Community Based Organization Services Support Coordinator

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is a district on the rise, serving over 325,000 students in 500 schools and employing over 45,000 people, most of them teachers. CPS has set ambitious goals to ensure that every student, in every school and every neighborhood, has access to a world-class learning experience that prepares each for success in college, career, and civic life. Aligned with our transformed philosophy, we are steadfastly focused on ensuring that the District provides resources equitably to support every student, every school, and every community. Six core values guide the work we do every day for our students - student-centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning. Each role in the district supports our vision that every student deserves a rigorous, joyful, and equitable learning experience.

The Office of Early Childhood Education (OECE) works to ensure all children in Chicago have access to excellent early learning experiences that lead to future success in early grades and beyond.

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Manager, Early Childhood Programs & Services, the CBO Services Support Coordinator serves in a unique, specialized, grant-funded role established through a collaborative agreement between Chicago Public Schools (CPS), Office of Early Childhood Education (OECE), and the District's Community-Based Organization partners (CBO). This role serves as a process navigator and family support system, guiding families and agencies through the referral process, providing administrative support, process monitoring, referral process coordination, and technical assistance to teachers. This is a full-time, exempt position that will be paid for time worked on a salary basis.

The CBO Services Support Coordinator will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Provides administrative process support for CBO partners and families; Actively guides partners through the referral process, helping families overcome logistical barriers and successfully complete their scheduled evaluation appointments
• Notifies appropriate stakeholders of upcoming CPS evaluations and assists with scheduling logistics, and access to resources and materials to support families and CBO agencies during remote or virtual evaluation appointments; Responds to agency and family inquiries regarding student referral, evaluation, and enrollment status using database systems
• Coordinates services across CPS departments, CBOs, and families and provides support to remove administrative and logistical roadblocks to the evaluation process
• Assists CBO agencies in assembling and submitting complete, high-quality CPS referral packets, providing process monitoring guidance on the administrative next steps of the submission process
• Provides technical assistance for teachers and programs as needed
• Monitors and utilize system databases (e.g., ASPEN, IMPACT, and COPA) to support accurate, up to date administrative monitoring by tracking where children are in the referral to evaluation process
• Collaborates with program administrators to identify and resolve process-related issues related to enrollment, transportation, and scheduling
• Collaborates across CBOs, schools and with OECE teams to ensure consistent practices (Teaching Strategies Gold (TSG), Handbook Updates, IDEC Standards)
• Other duties as assigned

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the CBO Services Support Coordinator must possess the following qualifications:

Education Required:

• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university required

• Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Human Services, Public Administration, or a related field preferred

Experience Required:

• Professional experience supporting early childhood programs, community partnerships, or social service coordination, directly engaging with and supporting families navigating public systems or community resources strongly preferred

• Experience supporting Community-Based Organizations (CBO) programming and multi-agency partnerships is strongly preferred

Other Requirements:

• Travel to multiple locations in the same work day required

• Access to reliable transportation to travel within the City of Chicago required

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Solid understanding of early childhood program structures and the step-by-step CPS special education referral and evaluation timeline

• Strong collaborative skills with the ability to serve as a clear, welcoming, and effective administrative link between CBO staff, families, and CPS departments

• Proficiency in utilizing student information systems and databases (such as ASPEN, IMPACT, and COPA) to monitor administrative milestones and monitor children's progress through the referral to evaluation process

• Proven ability to proactively identify and resolve logistical barriers (e.g., scheduling conflicts, missing documentation, or transit issues) to keep the evaluation process moving efficiently

• Ability to clearly present, explain, and train community partners on administrative referral processes, paperwork requirements, and navigation pathways

• Strong interpersonal and verbal/written communication skills

Benefits:

Health & Wellness: Your Care, Your Choice

CPS is committed to providing comprehensive health coverage to our employees and their eligible dependents. You'll have access to a variety of choices to best fit your needs:

Medical Plan Options

Pharmacy

Dental

Vision

Behavioral Health & EAP

Employee Wellness Program

Financial Security: Planning for Today and Tomorrow

We understand the importance of financial stability, which is why CPS offers strong retirement and savings options:

Basic Life Insurance

Life and Disability Insurance

Pension Plans

Supplemental Retirement Plans (403(b) and 457(b))

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

Spot Pet Insurance

Work-Life Balance: Supporting Your Personal and Professional Life

CPS values the well-being of its employees and offers competitive paid time off policies:

Paid Leave

Sick Leave

Vacation Days

Parental Leaves

Short-Term Disability

Religious Holidays

Leaves

Conditions of Employment

As a condition of employment with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), employees are required to:

• Establish/Maintain Chicago Residency - Employees are required to live within the geographic boundaries of the City of Chicago within six months of their CPS hire date and maintain residency throughout their employment with the district. The Chicago residency requirement does not apply to temporary/part-time positions; however, all CPS employees must be residents of Illinois.

Reference the Chicago Public Schools: A Comprehensive Benefits Overview or the benefits handbook for comprehensive details.