CLASS TITLE: Parent Advocate
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CLASS: Under supervision, assists professional educational personnel in planning, developing, and presenting informational workshops at a Chicago Public Schools Parent Education Center and various school sites; and performs related duties as required.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Makes presentations to various parent organizations for the purpose of increasing parental participation in the education process, explain various school policies, programs, and activities to parent organizations and individual parents and guardians; provides technical assistance to local school councils including policy interpretation and understanding school budgets; assists in the maintenance of an inventory of resources materials available for distribution; edits published materials for use in parent workshops; prepares reports regarding the types and quantity of parent participation; responds to telephone inquiries regarding parent workshops; updates and maintains participant mailing lists; serves as a liaison with parent organizations; may type records, reports, and correspondence; recruits school staff and community representatives to provide specialized information to groups of parents; prepares activity reports for submission to the school principal; may send school newsletters to parents and guardians.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Training and Experience. Graduation from high school (or G.E.D. equivalent), supplemented by three years of active participation and involvement in community organizations; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
Knowledge, Abilities, and Skill. Good knowledge of the policies and procedures of the Chicago Public Schools.
Ability to plan and make oral presentations to various size groups, ability to prepare records and reports, ability to interpret policies and procedures, ability to type and or operate personal computers is highly desirable.
Good oral and written communication skills, good interpretive skills.
Physical Requirements. Light Work: Exerting up to twenty (20) pounds of force occasionally, or up to ten (10) pounds of force frequently, or a negligible amount of force frequently to move objects. Even though weight of force moved may be only a negligible amount, a position should be rated as Light Work (1) when it requires walking or standing to a significant degree; or (2) when it requires sitting most of the time but entails pushing or pulling of arm controls.