Student Life Faculty/Houseparent(s) - Washington, DC

Job Description and Responsibilities

Unique opportunity for two individuals or a married couple to serve on the Student Life Faculty at an innovative charter boarding school targeting foster care youth.

About Us:

Working with the most at-risk adolescents and established on an innovative model integrating excellent academics with evidence-based, trauma-informed practices, we are  a weekday boarding school that opened in the 2015-2016 school year with a 5th grade class of 40 students and will have 160 students when we reach full enrollment through 8th grade in 2018/19. The school is currently authorized to expand to 8th grade and maintains the goal of growing through high school so that students will graduate from our program.

Our mission is to provide students, particularly those who have had or might have contact with the foster care system, with the requisite academic, social, emotional, and life skills to be successful in college, career, and community, and to create an outstanding school that attracts, supports, and retains exceptional and caring people. Monument Academy will fulfill its mission by providing stability, adult connection, high-quality academics, therapeutic support, and life skills for pre-teens and teens. Our graduates will be prepared for post-secondary education, on a career trajectory, and have the social, emotional, and self-care skills to maintain a healthy, connected, and economically self-supporting life.

About the Position

Work weeks are Sunday from 3:30 pm - Friday at 9:30 am. Weekday hours off from 9:30 am-3:30 pm. Mandatory All Staff meeting one Friday a month from 2:30-4:30 pm. Weekends off & 7 weeks of school holidays and all Federal holidays off, limited paperwork, little or no driving, housing, food, 95% of medical benefits paid.

Additional Benefits for Houseparents include:

• Salary per couple PLUS housing, utilities, cleaning service, internet, food, parking, and a benefit plan where 95% of your coverage -- such as health, dental, vision, and retirement -- are paid for by the school

• Very limited paperwork

• Minimal to no driving

• July 2018 start/move in date.

As a member of the Student Life Faculty, Houseparent pairs will play an integral role in shaping the lives of the students . Houseparents work in pairs (either two individuals or a married couple) that reside on property in a family-style apartment and provide direct care to 8-12 single-gender students Sunday evening-Friday morning.  Houseparents have Friday late morning until Sunday afternoon off. They also have school holidays off. They are expected to participate fully in professional development days. Houseparents’ living quarters are two private bedrooms with a private bath abutting the family space. The family space includes living room and kitchen area shared with their students during the week.   

The Houseparent role is much more significant than supervision.  Houseparents will cultivate a safe and caring home environment that is supportive of all students’ social, emotional, and academic development.  They must be consistent role models with their words and actions. It is imperative that Houseparents build strong family-like relationships that begin with taking a genuine interest in every student and his or her unique story.  Families will set goals together, celebrate successes together, learn new skills together, and overcome challenges together. The Houseparents guide this process and are responsible for establishing and maintaining a positive culture at all times. This includes adhering to the  approaches to structuring the student home expectations and systems. The Student Life team is responsible for designing lessons and activities aligned with Monument Academy’s life skills curriculum, scheduling and planning for celebrations and recreational family activities, as well as participating fully in the conversations around student progress and the development and review of students’ personalized learning plans.  

Houseparents’ primary responsibilities are when students are in their care from 3:45 pm until 9 am.  They have flexible time when the students are in school, although from time to time they may be required to participate in professional development or meetings regarding student progress as needed during the day. Houseparents will report to the Director of Student Life.  

It is recommended that for houseparent couples with children that they have no more than 2 small children or 1 older child (10+)  of their own residing with them on campus. Whether couples or individuals, everyone should each submit separate applications and, if married, note in the cover letter your spouse’s name and your intent to seek employment together as Houseparents at Monument Academy.  

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Promote  core values and model the highest behavior standards for staff and student at all times

• Create and maintain a safe and positive family home environment for youth 

• Ensure that Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports are utilized effectively in the home and are consistent with the daytime structure of the school

• Guide students in the development of their independent living skills using the life skills strand of the Monument Academy Well-Being Curriculum

• Maintain accurate records of daily activities and medicine dispensed  

• Manage the day-to-day responsibilities of caring for a home, including scheduling, light meal preparation, and cleaning and home upkeep

• Participate in conversations with leadership, teachers, the well-being team, outside service providers, parents/guardians, and students to assess students’ progress toward goals, identify potential challenges, and implement interventions and supports.

• Conduct home visits with another staff member as needed

• Provide crisis intervention and initiate the proper protocols to ensure the involvement of the appropriate counselors and/or leaders in a given situation

The qualified applicant/couple is positive, caring, results-oriented, and of exceptional character and is deeply committed to our approach to supporting and educating students. The individuals/couple is passionate about working with adolescents, particularly those who may require additional support to meet their unique educational and emotional needs. The applicants believe that all children are capable of achieving at high levels and in the significance of making the connection between students’ aspirations for their lives and careers and their education. This couple also understands and models that learning, and setback, are opportunities for growth for both students and adults. The qualified individuals/couple will set an example as a continuous, open-minded learner, devoted to evidence-based practices that promote student achievement and well-being.  They will build trusting relationships with and support faculty, staff, students, and parents.

Candidates should possess the following:

Character Traits and Values

• Commitment to the mission

• Emotional self-regulation, patience, maturity and humility

• Honesty and integrity

• Patience, especially in highly stressful situations

• Curiosity and creativity

• Optimism and enthusiasm

• Excellent ability to build relationships with and relate to youth

• Respect for students, families, and staff

• Ability to accept and quickly apply feedback

• Proactive and able to anticipate issues and manage unanticipated events with thoughtfulness and grace

• Commitment to positive behavioral approaches

• Willingness to learn and grow in a new school environment

• Thoughtful self-reflection and good self-care skills

Experience, Credentials, and Skills

• Flexibility and willingness to work a wide array of hours, including early mornings, evenings, and weekends

• Proven record of sound judgment, particularly when working with at-risk youth

• Ability to pass a thorough background check and reference verification procedure to determine one’s fitness to satisfactorily and safely care for youth

• 1-3 years of work experience in a school setting or program (preferably residential) that works directly with at-risk youth, preferably in an urban/diverse educational setting

• Experience working with traumatized youth preferred

• Cultural competency in working with students and families from different racial, ethnic, linguistic, and sexual orientation backgrounds

• Ability to connect with families/caregivers

• Experience working with or knowledge of the foster care system a plus

• Experience working with students with special needs and technical knowledge of special education policies a plus

• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills

• Outstanding organizational skills and ability to prioritize, delegate, manage time and tasks to meet deadlines

• Proven track record working collaboratively with a team

Location: Washington, D.C.