Graduation Coach for Black Students (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion)

St. Clement's School; Canada; Hybrid; CAD 61,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Simcoe County District School Board is seeking an Itinerant Graduation Coach for Black students to deliver intensive, culturally responsive supports across the board, helping students earn credits, graduate, and transition to post-secondary paths.

The role involves collaboration with schools, families, and community partners, tracking progress, and addressing barriers in large geographic areas within Simcoe County.

Qualifications

• Post-secondary degree or diploma in Humanities, Social Science, Social Services, Counselling, Psychology, or similar.
• Five (5) years of recent experience supporting Black youth and understanding systemic barriers.
• OR equivalent combination of education and experience as determined by the Board.
• Knowledge of intersections of race, gender, faith, socio-economic dynamics, and orientation.
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Experience working with secondary students.
• Ability to safeguard and handle confidential information.
• Willing to service large geographical areas; mileage reimbursement at Board rate.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license and reliable transportation.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with school administrators, families, system staff, and community resources to identify barriers and solutions.
• Work with Equity, Diversity and Inclusion to plan supports for Black students.
• Track and report student progress and inform coaching and program design.
• Identify gaps in service delivery and gather feedback from students and families.
• Raise awareness of the program among school teams and communities.
• Coordinate partnerships with community agencies and groups.
• Support a nurturing school and community environment addressing students’ needs.
• Mentor Black students and families regarding wellbeing and progression.
• Coordinate local community services and liaise with schools, homes, and agencies.
• Monitor attendance and assignments to promote graduation.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Oral and written communication

Experience with secondary students

Confidentiality

Driver's license

Education

Post-secondary degree or diploma

Job description

ITINERANT GRADUATION COACH FOR BLACK STUDENTS

1.0 FTE Temporary position – October 5, 2026 to July 7, 2027

The Simcoe County District School Board is committed to equitable hiring practices that provide equal opportunities for all applicants to be successful. We are committed to upholding the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion. In support of our Strategic Priorities, we seek members who reflect diverse identities, lived experiences, and perspectives to assist the Board in reflecting our community. Our equitable hiring initiative is consistent with the Ontario Human Rights Code to ensure that our hiring practices remain equitable to candidates from groups protected by the prohibited grounds under the Code. We are seeking candidates with lived and learnt experiences for this role.

The Simcoe County District School Board is committed to supporting the academic excellence and well-being of Black students.The Itinerant Graduation Coach for Black students will be responsible for providing students across the SCDSB who identify as Black with a diverse range of support for them to achieve credits, graduate, and successfully transition into their chosen post-secondary pathway. The Itinerant Graduation Coach for Black Students Program will provide intensive, culturally responsive support for Black students and their families across the board to improve their achievement and well-being. The Itinerant Graduation Coach is responsible for developing strong community partnerships with agencies, organizations, and educational partners in multiple SCDSB schools.

Duties of the role include but are not limited to:

• Collaborate with school administrators, teachers, families (where appropriate), system staff, and community resources to identify systemic barriers and develop meaningful solutions to support the engagement, well-being, and academic achievement of Black students.
• Work with the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion department's core team and school-based staff to create a long-term vision/plan for self-identified Black students who will benefit from targeted supports.
• Tracking and monitoring of student progress throughout the school year to identify trends and insights used to inform both individual coaching and program design in addition to reporting on program process.
• Create mechanisms to identify gaps in service delivery, as well as areas of growth in addition to gathering feedback from Black students, community partners and SCDSB families.
• Promote and raise awareness of the Graduation Coach for Black student services within the SCDSB to assist school teams to understand the role and build capacity to identify and address barriers.
• Initiate and support partnerships with various Greater Barrie community agencies and groups, working with agencies to share best practices, and improve services.
• Create a caring and nurturing school and community environment by addressing the academic, social, emotional, and cultural needs of our Black students by developing and maintaining trusting relationships.
• Work closely with Black students and their families to identify and support social, emotional, intellectual, cultural, and physical well-being while serving as a mentor and advisor.
• Coordinate local community cultural support services and will liaise between school, home, and community social service agencies with the view to connecting individual students who are identified as being at risk of not graduating with mentors.
• Work with school community and improve Black students' feelings and perceptions of the educational experience.
• Monitor attendance and assignment completion with a focus on key expectations leading to a successful graduation outcome.
• Prepare and provide reports to school administration which track the progress of individual students as they progress towards graduation.

Qualifications:

• Post-secondary degree or diploma in one of the following disciplines – Humanities, Social Science, Social Services (Social Work or Child and Youth Work), Counselling, Psychology or similar degree or diploma.
• Minimum of five (5) years of recent, related experience supporting Black youth and a deep understanding of systemic barriers and challenges for Black students face in the public education system, post-secondary education system, communities, and the broader society, combined with understanding of systemic barriers and challenge comprehensive first-hand life experience deeply rooted in Black communities.
• OR equivalent combination of education and experience as determined by the Board.
• Advanced knowledge and expertise in the intersections of race, gender, faith, socio-economic dynamics, and sexual orientation. Ability to identify systemic barriers such as anti-Black racism, and other forms of oppression and propose appropriate intervention point to increase the well-being and academic achievement of Black students.
• Excellent Interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Experience working with secondary students.
• Ability to safeguard and handle confidential information.
• The nature of this position will require the successful candidate to service large geographical areas, mileage reimbursement at the Board approved rate.
• Must possess a valid driver's license and have reliable transportation.

Assigned Area(s):

This is an itinerant role supporting all school areas in Simcoe County. This position will involve travel between SCDSB locations to service schools, students, and families. This position involves working closely with both elementary and secondary schools.

Assigned area(s) may be subject to change in the future.

Internal applicants with a seniority date in the A.P.S.S.P. union are requested to identify their seniority date on their cover letter.

This position is a full-time temporary position and is based on a thirty-five (35) hour work week.The normal work year for this position is the school year - ten (10) months and ten (10) days.Please note: Summer is a non-working period for this position.The compensation range for this ten (10) month and ten (10) day position is $61,056 to $74,833 per year, depending on qualifications and experience, pro-rated to the length and hours worked. This is a unionized position and union dues are applicable.

Cover letters may be addressed to Bonnie Ha, Principal ofDiversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Guided by the principles of dignity, individualization and inclusion, the Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) is committed to creating an equitable and inclusive environment that supports all human rights and accessibility needs for students and staff. The SCDSB recognizes the duty to accommodate, short of undue hardship as per the Ontario Human Rights Code (OHRC) and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).

We value and are committed to upholding the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and equitable hiring practices for all applicants to be successful. In support of our strategic priorities, we are seeking members who reflect diverse identities, lived experiences and perspectives, especially Indigenous peoples, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQ+, and women to assist the board in reflecting the community we serve. Our equitable hiring initiative is consistent with the Ontario Human Rights Code (OHRC) to ensure that our hiring practices remain equitable to candidates from groups protected by the prohibited grounds under the Code.

Applicants are to provide permission to contact two professional references, including their current and most recent supervisor. New hires to the Simcoe County District School Board will be required to submit a Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC) that is satisfactory to the Board prior to beginning employment. All new employees will be required to complete mandatory training modules with the Board prior to their first day of employment. All applicants are thanked for their interest in this position; however, only those who have been shortlisted for an interview will be contacted.