Job Title: Behavioral Response Lead
Reports to: Director of Campus Safety
Terms and Conditions: Full-time, 8 hrs, Monday thru Friday
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt
Rate of Pay: Current rate plus $2/per hr differential for actual hours worked

OPRF – WHO WE ARE…

Oak Park and River Forest High School, or OPRF, is a comprehensive public high school located in Oak Park, IL, a suburb eight miles due west of downtown Chicago. We are a one-school district, with the majority of our students coming from two sender districts, River Forest Public Schools District 90 and Oak Park Elementary School District 97. We offer more than 200 courses, a variety of programs for students with special needs, 103 clubs and activities, and 34 competitive sports. We prepare our students well for post-secondary success, with an average ACT composite score of 24 and a 96% graduation rate.

Oak Park and River Forest are communities that highly value diversity. OPRF is a founding member of the national Minority Student Achievement Network, and our school is racially and economically diverse, with about 48% of our 3,300 students identifying as African-American, Hispanic, multiracial, or Asian. Our villages have long embraced the LGBTQ community, and we have a significant mix of homeowners and renters.

We seek faculty and staff who have high expectations for all students, and who value student voice in education. As a school, we are particularly focused on closing opportunity gaps for our students of color and other under-represented groups. OPRF is an equal opportunity employer that provides equal employment opportunities to all without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. OPRF’s goal is to increase the diversity of its workforce.

OPRF is a great place for those who are interested in an environment that supports creativity, leadership at all levels, innovation, a focus on professional and curriculum development, and the best practices of instruction. We are currently seeking individuals to join our team that all students are capable of high levels of academic and social success.

Position Summary:
The Behavior Response Lead is a position designed to support the Dean Team in the implementation of restorative actions to address behaviors that are disrupting the learning environment. The Behavior Response Lead would respond to teacher calls for assistance in the classroom with a student causing a disruption or for major student disturbances in common areas. This person would serve as the first responder for all behavioral calls and would act as the intermediary so as to reduce loss of instruction time. The goal is to assess the situation, de- escalate the conflict, and get the student to a place where they can return back to the instructional setting. Qualified candidates would have to participate in a series of mandatory training sessions to develop and build their capacity for responding to student behavior with de-escalation and restorative action. This position is solely open to individuals who are currently serving on the Campus Safety and Support staff.

Desired Certification/ Knowledge:

De-escalation strategies
Trauma-informed practices
Conflict Cycle
Decision-making protocols on re-entry into class vs. need for continued de-escalation

Qualifications:

Excellent attendance record
Experience partnering with students with emotional and behavioral challenges
Deep commitment to learning and engaging in all components of a Restorative Practices system, including de-escalation techniques, restorative conversations and restorative circles
Establish and maintain effective working relationships with all members of the school community
Communicate clearly and concisely and professionally in all verbal and written communications including writing reports as necessary
Effectively present information and respond to questions is required
Strong commitment to equity

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Respond to disruptive student behavior with the goal of student REMAINING in the classroom or other common areas
Avert fights by helping de-escalate and supporting the process of WHEN a student cannot return to classroom
Upon assessing the disruptive situation and determining a need for assistance, coordinate additional assistance from other Campus Safety and/or school personnel
Work closely with Trauma-Informed Interventionist to know if restorative interventions/mediations are working (in the loop)
Work with Deans to improve early intervention and student safety
Report on behavioral patterns and trends stemming from response calls to deans and other safety and support team members
Increase shared understanding and collective ownership of Restorative work amongst students and staffulty
Provide training and best practices to the larger team regarding de-escalation and crisis intervention
Provide professional learning that cultivates restorative mindsets among adults and increases staff capacity to use restorative processes to promote student sense of belonging, cultural identity, and agency in learning
Mentor new hires of the Campus Safety Team

The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and is not an exhaustive listing of the duties performed in this position. The individuals currently holding this position perform additional duties and additional duties may be assigned.

Please, no phone calls. The respective hiring manager will review candidates once the job posting closes. If selected to move forward, you will be contacted by phone or email. After reviewing the job posting, if you have any questions, please send an email to hr@oprfhs.org.

Oak Park & River Forest High School District 200 (OPRF) is an Equal Opportunity Employer