Description | Job Title: LGBTQ Student Support Manager FTE: 1.0 Reports to: Assistant Superintendent of Equity
Location: Office of Equity
The Boston Public Schools
Founded in 1647, Boston Public Schools (BPS) is the oldest public school district in the country. With approximately 56,000 students from over one hundred countries, over 10,000 employees, and a $1.3 billion dollar annual budget, the BPS is the largest school district in Massachusetts.
The Office of Equity
The Office of Equity is charged with monitoring and helping to ensure employment and educational equity district-wide. The Office has primary responsibility for investigating reports of possible violations of internal policies regarding bias-based conduct and sexual misconduct; and engaging in proactive efforts to prevent such conduct through training, education, and other forms of engagement and intervention. In addition, the Office responds to disability and religious accommodation requests (primarily from employees), and partners with the Office of Opportunity Gaps to ensure every key decision made by school and central office leaders is considered through the lens of equity.
The Role of the LGBTQ Student Support Manager
The LGBTQ Student Support Manager will lead the district’s efforts to meet the needs of Boston Public Schools students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, gender non-conforming, or who are questioning their sexual orientation.
This work includes partnering with school-based and Central Office personnel to:
- Provide individual support and classroom and other interventions to ensure LGBTQ students’ safety and flourishing;
- Lead the Safe and Supportive Environments (SSE) strategy for the CDC-funded Empowering Teens Through Health Grant (ETTH), developing the work plan and supporting the ETTH-SSE grant components in collaboration with the Office of Health and Wellness, including LGBTQ student support and family education;
- Supervise and collaborate with the Gender and Sexuality Alliances (GSAs) Support Specialist (part-time contractor) in collaboration with the Office of Health and Wellness to support school-based GSAs and other similar organizations;
- Organize an annual district-wide summit for LGBTQ students;
- Assist schools with administering and supporting transgender and gender non-conforming students’ transition planning and implementation;
- Delivering LGBTQ-related professional development, including the Human Rights Campaign’s “Welcoming Schools” training and related programming for elementary school staff and OUT for Safe School Badge Training for high school staff; and
- Develop and sustain external partnerships with organizations that can collaborate in this work, such as GLSEN; Boston GLASS; and Boston Alliance of LGBTQ+ Youth (BAGLY) in collaboration with the Office of Health and Wellness.
The LGBTQ Student Support Manager will take the lead role in building capacity for this work across the district by:
- Facilitating and administering professional development for school and Central Office staff for best practices in LGBTQ inclusive education and safe and supportive environments, including training school-based employees, including educators, administrators, social workers, psychologists, guidance counselors, and nurses;
- Cultivating a cadre of educators, administrators, Health and Wellness staff, and others who have the skills and knowledge to lead this work in schools; and
- Developing evaluation metrics and strategies to assess the effectiveness and impact of these efforts, including any partnerships with external evaluators.
As a member of the Office of Equity team, the LGBTQ Student Support Manager will also:
- Document their work in the LaborSoft digital case tracking system as appropriate;
- Generate periodic reports on their work, including data gathering and analysis; and
- Participate in other aspects of the work of the Office of Equity based on the incumbent’s skills, interests, capacity, and departmental needs.
We are seeking a highly skilled, energetic, committed, collaborative individual to join our team. This individual must demonstrate a passion for LGBTQ and other intersectional anti-oppression work, and connecting with and championing LGBTQ youth, most of whom are also of color. The LGBTQ Student Support Manager will exemplify a profound ability to assist educators, parents, school-based employees, and others to become thoughtful and brave allies to LGBTQ students.
Responsibilities:
- Respond promptly, respectfully, and thoroughly to individuals who request assistance in supporting LGBTQ students by calling, emailing, or visiting the Office of Equity, particularly students who are people of color, English learners, participate in Special Education, or are members of other historically marginalized groups.
- Develop, deliver, administer and document LGBTQ-related and “Welcoming Schools” and OUT for Safe Schools training and professional development sessions.
- Lead Safe and Supportive Environments strategy of ETTH grant activities.
- Coordinate support to student and faculty leaders of GSAs and other similar organizations across the district with the GSA Support Specialist
- Supporting families and school communities to support LGBTQ youth in alignment with Safe and Supportive Environments strategies.
- Manage the annual district-wide summit for LGBTQ students in collaboration with GSA participants (students) and advisors.
- Provide a comprehensive range of advocacy, education, information, and referrals for LGBTQ students and their families.
- Oversee transition planning and implementation for transgender and gender non-conforming students.
- Foster internal and external partnerships to generate resources and capacity.
- Identify and implement evaluation metrics, data analysis, and progress reports.
- Other duties as assigned as a member of the Office of Equity team.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree.
- Strong organizational, analytical thinking and problem solving skills.
- Outstanding verbal and written communication skills.
- Excellent customer service skills.
- Ability to coordinate multiple projects simultaneously.
- Ability to work effectively in a team oriented, fast paced environment both within the Office and across the district, initiating and maintaining cooperative relationships with individuals at every level of the internal organization as well as students, families, and external stakeholders.
- Able to work independently, applying impeccable judgment, discretion, and integrity.
- Ability and willingness to reflect and constantly improve on job performance.
- Knowledge and understanding of the concerns and issues facing LGBTQ youth, and a demonstrated commitment to continually developing cultural competence regarding intersectional identities and experiences, including race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, and disability.
- Current authorization to work in the United States by the first day of employment.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Graduate degree related to social work, education, or a related field.
- Prior work experience with LGBTQ youth.
- Prior work in the field of urban public education and/or knowledge of the Boston Public Schools.
- Prior work in the field of social work or other counseling with young people, particularly young people who have experienced trauma.
- Well-developed training design and delivery skills.
- Excellent project management skills.
- Outstanding evaluation and data analysis skills.
- Advanced knowledge of Google and Microsoft Office products, including Google Docs, Drive, Calendar, Sheets, and Slides, and Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- Bilingual in Spanish, Haitian Creole, or Portuguese.
- Current authorization to work in the United States
- An understanding of and commitment to gain greater understanding of what is necessary for an urban school system to enjoy continuous improvement in an increasingly complex and competitive environment.
- A deeply held and unyielding belief in the overarching mission of public education.
Desired Qualities:
- Results-oriented team player who thrives as a member of a collaborative, diverse team, but is also able to take initiative and work independently.
- Ability to maintain neutrality and confidentiality.
- Unwavering work ethic, and an eagerness to contribute when “all hands on deck” are needed.
- Ability to manage stress effectively.
- A passionate commitment to achieving bias-free schools and a bias-free workplace, and a firm belief that there is no more urgent task than ensuring that every child in Boston has equitable access to a high-quality public education.
Essential functions of the job include, but are not limited to:
- Physical presence in the Office or schools throughout the district during the times that schools and students may contact the Office, or require training or on-site support, which may sometimes include early morning, evening and weekend hours.
- Ability to prioritize multiple projects and tasks, and meet prescribed deadlines.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to travel throughout the district.
- Ability to work at a computer for several hours daily.
- Familiarity with Boston and Boston Public Schools
Note: This position is subject to a City of Boston residency requirement.
Compensation: C41
The Boston Public Schools, in accordance with its nondiscrimination policies, does not discriminate in its programs, facilities, or employment or educational opportunities on the basis of race, color, age, criminal record (inquiries only), disability, homelessness, sex/gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, genetics or military status, and does not tolerate any form of retaliation, or bias-based intimidation, threat or harassment that demeans individuals’ dignity or interferes with their ability to learn or work. |