KIPP, the Knowledge Is Power Program, is a national network of free, open enrollment, college preparatory public schools dedicated to preparing students in underserved communities for success in college and life. There are 255 KIPP schools across the nation and the District of Columbia, serving more than 100,000 students. Nationally, KIPP students are graduating at 3x the national average for low-income students.

Founded in 2008 with 50 students in 5th grade, KIPP Columbus currently serves nearly 2,000 students in grades Kindergarten through twelfth.  The mission of KIPP Columbus is to create a system of schools where students develop the intellectual, academic, and social skills needed to understand and take action on issues they encounter in everyday life. 

KIPP Columbus continues to rank as one of the top five schools for academic growth of any school in the state of Ohio, and is a top performing urban school in the state for academic growth. In our second class of graduating high school seniors in the spring of 2021, 100% of students were accepted to college with over $20 million in merit scholarships from colleges and universities awarded.

In addition to academic excellence, KIPP Columbus also partners with more than 100 community organizations to provide extracurricular activities, programming, health and wellness services, meals, and more to KIPP students, families, and the broader community. KIPP is also a member of the Ohio High School Athletic Association, offering more than 10 varsity sports. 

The KIPP Columbus learning campus will continue to advance student learning, expand partnerships, enable superior programming, and serve as a teaching and leadership lab for schools nationwide, reimagining education through a deeper lens of antiracism, excellence, and joy.

Interested in learning more about our school?  Please check out our website: https://www.kippcolumbus.org/

The Opportunity

The Office Assistant is a school-based position that offers a welcoming face to all visitors and families at our school. The Office Assistant is responsible for delivering superior customer service to teammates, families, and students by warmly greeting all visitors and directing them to the appropriate place or person. The Office Assistant will coordinate office phone calls, visitor screening, routine office tasks, manage transportation changes and requests for families, and support other events for families and students. The Office Assistant serves as a key member of the school’s Front Office Team, ensures that the school’s operations meet high standards of operational excellence, and families are offered outstanding customer service.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following: 

Daily Operations

• Oversee the school’s main office duties (incoming calls, faxes, copy machines, files, mail, and deliveries, etc.).
• Coordinate family requests for transportation changes and early dismissals to ensure that proper dismissal process is followed for students.
• Welcome and direct visitors as needed and assure the proper check-in process is followed.
• Assist with the daily attendance process.
• Maintain and update student data and information in our Student Information Systems.
• Support School Leaders with any additional student reporting, supply orders, report card distribution or paperwork.
• Deliver and respond to family messages within 24 hours and check voicemails daily.
• Assure that delivered packages are received at the front office and delivered to appropriate teachers
• Maintain communication systems with families, acting as parent/community liaison (phone, email, in-person).
• Assist staff in the preparation of any parent newsletters. Printing and distribution.
• Deliver mass phone or email messages to families as needed.

 Communication

• Greet and document all visitors (signing in visitors, ensuring that students only leave with authorized parents/guardians, monitoring and controlling access to the school, etc.)
• Serve as the main point of contact in the school front office area;
• Manage phones (answering calls, redirecting calls, taking messages, placing calls, creating school announcements, etc.)
• Manage mail (distributing received mail, preparing school mailings, making mail drops, etc.

Recruitment, Enrollment, and Records Maintenance

• Assist with student recruitment
• Support the enrollment and registration process for new-to-KIPP families
• Support the collection and maintenance of student, personnel, and school information (receiving forms and paperwork, tracking missing forms, managing databases, updating contact information, keeping records current, etc.)

Systems Execution

• Ensure Arrival and Dismissal systems are executed with accuracy
• Work with the school Operations and Leadership Teams to ensure that all compliance requests and reports are completed on time
• Maintain office equipment and furnishings
• Help execute school-wide daily systems (executing student attendance, tracking the student discipline system, etc.)
• Execute school maintenance and supply systems
• Maintain accurate student data and information in compliance with federal, state, and school expectations
• Support with logistics of report cards/progress reports/transcripts

Student Safety

• Serve as the eyes and ears at the front of the building to ensure student safety at all times
• Participate in the Safety Team at the school and always wear a Safety Hat throughout duties
• Execute dismissal procedures with strict fidelity for student safety, for example, reviewing authorization to pick up before releasing students

Events and Activities Support

• Support grade-level and school-wide activities, including field lessons, as needed
• Support execution of staff events and preparing materials for staff workshops/trainings when appropriate
• Help execute logistics and preparations for school events and activities as needed (making photocopies, setting up for special events, making phone calls to confirm attendance, etc.)

• High school diploma or general education degree (GED); AAS degree preferred. 
• 2+ years of experience working in a school or similar office setting
• Demonstrated ability to multi-task and work within an ambiguous, fast-moving, start-up environment, while driving toward clarity and solutions
• Commitment to building relationships and trust with leaders, teachers, students, parents, and the community of Columbus
• Adept at thinking strategically, translating plans into action, and exhibiting excellent judgment
• Detail oriented with exceptionally strong follow-up and follow-through skills
• Belief that outstanding school leaders, staff, and teachers can achieve excellent outcomes for all students
• Ability to persevere with a sense of optimism, strong problem solving skills, and desire to learn and grow in a collaborative professional learning community
• Willingness, and commitment, to go above and beyond to prove the possible with students.
• Ability to multi-task and work within an ambiguous, fast-moving, start-up environment, while driving toward clarity and solutions
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Extreme flexibility, with a strong work ethic and an entrepreneurial spirit to accommodate high levels of responsibility and multiple priorities
• Model the values of KIPP Columbus (Imagine, Navigate, Seek, Persevere, Integrity, Responsibility, and Empathy)
   

Compensation and Benefits

KIPP Columbus offers a competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefit plan including medical and dental insurance, as well as group term life insurance, retirement plan and paid time off.  

Statement of Non-Disclosure

KIPP Columbus is committed to a policy of equal treatment for all individuals applying to the school for consideration of any position (admission, employment, etc.). KIPP Columbus does not discriminate on the basis of disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic that is contained in the definition of hate crimes set forth in Section 4112.02 of the Ohio Revised Code.