Director of Family Engagement and Multicultural Education

Biddeford, Dayton and Saco Schools are seeking a Director of Family Engagement and Multicultural Education

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Specific Job Details:
Starting Janaury 2025

The Biddeford and Saco School Departments are seeking a dynamic and compassionate educational leader to serve as the Director of Family Engagement and Multicultural Education. This pivotal role will oversee our Welcome Center, which focuses on supporting New Mainers, serving homeless students and families,leading the district’s ESOL program coordinator, and interfacing with city, state, and nonprofits that support these populations

School Description:
We expect staff and students to embrace challenges and strive to attain excellence while exemplifying Tiger PRIDE: Perseverance, Respect, Integrity, Dependability, and Empathy.
Find Biddeford School Department's Three Pillars of Commitment to Students attached.

Brief Job Duties:
The ideal candidate will have experience in the following areas:

1. Lead the Welcome Center, ensuring it provides comprehensive support to families who are new to our communities, including new Mainers, homeless students, and those affected by trauma.
2. Liaise with multilingual (ML) teachers, Ed Techs, administrative staff, and Resiliency Coordinators across the Biddeford, Dayton, and Saco districts
3. Serve as the District Liaison to the State of Maine Office of New Americans
4. Serve as the state-registered McKinney-Vento liaison, or designate a Welcome Center employee in the event of future expansion.
5. Confer with and be an active, contributing administrator on the districts’ joint leadership team.
6. Share the value of the Welcome Center’s work in the community, and coordinate with colleagues in the district to oversee grant funding from application to performance reports in an effort to support its mission.
7. Serve as the primary point of contact for the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s RSIG program
8. Develop and manage a self-sustaining budget, including grant writing and program development

• Master's degree in Education, Social Work, or related field required
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in educational leadership or related field
• Fluency in multiple languages preferred

1. Educational Leadership Experience

• Proven track record in educational leadership, particularly in family engagement and support services
• Demonstrated success in managing programs for newcomer and trauma-affected students

2. Expertise in Working with Diverse Populations

• Deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by newcomer families, those experiencing housing instability, and students affected by trauma
• Ability to advocate for these populations and navigate the complexities of accessing school and community services

3. Program Development and Budget Management

• Experience in strategic planning, grant writing, and program development
• Proven ability to develop and oversee a self-sustaining budget supported by grants and other funding sources

4. Collaboration and Leadership

• Exceptional communication and collaborative skills
• Ability to work effectively with multilingual teachers, guidance staff, resiliency coordinators, and outside agencies
• Experience in coordinating efforts across departments and external organizations

5. Staff and Program Oversight

• Strong supervisory and mentoring skills
• Ability to guide and support diverse teams across multiple districts

6. Advocacy and Outreach

• Proactive approach to community engagement and partnership building
• Commitment to removing barriers to student success and promoting equitable access to resources

• Located along the Atlantic coastline with miles of beaches
• Views of the Saco River to its west
• Less than 20 minutes south of the Greater Portland Area
• Less than two hours north of Boston.
• Home to a growing population of diverse residents
• Picturesque downtown
• Maine's youngest city with a median age of 29 in the historic downtown
• Thriving economy
• Many recreational opportunities, including fishing, hiking, biking, public parks, and kayaking

Equal Opportunity
The School Department is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The district shall actively work to have the teacher and administrator workforce reflect the student body's diversity.

The School Department's selection will be based on those with the highest capabilities, the most vital commitment to quality education, and the greatest probability of effectively implementing the learning program.
Therefore, selections will be made without consideration on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, religion, ancestry or national origin, age, marital status, parental status, disability or genetic information, pregnancy, membership in an employee organization, military service, political affiliation, and any other state or federal prohibitions.
For the purpose of this policy, "sexual orientation" means a person's actual or perceived heterosexuality, bisexuality, homosexuality, or gender identity or expression.

Criminal Background Check
All employees of Maine schools must be fingerprinted for a criminal history background check. Please create a Department of Education log-in and make an appointment for a fingerprinting appointment at https://www.maine.gov/doe/cert/fingerprinting

Please see other Job Openings at :
Biddeford Schools
Dayton School
Southern Maine Administrative Collaborative