Equity Specialist -12 Month – Non Licensed – Equity Department

POSITION SUMMARY
This 12-month position designs, plans, implements, and monitors the impact of the District’s efforts to increase the capacity of stakeholders to create and sustain equitable learning and working spaces. The purpose of this position is to develop, facilitate, and monitor efforts that support the interruption of inequitable policies, procedures, practices, and programming in our district as outlined in our SPPS Systemic Equity Plan.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED
Works under the supervision of the Director, Office of Equity.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree and three (3) years of diversity, inclusion and equity experience. (Equivalent combinations of education and/or work experience will be considered.)
• Experience facilitating professional development including trainings, consultation, centered on any of the following: racial equity, gender inclusion, ableism, justice, equity, diversity, and intersectionality; cultural and linguistic competence; implicit bias; and dismantling institutional and systemic racism.
• Experience working with a large diverse workforce of people with different cultures, backgrounds, and opinions.

   

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Professional training in diversity, inclusion and equity.
• Experience developing, presenting, and facilitating programming for youth in school and/or non-school settings.
• Experience in urban PK-12 youth development setting.
• Knowledge of racial equity tools, frameworks, and resources.
• Knowledge of research and trends in multiculturalism, equity, anti-bias education, anti-racism, and restorative practices.
• Knowledge of racially, culturally, and ethnically diverse services from Pre-K-12.
• Knowledge of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) services from Pre-K -12.
• Knowledge of teaching and learning strategies to meet a wide range of adult learning styles and abilities.
• Knowledge on how to plan with Equity Teams and/or Leadership Teams, Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) Advisors, other affinity-based groups, and staff in supporting affinity-based programming and resource development in SPPS.
• Access to reliable transportation in order to travel to multiple work sites.

RESPONSIBILITIES
The essential duties include but are not limited to the following fundamental duties:

Design and Planning

• Designs equity professional development for District staff.
• Designs equity leadership development for students.
• Plans differentiated professional development pathways.
• Utilizes a needs assessment approach to determine professional development priorities.
• Assists student activity advisors with co-curricular student programming, resources related to race and gender.
• Remains current on equity trends, tools, research findings, strategies, and best practices.
• Assists school and department leaders to embed equity tenets in practices.

Implementation and Monitoring

• Facilitates a variety of professional development formats.
• Supports student affinity groups, such as Gender and Sexuality Alliances (GSA), Student Cultural Groups, and Disability Alliances.
• Models culturally responsive instructional practices that promote inclusiveness and belonging.
• Evaluates training programs to assess effectiveness and recommend modifications.
• Compiles and analyzes program data; and prepares report for leaders.
• Maintains information related to participant attendance and training content.
• Monitors the implementation and impact of equity capacity development across the district.
• Identifies relevant and promising programs, partners and consultants.

Communication and Collaboration

• Works across departments to embed culturally responsive instructional practices into core curricular content areas.
• Interacts with a variety of District stakeholders including students, staff, parents and community members.
• Crafts Office of Equity communications for district stakeholders.
• Collaborates with department leadership to assess employee development needs and department priorities for equity development.
• Maintains effective collaborative relationships with program and building staff.
• Maintains contact and communication with students, parents, community organizations, members of the public, and other District staff as appropriate to assigned duties.
• Provides consistent information and documentation to all involved parties, as requested/necessary.

Perform other related duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

Considerable knowledge of:
– The racial, linguistic, cultural, ethnic, and gender identity differences of urban public-school students and their parents/guardians and families.
– Professional development approaches.
– Anti-racist, anti-bias curriculum and resources.
– Effective equity leadership.

Working knowledge of:
– Instructional design
– The structure and operations of urban public schools.
– Social service institutions and community resources and agencies.

Ability to:
– Develop successful working relationships with persons representing diverse racial, cultural, ethnic, socio-economic, gender identities, and background both inside and outside of the organization.
– Work with staff to develop their skill, will, knowledge, capacity, and courage to create learning environments that support anti-bias and anti-racist education.
– Use, interpret, and model the Courageous Conversation About Race Protocol (CCAR Protocol) and the Gender Triangle (GLSEN) model.
– Identify and utilize anti-racist, anti-bias curriculum and resources.
– Continually develop one’s self-awareness and consciousness around one’s own identity and lived experiences, and how this influence one’s work and relationships with students, staff, families and the SPPS community.
– Coach other staff and to be coached.
– Utilize district tools to develop, implement and manage professional development modules and programming, e.g., Schoology, SeeSaw, PowerSchool.
– Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

PAY, BENEFITS AND WORK SCHEDULE
This is a 12-month position working 40 hours per week.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the ASAP negotiated labor agreement. The labor agreement and salary schedule can be found at: Labor Agreements – Saint Paul Public Schools (spps.org)

Benefits are available to new employees after 30 days of active employment.  Benefits include medical insurance, life insurance, sick leave, pension plan, tax-free retirement account, and flexible spending account.  Some employee groups also receive vacation, dental insurance and disability insurance.  A benefits summary is available at Benefit Summaries by Bargaining Unit – Saint Paul Public Schools (spps.org)

HOW TO APPLY
To be considered further, please apply for this position and attach a resume and cover letter to your online application.

The Human Resource Department will review your application materials and contact you regarding the next steps.

To attach additional documents to your online application, click on the “Additional Attachments” link from the applicant homepage and upload your documents as attachments.  Valid file extensions for attaching a document include .doc, .txt, .rtf, and .pdf.

OTHER INFORMATION
Transcript – Unofficial transcripts are accepted at the time of hire.  You must submit official transcripts within 30 days of your start date.  Formal credential evaluation is required for post-secondary education completed outside of the United States.

Veteran’s Preference – If you are an eligible veteran applying for a job where veteran’s preference applies and wish to claim Veterans Preference you must submit a legible copy of your DD214 to the Human Resource Department with your employment application. If your claim is approved, five or ten additional points will be added to your final passing score.

Criminal Background Investigation and Reference Checks – Reference checks and a criminal background investigation will be completed as a condition of hire for all new employees and for former employees who have not been employed by the District for more than six months.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Essential functions are job duties that the individual holding the position must be able to perform unaided or with the assistance of a reasonable accommodation through the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and the Americans with Disability Amendments Act (ADAAA). The essential functions are typical duties as outlined under Responsibilities.

Regular and reliable attendance.

May be exposed to various cleaning products.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Saint Paul Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer and supports an inclusive workplace environment.

EQUITY STATEMENT
SPPS is committed to an equitable workforce where all employees represent this commitment through equitable practices in their job position.