STUDENT SUCCESS ADVISOR, BENTLEY ACADEMY INNOVATION SCHOOL, SALEM PUBLIC SCHOOLS [SY 2025-2026]

About Salem Public Schools, where belonging leads to opportunity.
Salem is a small, diverse city with a proud maritime and immigrant history. Salem Public Schools is an urban public school district enrolling nearly 4,000 students across our 11 schools. We aim to ensure that all students will be locally engaged, globally connected, and fully prepared to thrive in a diverse and changing world. We hold our core values of belonging, equity, and opportunity in everything we do. Over the next three years (2023-2026), we are committed to the work outlined by the four core priorities in our strategic plan: 1) Elevate Learning; 2) Empower Educators; 3) Center Belonging; and 4) Strengthen Our Foundation. We seek individuals passionate about urban education and understand the urgency of improving student achievement for all students, regardless of ability, economic status, gender/gender identity, language, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, or other backgrounds. Applicants who have experience working in urban schools and settings and are bilingual are strongly encouraged to apply.
Bentley Academy Innovation School in partnership with the Multilingual Learner Department of Salem Public Schools launched a two-way immersion Spanish-English dual language program with two kindergarten classrooms during the 2020-2021 school year. The two-way immersion program has grown by one grade level each year. The school will add two 5th grade classrooms and a preschool classroom for school year 25-26, as the final phase of building our Dual Language elementary program! The goals of the program are for all students, regardless of language background, to become bilingual and biliterate in Spanish and English, to achieve academically in all subjects at high levels, and to exhibit the skills and disposition of sociocultural competence.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING:

We are looking for candidates who have diverse backgrounds and experiences, are inspired by our mission, and are highly motivated to change children’s lives through education. You’ll be right at home here if you are a reflective practitioner who values collaboration with colleagues and pushes yourself, your work and the people around you to the next level. We expect our SPS employees to:

• Hold a deep commitment to students and families - The SPS community is vibrant, diverse in background, ethnicity, language, and perspective. You embrace and affirm the backgrounds of all members of the SPS community and value our diversity as a powerful resource that supports us in doing our best work.
• Hold high expectations for yourself, students, and colleagues – You see potential in all, especially our SPS students, and maintain high expectations for achievement, while providing the support necessary to meet that bar. You hold yourself to high expectations, modeling SPS values and seeking opportunities to continuously improve.
• Build authentic, caring relationships with teachers, students, administrators, and other stakeholders – You build strong relationships that are collaborative in nature and contribute to the individual and collective success of SPS. You partner with colleagues to make decisions in the best interest of students and learning.
• Embrace feedback – You are a reflective practitioner who learns from failure, using mistakes and challenges as opportunities for growth. You model persistence and growth mindset and thrive in a culture of feedback.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree (preferred)
• Experience working in an urban environment
• At least 1 year of relevant work experience
• Safety Care Training Certification (District will provide training)
• Effective written and oral communication skills
• Second language (Spanish and/or Portuguese) proficiency preferred
• Bilingual candidates and candidates of color strongly encouraged to apply
• Current authorization to work in the United States
  This is a school-year position. Salary at Tier 5 in the Salem PRSP. The Student Success Advisor reports to the school Principal.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

The Student Success Advisor will work under the supervision of the school administrator, serving as an integral part of the student support team. Rooted in preventative and restorative practices, Student Success Advisors are dedicated to fostering authentic, meaningful relationships among students and staff. They work individually or in small groups with students, helping them develop essential skills, mindsets, and tools for effective communication, self-awareness, and self-advocacy.
Student Success Advisors assist teachers and/or other certified personnel in providing an innovative, high-quality education program designed to meet the unique needs of children with or without disabilities in the Salem Public Schools. They work with school staff to create an educational environment in which quality, support, and continuity are key factors.
The Student Success Advisor plays a vital role in the school’s instructional and student support team, serving as a key resource for the entire school community. The support provided by the Student Success Advisor can be either short-term and intensive or long-term, depending on the needs identified through individual and schoolwide data. This support benefits both students and staff, ensuring tailored assistance to enhance educational outcomes.

COMPETENCIES REQUIRED FOR THE ROLE OF STUDENT SUCCESS ADVISOR

• Communication: Use effective communication skills to present information accurately and clearly both verbally and writing.
• Flexible/Adaptable: Open to and embraces change towards the improvement of the systems. Open to new ideas and tasks; able to deal with new situations well. Versatile and capable of handling diverse assignments. Effectively accepts feedback. Maintains composure when faced with stressful situations that require flexibility and adaptability.
• Active Learner: Remains open to learning new ideas and skills; Engages in school-based and district professional development. Embraces application of the CASEL framework for social and emotional learning, and restorative practices
• Emotional Regulation: Able to effectively handle conflict and stress; able to remain calm and professional when challenged or when others disagree. Ability to stay regulated when others are not.
• Dependability: Takes responsibility for own actions; Follows through on commitments; Demonstrates proficiency in managing calendars and schedules, meeting deadlines, and effectively communicating schedule-related information to relevant stakeholders.
• Professionalism: Maintains professional and ethical boundaries with students, staff and families. Treats others with courtesy and respect and reacts well under pressure. Accepts responsibility for their own actions.
• Professional Disposition: Friendly, helpful and positive; patient and understanding; takes pride in work; responsive to the needs of others; enthusiastic; good sense of humor; able to see the good in every situation; honest and direct; transparent.
• Problem Solving Skills: Approaches problems in a positive manner. Able to identify practical solutions to problems. Able to resolve issues in a fair, equitable and timely manner. Able to identify and implement improvements to systems and practices to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
• Team Player. Contributes to building a positive team spirit. Proven ability to work cooperatively and effectively as part of a team.
• Computer Skills:Proficient computer skills. Able to effectively and efficiently use database programs. Experience with Google Suite preferred.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as a role model to students and assist them in developing coping and social skills while providing guidance and support through daily interactions in order to facilitate high levels of academic engagement.
• Implement evidence-based strategies to reinforce development of social-emotional learning competencies with individual or small groups of students across all content areas. Interventions are guided by schoolwide and individual student data
• Effectively collect meaningful data and be able to present evidence of progress towards student goals
• Assist with student supervision; assist with implementing behavior modification programs/point systems, data taking, as directed by counselor and administrator
• Enhance students’ academic success by offering additional opportunities to engage with content and develop skills.
• Assist teachers in implementing accommodations for social-emotional learning, personal development, and skill reinforcement as directed by SST and data informed practices
• Support administration in supervision of students to ensure school wide expectations for behavior are being met consistently across all settings including transition times, specialists, recess, and lunch.
• Conduct home visits in collaboration with student support teams and family engagement facilitators
• Maintain a safe, and welcoming school environment where every student experiences a sense of belonging and competence in school activities
• Utilize proactive, preventative, and restorative practices that recognizes each students unique strengths and talents
• Routinely participate in district and school-based meetings, training and professional development
• Other duties aligned to supporting student growth, increasing opportunities for academic success, and reinforcing positive school climate and culture as required by the Director of SEL, Culture and Climate and/or or school administrators