ABOUT US

The Primary School is creating a new school model that brings together all of the adults in a child’s life, including parents, educators, and medical and mental health providers, starting from a very early age. We recognize the entrenched racism that exists within our public systems and the unjust impact this has had on families of color. Our aim is that children and families most impacted by systemic poverty and racism receive the multidisciplinary support they deserve to be well, learn, and thrive. 

Long-term, we hope to create a game-changing school model that can be replicated across the country. As we continue to learn and grow, we plan to share what we’ve learned and pursue policy and systems change on a local, state, and national level. We are proud to receive funding from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, a major national philanthropy.

Our approach has three defining characteristics:

• We start early. We start working with children as young as 8 months and provide full-time school starting at age three to reach them at a critical stage in development. 
• We partner with parents. We believe that when parents thrive, children thrive, so we support the wellness and growth of parents alongside the growth of their children.
• We integrate services. Our unique model unites health care and education, building a multi-disciplinary team and holistic system of care around a child’s full needs.

In 2016, we opened our flagship school in East Palo Alto, California, with our first class of four year olds. We have grown to serve over 300 children and their families through a birth to three program, parent wellness program, full-day preschool, and elementary school, which will grow through eighth grade. In 2020, we began programming at our second site in Hayward, California.

ABOUT OUR EAST PALO ALTO SITE

We are continuing to grow our East Palo Alto site and are excited to launch 6th grade for our 2023-2024 school year. In our school we currently serve ~400 students across two preschool grades (3 and 4 year olds), kindergarten through sixth grade. Beyond school, core components of our model include partnering closely with parents throughout their child’s development and supporting parent wellness; coordinating early screening and developmental support; and working with existing health care providers in the community to coordinate care for children.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The School Support Staff is comprised of caregivers from our school community that have a deep love of working with, supporting and spending time with young children. In this role, the School Support Staff will assist our school programming to ensure our teachers are able to have protected planning and preparation time each day. School Support Staff members must be available to work Monday-Friday. This position follows an instructional calendar.

The School Support Aide reports to the Principal or designee of our East Palo Alto site and will be part of the school  team.  

RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the direction of the assigned supervisor, the School Support Aide will: 

• Maintains the safety and order of students within assigned areas such as playgrounds, cafeteria, classrooms, hallways, and restrooms while enforcing school rules and regulations.
• Observes and monitors student play/recreational activities ensuring school rules are followed.
• Monitors students who are eating in the cafeteria or other eating areas and maintains orderly student behavior and conduct.
• Anticipates and intervenes to prevent situations that may cause accidents or endanger students’ welfare or safety.
• Organizes and/or participates in safe and enjoyable play/recreational activities.
• Maintains discipline consistent with play/eating areas and communicates  with classroom teachers or school administrators if issues arise.
• Completes injury reports and submit them to front office staff.
• Monitors the proper usage of all playground equipment and communicates supply needs to the supervisor or designee.
• Intervenes and resolves student disputes.
• Examines assigned areas at the end of duty for equipment, clothing, books or other articles, making certain that said items are reported to appropriate staff members.
• May wipe down tables or small spills within the cafeteria or other eating areas.
• Support grade levels with after school care supervision
  • Support parent sign-in/-out process, transition to/from parents, and/or other operational procedures

QUALIFICATIONS

• High School Diploma and/or GED, preferred
• Experience working with children in a school, after school program, summer camp, babysitting or similarly structured environment.
• You have a flexible schedule and are able to work mornings and/or afternoons
• You love spending time with kids and kids love spending time with you.
• You are unafraid of diversity and engage confidently across differences. You believe that differences - in race, culture, gender, age, background, experiences - enrich our community and know how to bridge those differences with grace and humility.
• You are kind, humble, and collaborative. You bring a positive attitude to every interaction and always see the best in others. You have the courage to step out of your comfort zone, and when you fall, you get right back up, remember what tripped you up and unabashedly try it all over again.

A Plus If

• You have an understanding of early childhood education and child development.
• You speak fluent Spanish.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk, hear, and communicate with both adults and children. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is moderate to high.

COMPENSATION

Hourly pay begins at $20.00/hr; compensation is commensurate with qualifications and experience, plus excellent health benefits (medical, dental, and vision), 401k retirement plan, flexible spending account (FSA), dependent care FSA, and generous paid time off, including a competitive paid parental leave benefit. TPS will cover 93% of the total premium cost for individual team members in our HMO and PPO plans, and 95% for individual team members in our HDHP plan. TPS also covers 50% of enrolled partners and/or dependents' costs on all three of our medical plans (HMO,PPO, HDHP). To be eligible for this position, candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Please note that we are unable to provide visa sponsorship at this time.

To ensure fair and equitable compensation for all of our employees, The Primary School has a no-negotiation policy on all offers extended. Final offers are determined using role descriptions, job market data, internal parity, and semi-annual benchmarking. Our aim is for this policy, combined with our commitment to transparency in the compensation process, to foster a workplace at TPS that is fair, inclusive, and diverse.

HOW TO APPLY

TPS values diversity (please see our commitment to DEI); people of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Please complete the online application and submit your most recent resume. These short-answer questions are designed to replace a cover letter, so take your time with them and copy in your answers from a separate document. If you feel that the questions do not accurately capture what you have to offer The Primary School, you are also welcome to attach a cover letter. Applications are being reviewed on a rolling basis so we encourage you to submit yours soon. We look forward to reading your application!

The Primary School provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. The Primary School complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the organization has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.