Human Resources announces an opening for a 1.0 FTE Bilingual Family Specialist at Kenmore Middle School. This is a part-time, 200-
days, Grade N-BF position. RESPONSIBILITIES:
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE CLASS (May not include all duties)
Welcomes new immigrant families, assisting with enrollment, providing school tours and key information related to the school,
district, and educational programs, while building connections between school staff members, family and community.
Actively, dependably, and confidentially manages messages, questions, and responses to and from school staff and parents in a
timely manner.
Accurately communicates student need(s) to appropriate school support staff based on parent or student disclosed information while
maintaining confidentiality.
Provides, facilitates, and/or leads parent workshops in native language and/or English to increase parents’: familiarity with school
expectations; ability to navigate the school system; confidence participating in leadership roles; and ability to monitor child’s
academic progress. Assists parents in engaging in academic planning for their child’s future success.
Plans, schedules, organizes, informs and participates in delivering a variety of school or community outreach programs, including
one-on-one consultations, small meetings, presentations, conferences, workshops for families and staff members and/or mass
communication efforts.
Establishes/Maintains regular parent group meetings to allow exploration of parent interests or needs through providing
presentations by invited speakers from the school and community.
Advocates for and supports parental engagement, fostering parent leadership and participation in child’s academic progress and
growth.
Identifies, and connects families to potential resources for a variety of needs including, but not limited to: academic, behavioral,
mental health and/or family support. These resources may be located within the school, district, or community.
Performs other duties related to assisting families through coordination with other staff or agency representatives and/or communitybased organizations/community resources (e.g. Help families with unexpected emergencies of medical, stability, transportation
needs, etc.)
Assists in providing basic technological support and guidance regarding connectivity to ensure parents can access and use
platforms to view report cards, report absences and navigate student learning platforms (e.g.: ParentVue)
May be called upon to interpret for various school meetings and programs.
Facilitates parent conferences through interpretation, assisting in scheduling additional interpreters and building capacity among
school staff in utilizing communication tools such as Language Line or Talking Points.
Assists parents in understanding and completing various APS Surveys, questionnaires, and district community engagement
activities. Works to ensure diverse voices are heard.
Attends monthly professional development meetings with central office staff, assigned schools and appropriate training opportunities
as assigned.
Collaborates to support Parent Teacher Association (PTA) meetings.
Other duties as assigned
REQUIRED EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:
High School Diploma or General Education Degree (G.E.D.) and two (2) years of progressively responsible experience in social
services, community relations, or related fields is required.
Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology, Psychology, Social Work or Education and three (3) to five (5) years of progressively responsible
experience in social services, community relations, or related fields is preferred.
LICENSE/CERTIFICATION
Bilingual capability, oral and written proficiency, in English and target language, as demonstrated by a passing score on a written
and oral assessment is required.
GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES
This position serves as a liaison between bicultural families and Arlington Public Schools and programs. In partnership with others,
the Bilingual Family Specialist supports families through building relationships and cultural understanding, facilitating communication
on behalf of the school and/or district, empowering parent, and community involvement, and providing school/community resources.
SUPERVISION
Work is performed under general supervision of the building administrator (e.g. Principal). The incumbent keeps the supervisor
informed and brings particularly complex or sensitive issues or problems forward for guidance or resolution.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
This class is differentiated from the classification of paraprofessional (e.g, instructional assistant) based on the specialized
population and demographics of students and families this position supports.
APPLY TO:
SALARY: $37.28-$61.10
It is the policy of the Arlington School Board, as stated in Policy G-2.30, Employee Relations – Equal Employment Opportunity - that “Employment
opportunities shall not be restricted, abridged or otherwise adversely affected on the basis of race, national origin, creed, color, religion, gender,
age, economic status, sexual orientation, national origin, marital status, genetic information, gender identity or expression, and/or disability.
Please Note: Arlington Public Schools receives a high volume of applications for many positions. As a result, only candidates who are identified as meeting the qualifications and whose experience and skills best align with the needs of the school, department, or office may be contacted for an interview. We appreciate the interest of all applicants; however, submission of an application does not guarantee an interview or individual contact regarding the status of an application.
Arlington Public Schools instills a love of learning in its students and prepares them to be responsible and productive global citizens. APS is a diverse and inclusive school community, committed to academic excellence and integrity. We provide instruction in a caring, safe and healthy learning environment, responsive to each student, in collaboration with families and the community.
Arlington Public Schools serves the citizens of Arlington, Virginia’s geographically smallest county, located across the Potomac River from the District of Columbia. APS educates one of the nation’s most diverse and sophisticated student populations – our more than 28,000 students come from around the world and speak more than 90 different languages. We operate more than 40 schools and programs. We serve our students with a range of programs designed to meet individual student needs.
