Job Abstract

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 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 supported by a growing coalition of philanthropic partners, building on the generous support of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

Our approach has three defining characteristics:

• We start early. We start working with children as young as 12 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 400 children and their families through our Early Family Foundations program, parent wellness program, full-day preschool, and elementary/middle school, which will grow through eighth grade. In 2021, we opened our second site in the East Bay.

We opened our second site with a founding class of four-year-old children and families who started preschool in August 2021, and continue to serve preschool students in our year round, full day school program. We also added an Early Family Foundations program in 2023. Drawing on key learnings from our first site, core components of the model include our parent program - partnering closely with parents throughout their child’s development and providing wellness programming for caregivers; our Early Family Foundations program - coordinating early developmental screenings and intervention services; and our medical home partnerships - working with existing health care providers in the community, including Kaiser Permanente in the East Bay, to coordinate care for children.

The Parent Wellness Coach reports to the Manager of the Parent Program and is responsible for working with families to help them envision a bold future for their children and set goals towards this vision. Coaching is a partnership in which the coach supports and motivates caregivers to make changes towards achieving their goals for themselves and their families. The coach will holistically work with our parents and families to identify strengths and problem solve around challenges. The role is a vital part of The Primary School that ensures our parents are supported and connected. Coaches will deliver monthly programming to cohorts of caregivers, facilitate our group-based coaching model, and build 1:1 coaching relationships with their cohort of parents.

This role reports to the Senior Manager of Parent Program and will be a part of the Parent Program team. This position follows a year-round calendar.

Job Type: Full-time

Work Location: In-person

• Provide one-on-one coaching and group coaching for parents, including the co-development of individualized goals.
• Provide leading, coaching and facilitation of meetings with teaching staff.
• Serve as a resource to connect participants with appropriate partners related to housing, budgeting, career and education, childcare, health care, and more.
• Communicate regularly with other stakeholders related to the child (teachers, doctors, health workers, social service workers) and monitor and document participants’ progress according to individual growth plans.
• Participate in multi-disciplinary team meetings to support problem solving and communication through strengths and challenges of families.
• Work with families to align parent goals plans with student growth plans, supporting family engagement with the student’s experience in school.
• Recruit parents & families for our school, including outreaching to community groups, presentations to local agencies, etc.
• Thorough and organized documentation of caseload efforts, according to deadlines.
• Participate in the development and facilitation of participants’ orientation, workshops and community groups.
• Provide regular feedback to TPS regarding parent and coaching experiences with the program and be an innovator for change.
• Attend relevant meetings, trainings and events, as well as hold regular 1:1 check ins with program leadership, to stay up-to-date on what is going on with programs to ensure alignment.
• At times provide both verbal & written translation for parents & peers required.

• You have 2+ years of community outreach experience supporting parents who have experienced trauma and/or crises (e.g., homelessness, domestic violence), and have deep knowledge of the resources available to families. (Note: We are open to individuals from a wide range of backgrounds, including but not limited to social work, medicine, public health, education, community development, and international development.)
• You are a communicator with strong writing and public speaking skills, and feel comfortable leading and facilitating large groups.
• You coach and advocate for others in a way that is compassionate, strength-based and non-judgmental.
• You embody empathy and embrace cultural differences; you recognize and know how to navigate groups and individuals representing a range of needs, abilities and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• You are able to balance multiple priorities - meeting with families, preparing for sessions, entering data - gracefully and with practiced personal organization and time management.
• You are a natural problem solver, fixer and finder of resources; in moments of tension, you defuse and resolve conflict.
• You are extremely self-aware and self motivated, and have a strong desire to learn.
• You are comfortable in ambiguity and environments that change rapidly.
• You recognize that working with families often requires work on evenings and weekends.
• You want to work with and learn from all TPS team members, from early childhood education to parent coaching to community engagement.
• You believe in the mission of The Primary School and that all children and families are capable of extraordinary things.
• You speak fluent Cantonese, Mandarin, or Spanish.

• You live in or have ties to the Hayward or San Leandro community.

Annual salary range begins at $68,640; 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). Please note that in order to be considered for this position, you must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. We are unable to offer sponsorship.

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 goal is that this policy, paired with ongoing transparency in our compensation process, will make TPS a more fair, inclusive, and diverse workplace.

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.