Portland Public Schools
Portuguese Family and Community Engagement Specialist - Multilingual
Portland Public Schools, Portland, Maine, us, 04122
Position Type:
MULTILINGUAL/MLC PARENT/COMM SPECIALIST
Date Posted: 8/11/2025
Location: Multilingual
Date Available: 09/15/2025
Closing Date: Open until filled TITLE:
Portuguese Family and Community Engagement Specialist - Multilingual Center
POSITION OVERVIEW:
The Family and Community Engagement Specialist supports efforts to establish and strengthen relationships between families and the Portland Public Schools community; assists in implementing systems and programming designed to provide relevant and timely information and resources to families; assists in building an internal culture that values family engagement, including ensuring parents as partners and ensuring proactive, multi-directional, and ongoing family communication; establishes and sustains partnerships with community agencies; and works to connect students and families to support services that address barriers to successful engagement in school.
Success is measured by student academic improvement, a reduction in chronic absenteeism, strong engagement of parents in academic improvement and school-related activities, parent participation in parent workshops and parent/teacher conferences, increased presence of community partners, increasingly higher satisfaction indicators on parent surveys, and cultural brokering increasing cultural competency among staff . Reports to the Language Access Coordinator.
ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES: Translate district documents and provide interpretation and cultural brokering services to families needing language access services Assess the needs of families to participate fully in school and support their students' academic growth Collaborate with school-based leaders, teachers, social workers, guidance counselors, and other school staff to implement programming to meet those needs, within the capabilities of the school Provide parent orientation, training, and other informational sessions for families through the Multilingual Parent Advisory Councils Conduct family intake services for new students registering for school and facilitate meet and greet meetings between parents and school staff Provide interpretation and cultural brokering for student support teams, RTI meetings, IEP meetings, as needed Conduct home visits, when appropriate, to supplement office-based assessment, or to facilitate contact with parents and clarify any additional needs Identify and cultivate relationships with community based organizations, service providers, programmatic partners, human services agencies, and volunteer groups to build pipelines of resources for families Commit to growing professionally through consistent and constant feedback and reflection KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
Bilingual and biliterate in English and Portuguese A proven track record of working collaboratively and productively with all stakeholders - students, teachers, school staff, parents, and community-based groups, particularly in an urban environment Exceptional interpersonal skills Strong verbal and written communication skills Demonstrated ability to assist newcomer families in developing the skills to support student engagement and academic success Must be able to work a flexible schedule to accommodate family and community outreach and/or events on evenings and weekends A commitment to high performance standards and unwavering belief that all students can excel EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE:
Bachelor's Degree [Preferred] At least two years of relevant experience preferred [Preferred] Experience and training in the interpreter field, training in medical or court interpreting SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
Must be able to work a flexible schedule to accommodate family and community outreach and/or events on evenings and weekends CREDENTIAL REQUIREMENTS:
Maine State fingerprint (CHRC) authorization (more info - cost is $70.00)
EMPLOYMENT DETAILS:
Year-round position Permanent Full Time, 1.0 FTE Non-represented, salaried position, not eligible for overtime Salary offered based on experience Eligible for benefits (see here for current offerings and rates)
Portland Public Schools is committed to maintaining a work and learning environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, pregnancy, gender, sexual orientation, marital/civil union status, ancestry, place of birth, age, citizenship status, veteran status, political affiliation or disability, as defined and required by state and federal laws.
Date Posted: 8/11/2025
Location: Multilingual
Date Available: 09/15/2025
Closing Date: Open until filled TITLE:
Portuguese Family and Community Engagement Specialist - Multilingual Center
POSITION OVERVIEW:
The Family and Community Engagement Specialist supports efforts to establish and strengthen relationships between families and the Portland Public Schools community; assists in implementing systems and programming designed to provide relevant and timely information and resources to families; assists in building an internal culture that values family engagement, including ensuring parents as partners and ensuring proactive, multi-directional, and ongoing family communication; establishes and sustains partnerships with community agencies; and works to connect students and families to support services that address barriers to successful engagement in school.
Success is measured by student academic improvement, a reduction in chronic absenteeism, strong engagement of parents in academic improvement and school-related activities, parent participation in parent workshops and parent/teacher conferences, increased presence of community partners, increasingly higher satisfaction indicators on parent surveys, and cultural brokering increasing cultural competency among staff . Reports to the Language Access Coordinator.
ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES: Translate district documents and provide interpretation and cultural brokering services to families needing language access services Assess the needs of families to participate fully in school and support their students' academic growth Collaborate with school-based leaders, teachers, social workers, guidance counselors, and other school staff to implement programming to meet those needs, within the capabilities of the school Provide parent orientation, training, and other informational sessions for families through the Multilingual Parent Advisory Councils Conduct family intake services for new students registering for school and facilitate meet and greet meetings between parents and school staff Provide interpretation and cultural brokering for student support teams, RTI meetings, IEP meetings, as needed Conduct home visits, when appropriate, to supplement office-based assessment, or to facilitate contact with parents and clarify any additional needs Identify and cultivate relationships with community based organizations, service providers, programmatic partners, human services agencies, and volunteer groups to build pipelines of resources for families Commit to growing professionally through consistent and constant feedback and reflection KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
Bilingual and biliterate in English and Portuguese A proven track record of working collaboratively and productively with all stakeholders - students, teachers, school staff, parents, and community-based groups, particularly in an urban environment Exceptional interpersonal skills Strong verbal and written communication skills Demonstrated ability to assist newcomer families in developing the skills to support student engagement and academic success Must be able to work a flexible schedule to accommodate family and community outreach and/or events on evenings and weekends A commitment to high performance standards and unwavering belief that all students can excel EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE:
Bachelor's Degree [Preferred] At least two years of relevant experience preferred [Preferred] Experience and training in the interpreter field, training in medical or court interpreting SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
Must be able to work a flexible schedule to accommodate family and community outreach and/or events on evenings and weekends CREDENTIAL REQUIREMENTS:
Maine State fingerprint (CHRC) authorization (more info - cost is $70.00)
EMPLOYMENT DETAILS:
Year-round position Permanent Full Time, 1.0 FTE Non-represented, salaried position, not eligible for overtime Salary offered based on experience Eligible for benefits (see here for current offerings and rates)
Portland Public Schools is committed to maintaining a work and learning environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, pregnancy, gender, sexual orientation, marital/civil union status, ancestry, place of birth, age, citizenship status, veteran status, political affiliation or disability, as defined and required by state and federal laws.