Middle School Program Assistant

Role Summary: Assist the Middle School Program Director and Middle School Program Staff in leading our school for human flourishing by supporting administrative operations, Attachment Village interventions, and family engagement.

Our School: Libertas School of Memphis was founded in 2015 as Tennessee’s first public charter Montessori school. Our mission is to be a school for human flourishing: cultivating minds, hands, and hearts for lives of wonder, work, and love. We offer students a rich, rigorous, and personalized education through the teaching and learning method of Dr. Maria Montessori, liberal arts and Core Knowledge, and the best practices of high-performing schools. We foster a culture of character and excellence. And we are an attachment village between school, families, and our community. Serving nearly 500 children from birth through fifth grade in multi-age classrooms, our proven model is recognized and lauded for academic success, student growth, proactive and restorative discipline practices, family engagement, and teacher satisfaction and retention.

Role Information

• Full-time role. Work hours will vary with the published school calendar; instructional hours are roughly 7:35 AM – 3:30 or 4:30 PM (end time TBD as part of the hiring process). Assist with periodic school events outside of the normal schedule.
• Time off for summer, fall, winter, and spring breaks
• Reports to: Middle School Program Director
• Measures of success for the position to include performance evaluations, satisfaction of supported staff, family satisfaction, student behavior metrics, and related indicators.
• Key relationships: Students; Families; Teachers; School Leaders

Key Responsibilities

Administrative Operations

• Make copies of student work packets and other instructional materials
• Maintain inventory of office and school supplies; order supplies before they are needed; keep supplies organized and tidy
• Oversee logistics for trips and/or special events; manage payments and record-keeping for trips and events
• Help maintain a beautiful and organized prepared environment in middle school classrooms and hallways

Attachment Village

• Receive students who have been sent out of class with a referral; supervise them as they complete virtue reflections and review them
• Discuss minor misbehaviors and interpersonal conflicts
• Mediate interpersonal conflict between students; supervise peer mediation
• Log behavior referrals in the online tracker and monitor the tracker for needed follow-up
• Supervise lunch reflection
• TBD: May supervise after-school reflection
• Supervise arrival, lunch, transitions, and dismissal
• Help lead a student “House” of 7-10 students who meet together for regular discussions and lessons
• Communicate regularly with the Student Supports Coordinator to discuss student needs

Family Engagement

• Communicate daily with families through phone calls and text messages about behavior, attendance, grades, etc.
• Keep a log of parent contacts
• Track signed family communications (e.g., permission slips and report cards)
• Communicate with the Family Engagement Team about specific family needs
• Assist the Family Engagement Team and Middle School Program Director with middle school events such as family breakfast, family conferences, exhibitions, etc.
• Other Duties as Assigned

Qualifications and Traits

• High school diploma or equivalent
• Effective experience working with children and/or adolescents in an underserved community
• Organized and efficient
• Flexibility, initiative, and personal responsibility to work in a fast-paced, startup environment
• Commitment to serve all students, regardless of background or needs, in an inclusive and supportive setting
• Interest in and commitment to Montessori pedagogy, liberal arts, and humane education
• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
• Flexibility, initiative, and personal responsibility to work in a fast-paced startup environment
• Fortitude for the challenges we will face
• Warm and firm demeanor
• Work collaboratively with a growth mindset. Give and receive feedback in a spirit of craftsmanship.
• Love of learning

Compensation

• Salary range: $22,050 to $28,000 based on experience and qualifications
• Eligible for increases or stipends for performance and/or additional duties
• Paid sick leave. Deferred pay model distributes salary throughout the year (including breaks and vacations).
• Full-time employees are eligible for health insurance benefits, which we sponsor at an above-market rate. We also offer dental, vision, and other benefits, and retirement plans similar to local schools.

 Application process

Interested candidates should apply online at www.LibertasMemphis.org, where candidates can also learn more about our school. Please submit a resume, at least three references, and a cover letter (required) explaining why you would be a good fit for this position. Please direct any questions to info@LibertasMemphis.org. Libertas does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, handicap, age, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.