Student Support Specialist

Student Support Specialist

Revised: May 2026

D97 Ideal Team Member Profile

• The ideal team member in District 97 is a visionary and equity-centered leader who inspires excellence and fosters collective responsibility for student success. This individual:
  • Champions the district's vision and drives forward-thinking, innovative practices that anticipate future educational needs.
  • Stewards public trust and resources with fiscal responsibility and ethical transparency.
  • Demonstrates relentless commitment to student success, ensuring that every decision supports equitable opportunities and outcomes for all learners.
  • Organizes and empowers teams to work collaboratively toward shared goals, recognizing the interdependence of roles across departments and schools.
  • Fosters a culture of care, learning, and service, grounded in authentic engagement with students, families, staff, and community members.
  • Models integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality, serving as a role model for ethical and respectful conduct at all levels.
  • Thrives in a culturally, racially, and linguistically diverse environment, showing a deep passion for inclusive practices and building belonging for all team members.
  • Seeks and embraces feedback, especially when it challenges them to grow and improve in service of students and colleagues.
  • Understands the powerful intersection of leadership, learning, and equity, and aligns their work to dismantle systemic barriers.
  • Courageously addresses unprofessional behavior, holding self and others accountable to high standards in service to the community and students.

About This Role

In addition to supporting our district's equity commitments as expressed in  Board Policy 7:12: Ensuring Racial and Educational Equity, the Student Support Specialist will play a vital role in fostering an equitable and supportive environment that prioritizes holistic growth, social-emotional development, and academic achievement for all students.  

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Contributes to the school climate in a positive manner that promotes helping students and staff feel a sense of belonging at school
• Assists principal with student behavior
• Leads the MTSS Culture & Climate school-wide team at school
• Responsible for the oversight of behavioral data entry into district systems and the analysis of data trends
• Responsible for the implementation of the district student surveys
• Meets with other MTSS Culture & Climate leaders across the district
• Actively participates in MTSS and problem-solving meetings
• Effectively coordinates Tiers 2 and 3 interventions with the team for some students
• Leads the social-emotional curriculum at school
• Supports principal with building schedules
• Maintains an active role in before-school, lunch/recess, and after-school supervision
• Helps with bus arrivals and departures
• Contributes to the development and implementation of the school improvement process/plan and serves as a member of the Building Leadership Team
• Assists principal in assuring all classrooms are following the district curriculum by classroom visits
• Assists principal with the smooth operation of the school
• Monitors and works with students and families when there are chronic absences
• Communicates with all appropriate administrative personnel, teaching staff, parents, students, and others
• Cooperates with all personnel in assuring the best education for all students, and coordinates efforts to develop the best education
• Acts as an IAR testing coordinator
• Works with LAS, Enrichment Specialist, team members, teachers, students, and parents to ensure all students' needs identified are met
• Works closely with social worker, nurse, team to support at-risk and special education students
• Serves as acting principal in the absence of the principal
• Works with new students and families to acclimate them to the school
• Performs other duties as assigned by the principal 

Content Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

• Previous administrative experience preferred
• Certified de-escalation and restraint training expected.

Candidate Qualifications:

• ISBE Type 75 General Administrative Certificate
• Related Master's Degree or better from an accredited college or university

Physical Requirements: 

This position requires the performance of light work�which requires exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently to move objects. The position includes close visual acuity, frequent talking, hearing, walking, climbing stairs and standing, occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling, some stooping, kneeling, crouching, and/or crawling, and significant fine finger dexterity.  The job is performed in non-hazardous environments and a clean atmosphere.  The position requires indoor and outdoor supervision during varying temperatures and climatic conditions.

Apply through Frontline:

Applications are currently being accepted for this position via our district website.  Please reach out to our human resources department at [email protected], if you have questions about the application process.

We encourage interested applicants to apply, as we continue to uplift our equity policy. Our goal is to recruit, employ, support, and retain racially and linguistically diverse and culturally competent administrative, instructional and support personnel. Oak Park Elementary School District 97 is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. 

The mental demands, physical demands, and work environment characteristics are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to allow an employee with disabilities to perform the essential functions.