of dropouts through interviews and focus groups
• Participate in the ongoing analysis of the needs of the dropout population and the educational options available to them to help assess whether the current supply of programming matches the need

Relationship management (25%)

• Develop relationships with alternative education and training programs, as well as district high schools, for the purposes of referral and systems building
• Network with existing efforts to reach out to disconnected youth, including City, community-based, and Boston Public Schools programs
• Provide leadership around coordination of educational and social services across departments
• Other duties as assigned

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Two years of experience counseling, training, or teaching required; experience working with youth of diverse backgrounds
• Knowledge of school systems, public agencies, and/or community organizations; strong interpersonal and leadership skills
• Ability to develop relationships with youth, families, school staff, community partners, and PIC personnel
• Strong organizational skills
• Strong data entry and database management skills
• Fluency in Spanish, Cape Verdean Creole, or Haitian Creole a plus

Working Conditions/ Physical Requirements: Typical office conditions, Re-Engagement Center, 75 Malcolm X Boulevard, in person. The PIC is willing to make reasonable accommodations for essential functions of the job that do not cause undue hardship.

SALARY: $54,000-$58,000. Boston PIC offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental and vision coverage; paid time off; 403b plan; 13 paid holidays; tuition assistance and a flexible spending account.

HOW TO APPLY: Please send a resume and cover letter to Kathy.hamilton@bostonpic.org

The Boston Private Industry Council is an equal opportunity employer committed to maintaining a work and learning environment free from discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, pregnancy, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital/civil union status, ancestry, place of birth, age, citizenship status, veteran status, political affiliation, genetic information or disability, as defined and required by state and federal laws.

Boston PIC offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental and vision coverage; paid time off; 403b plan; 13 paid holidays; tuition assistance and a flexible spending account.

Fluency in Spanish, Cape Verdean Creole, or Haitian Creole a plus