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Program Specialist - Scholar Focused

This position will be for the 2026/2027 School Year and will start on July 1, 2026. 

ABOUT HOPE COMMUNITY ACADEMY

HOPE Community Academy is an accredited, public co-educational charter school comprising primary, intermediate, middle school, and high school levels. The entire school community seeks to provide a safe and trusting learning environment where each student is valued and challenged to grow academically, socially, emotionally, and physically.

Mission:      

To inspire students to achieve high academic success while embracing Hmong language and culture. 

Vision:

To be a public school of excellence, with high quality staff, diverse programs, and successful students.

Culture statement reflects who we are: 

HOPE is a safe space where all feel valued, empowered, and inspired. Learning at HOPE promotes cultural appreciation, character, and lifelong growth. Our scholars leave ready to lead with purpose and contribute to their community.

    HOPE's Values:

High-Impact; Scholar-Focused; Sense of Belonging; Leadership; and Joyful Excellence:    

Our work for the next two years is illustrated in our 2026-2028 Strategic plan focused on four priorities - Radical Growth, Stabilizing Operational Systems, Being Data-Centered, and Building Community Impact. All employees are expected to operate with high impact to continue improving the experiences of HOPE's community. 

Exempt, Full-Time

40+ hours a week

11 month contract

One (1) week off in June

One (1) week off in August.

Two (2) weeks off in December

One (1) week off for Spring Break.

ABOUT THIS ROLE

As HOPE Community Academy transitions into a Full-Service Community School, building intentional and impactful relationships with our scholars requires equally strong partnerships with families and the broader community. We recognize that when families' basic needs are met, they are better positioned to actively engage in their children's education and contribute to long-term academic success.

At the heart of HOPE's model is a whole-child approach, recognizing that academic achievement is directly influenced by a student's social-emotional well-being, mental and physical health, family stability, access to resources, and home environment. Student success cannot be separated from the conditions in which children live and learn. Therefore, HOPE is committed to ensuring that every family has equitable access to culturally responsive, wraparound services that address barriers to learning, including workforce development, income stability, affordable housing, health and wellness services, mental health support, and other essential community resources.

The Program Specialist plays a vital role in advancing this vision by partnering directly with scholars, educators, families, and community organizations to identify and address barriers that impact student engagement, well-being, and academic achievement. Through collaboration with school staff and external partners, the Program Specialist connects scholars and families to meaningful supports while helping develop inclusive systems that foster confidence, belonging, and success both inside and outside the classroom.

Grounded in HOPE's philosophy of removing barriers to educational access, the Program Specialist works proactively to ensure scholars and families receive the resources necessary to fully participate in a high-quality educational experience. This position helps establish HOPE as a trusted community hub where families can access comprehensive services, build stability, strengthen relationships with the school, and thrive alongside their children.

HOPE employs two distinct Program Specialist roles, each with complementary responsibilities that together support the school's Full-Service Community School framework.

The Program Specialist Community Focused primarily partners with families to identify and address household and community needs that affect student success. This role connects families to culturally responsive wraparound services and community resources while collaborating with school staff to ensure coordinated support for scholars.

The Program Specialist Scholar Focused primarily partners with scholars to address individual academic, behavioral, social-emotional, and mental health needs that impact learning and school engagement. This role works closely with teachers, school leaders, and support staff to implement interventions that promote student success, engaging families and community partners when appropriate to ensure alignment, continuity of care, and holistic support.

Together, the Program Specialists collaborate across departments and report directly to the Program Manager to ensure comprehensive, coordinated systems of support that remove barriers, strengthen protective factors, and create the conditions necessary for every scholar to succeed academically, socially, emotionally, and personally.

PRIMARY DUTIES

Scholar Engagement & Support. Build strong, trusting relationships with scholars to understand their academic, social-emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs, strengths, and aspirations. Serve as a consistent, supportive adult who fosters student engagement, resilience, and a sense of belonging within the HOPE community.

Scholar Needs Assessment & Case Management. Conduct ongoing assessments to identify barriers impacting scholars' academic achievement, attendance, behavior, and overall well-being. Develop individualized support plans, coordinate interventions, monitor progress, and provide case management to ensure scholars receive timely and appropriate support. MUST CASE NOTE!!!

Student Resource Coordination. Connect scholars with school-based and community-based resources that address academic, behavioral, social-emotional, and mental health needs. Coordinate referrals and collaborate with internal and external providers to ensure scholars receive comprehensive, culturally responsive services. Build a list of community resources available for students and families - food, shelter, rental assistant, clothing, mental health, culturally appropriate services, etc. 

Multi-Tiered Student Support. Partner with teachers, counselors, administrators, and support staff to implement targeted interventions aligned with HOPE's Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). Participate in problem-solving teams and monitor the effectiveness of interventions designed to improve scholar outcomes.

Student Engagement & Relationship Building. Develop proactive strategies that strengthen scholars' connection to school through mentoring, restorative practices, goal setting, leadership opportunities, attendance initiatives, and positive behavior supports. Foster an inclusive environment where every scholar feels valued, supported, and empowered to succeed.

Family Collaboration. Partner with families to support scholars' academic, behavioral, and social-emotional growth. Maintain consistent communication regarding student progress, collaborate on intervention strategies, and engage families as partners in promoting scholar success while respecting family strengths and cultural backgrounds.

Data-Driven Practices. Maintain accurate documentation of scholar supports, interventions, referrals, and outcomes. Analyze student data, including attendance, behavior, academic performance, and engagement indicators, to evaluate intervention effectiveness and inform continuous improvement.

Program Implementation. Support the planning and implementation of scholar-centered initiatives that promote academic success, social-emotional learning, mental wellness, college and career readiness, leadership development, and positive school culture.

Barrier Reduction. Identify individual and systemic barriers that limit scholars' ability to fully engage in school. Collaborate with school staff, families, and community partners to develop solutions that remove obstacles to academic achievement, attendance, and overall student success.

Collaboration with School Staff. Work collaboratively with school leadership, teachers, counselors, special education staff, multilingual learner staff, and other student support personnel to ensure coordinated, holistic support for scholars. Participate in student support meetings, MTSS processes, and multidisciplinary teams.

Scholar Advocacy. Advocate for scholars by ensuring equitable access to academic opportunities, behavioral supports, mental health services, and enrichment experiences. Promote culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and strengths-based practices that honor each scholar's identity while fostering academic excellence and personal growth.

REQUIREMENTS

• A Bachelors in social work, human services, public administration or sociology is required. Someone with a school social worker, LISW or LSW is highly preferred. 
• 5 years of experience working with students, families and/or communities in education, nonprofit, or social service settings. 
• 5 years of experience in a case management position, with detail experience in case noting and followup. 
• Must have experience working with the Hmong and Karen communities.
• Strong understanding of community resources and social service systems
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships and work effectively with diverse populations
• Strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills
• Commitment to equity, cultural responsiveness, and holistic family support
• Experience with EDUClimber, FASTBridge, or similar data platforms strongly preferred.
• Experience with Hmong language programs, bilingual education, or multilingual learner programming preferred.
• Ability to partner with teachers and provide coaching and support to teachers regarding student behavior.
• Ability to do home visits and build relationships with families, students, and the community.
• Deep commitment to educational equity, cultural responsiveness, and HOPE's mission and strategic priorities.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and community-engagement skills.
• Ability to interact effectively with scholars, families, and staff of diverse ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Duties are performed in a school environment; school building is a multi-level building that has an elevator and is accessible. May involve movement throughout the building to support scholars in classrooms, common areas, hallways, and offices. Possible exposure to loud environments (e.g., hallways during passing periods, cafeteria, gymnasium). Some evening hours may be required for school events, family engagement activities, and cultural programs.