Administrative Assistant - School Year (0.8 FTE)

Andover Public Schools; Andover (MA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

Andover Public Schools in Andover, MA is seeking an experienced administrative assistant to provide high-level secretarial and public relations support to the Assistant Principal. The role keeps the main office running smoothly for students, families, and staff, and handles routine inquiries, attendance, and scheduling.

The position requires strong organizational skills, proficiency with Microsoft Office and school information systems, and the ability to manage multiple tasks with discretion.

Qualifications

• High School education; two years of business school or Associate’s Degree preferred; office administration, financial recordkeeping and automated office systems and procedures.
• 3–5 years’ related experience; or any equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Strong knowledge of school administrative procedures and confidentiality.

Responsibilities

• Provides administrative and secretarial support to the Assistant Principal; drafts correspondence and prepares reports and calendars.
• Greet parents and visitors; handle routine inquiries; direct volunteers and manage mail and messages.
• Assist with student discipline administration, attendance processing, and data entry in Aspen.
• Support scheduling, substitute coordination, and classroom coverage as needed.
• Prepare and distribute notices, 504 plan updates, and testing-related materials when required.
• Maintain office equipment and assist with drills and testing logistics.

Skills

Secretarial skills

Customer service

Organizational skills

Multitasking

Effective communication

Education

High School diploma

Business school or Associate's degree

Tools

MUNIS

QuickBooks

ASPEN

AESOP

SchoolDude

Blackboard

NeoGov

Microsoft Office

Job description

Performs highly responsible administrative, secretarial, and public relations support to the Assistant Principal. Duties related to this position include a wide variety of responsibilities that include keeping the main office fully operational for students, parents, and teachers. Performs all other related work as required.

Essential Functions:

(The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position.)

• Provides administrative and secretarial support primarily to the Assistant Principal. Drafts correspondence, word process documents; compiles data and files reports including documents such as daily attendance reports, monthly calendars, and suspension/detention notices. Distributes all incoming mail and sorts and screens the Assistant Principal’s mail. Prepares mailings and assists with routine office questions.
• Provides public relations support to the main office. Serves as intermediary in greeting parents, children, and staff; resolves routine issues or answers question within the scope of authority. Directs school volunteers and visitors, answers telephones, provides accurate information to callers and takes messages when necessary.
• Assists Assistant Principal with administration of student discipline. Organises and tabulates discipline and detention reports; enters disciplinary infractions on database and prepares letters of suspension as directed. Mails discipline letters (tardy, attendance, suspensions, parking); enters discipline in Aspen and prepares copies for files and teachers.
• Handles miscellaneous duties such as preparation of the daily tardy and dismissal table; makes public announcements; handles lost and found and assists with miscellaneous bulk mailings. Assists probation officers making student visits.
• Updates 504 plan in Aspen; keeps track of meeting on spreadsheet and sends parent new copy of 504 with sign-off sheet and letter with self-addressed envelope.
• Performs daily attendance for the school and sends necessary reports to staff. Assists nurse on follow-up on absent students as needed. Analyzes and summarizes attendance data and notifies parents of attendance issues.
• Creates and updates student and staff schedules, class lists and schedules. Directs substitutes to classes and ensures there is sufficient teacher coverage of classes when needed, either with substitutes or Instructional Assistants.
• Back up for coordinating grades
• Back up for processing CORI forms, issues work permits, assignment of locks, lockers.
• Responsible for assisting with Fire Drills and Alice Drills; ensure that all students and faculty follow procedures and are accounted for during drills; provides Fire Department with student count.
• Assists with MCAS and other standardized testing, prints ticket for students testing, prepares attendance sheets, assigns testing room numbers, and proctors and provides reminder to students for retesting and mailing test scores home.
• Assists with varied events throughout the year.
• Performs similar or related work as required, directed or as situation dictates.

Recommended Minimum Qualifications:

Education, Training and Experience:

High School education; two years of business school or Associate’s Degree preferred; office administration, financial recordkeeping and automated office systems and procedures; 3 – 5 years’ related experience; or any equivalent combination of education and experience.

Knowledge, Ability and Skill:

Knowledge: Thorough knowledge of office procedures, practices, and terminology. Knowledge of policies and procedures within a public-school environment. Working knowledge of laws and policies relevant to the school’s work. Knowledge of state regulations as they pertain to the maintenance and distribution of student records.

Ability: Ability to communicate effectively and tactfully with a wide variety of individuals including students, faculty, parents, and the public. Ability to work on multiple tasks with frequent interruptions. Ability to maintain utmost confidentiality with respect to student issues and other sensitive matters. Ability to understand and explain basic policies and procedures to students and parents.

Skill: Superior administrative and secretarial skills. Expertise and proficient skill in utilizing personal computers, popular word processing, database, and spreadsheet applications. Proficient computer skills with Microsoft Office, MUNIS, QuickBooks, ASPEN, AESOP, School Dude, Blackboard and NeoGov and other software applications utilized. Excellent customer service skills. Strong organizational and multi-task skills.

Complexity: Performs varied and responsible functions requiring a working knowledge of departmental operations and the exercise of judgment and initiative, particularly in situations not clearly defined by precedent or established procedures.

Independent Action: Works under the administrative direction of the Principal and/or Assistant Principal, following department rules, regulations, and policies, requiring the ability to plan and perform operations, and to complete tasks according to a prescribed time schedule. Refers all questionable cases to the supervisor.

Supervisory Responsibility: None.

Work Environment:

Work is performed in an office environment. Majority of work is performed in a moderately noisy work environment, with frequent interruptions.

Operates computer, printer, scanner, calculator, telephone, copier, facsimile machine, and all other standard office equipment.

Makes frequent contact with parents, students, faculty, school and town departments, vendors, and varied organizations. Contact is in person, by telephone, email, and mail.

Employee has access to sensitive and confidential information pertaining to students.

Errors could result in delay or loss of service, and possible financial and/or legal ramifications.

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, communicate, or hear; required to walk, must be able to handle or feel objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move objects weighing up to 30 pounds. Vision and hearing at or correctable to normal ranges. This position requires the ability to operate a keyboard and calculator at efficient speed.

Andover Public Schools (APS) seeks candidates who embody our ethos, which includes valuing the identities of all students, high expectations for all students, teaching excellence, collaboration, innovation, respect, and responsibility. APS is committed to hiring and supporting a racially and ethnically diverse faculty and staff. Racially and ethnically diverse teachers produce a myriad of positive outcomes for all students, especially the most historically marginalized students.