Job Summary: Under the direction of Coordinator of Indian Education, the Indian Education Equity Specialist enhances student learning by helping students, parents, teachers, administrators, and other school staff to center racial equity and cultural relevancy into student engagement, parent engagement, community engagement, and staff development. Furthermore, to build and maintain supportive relationships that strengthen student and family connections to school and support the elimination of racial disparities, racial isolation, and to achieve equitable student achievement.
Responsibilities and tasks include:
The primary role of the Equity Specialist is to engage students and families in programming that centers racial equity and cultural relevancy. An additional role is to provide staff development that centers racial equity and cultural relevancy. Duties include collaborating with teachers and other school staff to establish learning partnerships through youth and parent programming; collaborating with school administrators, teachers, human services teams, and other school staff to identify and connect with students who are in need of additional support; liaising and collaborating with school administrator, human services team, and community resources to identify and provide appropriate services for families that transform their schooling experience for equitable results; helping students and families engage their cultural capital to experience schooling in a transformative way; providing outreach services to encourage the involvement of families in transforming the system to ensure equitable student achievement for all; supporting classroom teachers by preparing site Equity Teams to engage in educational transformation that results in equitable student achievement and culturally relevant learning environments; managing data and developing report information; and communicating and collaborating with stakeholders. Lead and learn for racial equity and cultural relevancy in system departments and committees in order to engage in system equity transformation.
The American Indian Education Equity Specialist will provide guidance, leadership and support to schools and departments in the form of professional development, coaching, and other duties as assigned. Assistance provided to schools and district staff will align with the core beliefs of the American Indian education department that include the following: Supporting and strengthening increased educational outcomes for American Indian students by promoting culturally responsive instruction, curriculum development, and assessment; family and student engagement; and partnerships with departments, schools and the broader community.
American Indian Education empowers American Indian students and their families and enhances their potential through culture-based educational programming. The program reflects key values of families and staff:
Importance of our children;
Importance of education; and
Importance of American Indian culture and heritage.
We are seeking candidates who possess demonstrated leadership skills within a school/district environment; have experience working with American Indian students and families; and be able to demonstrate experience in designing, implementing, and collaborating when providing adult training opportunities and professional development using Indigenous pedagogy and MN state standards. Qualified candidates should advocate for student learning, convey innovative ideas to teachers and school teams, provide strong interpersonal communication skills, utilize problem solving skills effectively, and guide teams towards equitable, evidence based instructional and culturally responsive practices.