Student Support Advocate - High School

About the role

The Student Support Advocate (SSA) plays a critical role in keeping students safe, supported, and in a position to learn. SSAs work under the direction of the Assistant Principal of Culture, alongside Deans, Assistant Deans of Students, and the Associate Director of Student Life (ADSL), providing hallway support, student store support, and small-group student support so that Deans and Assistant Deans are freed up to focus on higher-level culture and compliance work.

SSAs carry a small caseload of students whom they observe in classrooms and support directly, always in partnership with and under the direction of the Assistant Principal of Culture.

Core Outcomes (What You Own)

• Hallways & Transitions: hallways and transitions are clear, safe, and structured
• Lunch: Ensure the safety of every student in coordination with teammates in the lunch space
• Student Store: the student store runs smoothly and consistently as a culture incentive system
• Caseload Support: caseload students are observed regularly and receive consistent, visible support
• Partnership: the Deans and Assistant Deans are effectively supported so culture systems run without gaps

Non-negotiables

• Hallways and transitions are supervised at all times
• The student store is staffed and run consistently
• Caseload students are checked on regularly
• Deans and Assistant Deans are kept informed of anything observed in hallways, the store, or with caseload students

01 | Hallway Support - SSAs are a visible, steady presence in the building's hallways.

• Be present and visible during arrival, hallway transitions, lunch, and dismissal
• Ensure clear, safe, and orderly student movement throughout the building
• Redirect low-level behavior in the moment and refer ongoing concerns to the Dean or Assistant Dean
• Support school-wide systems during arrival, lunch, dismissal, and transitions

02 | Student Store Support - SSAs help run the student store as part of the school's culture and incentive systems.

• Staff and support the student store during its operating hours
• Track and maintain student store inventory and points/incentive systems as directed
• Support students in redeeming incentives tied to school-wide culture systems

03 | Caseload Support & Classroom Observation - SSAs carry a small caseload of students whom they observe and support, in partnership with teachers, Deans, and Assistant Deans.

• Maintain a small caseload of students identified by the Dean or Assistant Dean
• Observe caseload students in classrooms on a regular basis
• Provide in-the-moment support to caseload students as needed
• Share observations and updates on caseload students with the Dean or Assistant Dean

04 | Supporting Deans & Assistant Deans - The SSA's core purpose is to support the Deans and Assistant Deans of Students so that culture systems run smoothly.

• Assist Deans and Assistant Deans with day-to-day execution of culture systems as directed
• Help supervise students while Deans or Assistant Deans respond to incidents elsewhere in the building
• Flag emerging issues in hallways, the student store, or with caseload students to the Dean or Assistant Dean
• Support whole-school events, traditions, and school-wide culture moments as directed

Must Haves

• Experience working with kids, ideally in a high school environment
• Strong presence; believes all children can and will learn, upholds high expectations for all students
• Strong relationships with all stakeholders (staff, families, students, leadership)
• Strong communication skills
• Love for the work and passion for our scholars, families, community and mission of making a difference
• Operates with a growth mindset, takes initiative, seeks and implements feedback
• Ability to self-monitor and hold self-accountable to schedule and daily responsibilities
• Ability to track and analyze data
• Facilitates meetings with various stakeholders
• Discretion (especially given the sensitive nature of this role)

Additional Information

KIPP NJ offers competitive salaries to newly hired staff. Salaries are based on prior experience and in accordance with education and certification requirements. KIPP NJ offers a competitive salary range of $38,080-$66,580

In addition to a competitive salary, KIPP NJ offers a generous benefits package including, but not limited to, the following:

• Robust benefits that include medical, dental, and vision
• Participation in the New Jersey Teachers Pension and Annuity Fund, provided appropriate teacher certification and role classification
• Optional participation in the KIPP NJ 403b retirement plan, including matching contributions
• A school-issued laptop
• Transportation benefits for TEAMmates commuting into Newark from the New York City area
• Generous Time-Off including 3.5-4 school vacation weeks (depending on the year), allocated sick and personal days, and an extended summer break
• Up to 12 weeks 100% parental leave for primary caregivers
• Employer paid life insurance
• Extensive optional ancillary benefits including, short term and long term disability and accident and hospital indemnity

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