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HomeLink Advisor's Job Description:
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Definition
An Advisor is the HomeLink employee who teachers a class or course.
An Advisor in the HomeLink Program may be a certified teacher, may be a
specialist in a field of study, or may be a person with a passion and
expertise that can be transmitted to students entrusted to him or her.
Because HomeLink is not a school, all of the Advisors need NOT be state
certified teachers.
PART 1 -- Courses and Advisors
The Advisor will work with the Director to find an appropriate curriculum
for a selected class. The Advisor will develop a comprehensive, compelling
course description that allows parents to foresee what the course will
cover.
The Advisor is responsible for preparing a year's worth of lesson agendas
for each of the courses taught.
The Advisor will develop, print, and provide to the parents weekly
assignment sheets for each of the courses he or she teaches.
The Advisor will work with the Director to develop, print, and provide to
the parents a booklist of materials and/or textbooks that will be needed for
a course.
PART 2 -- Advisors and other Staff
The Advisor will seek training, counsel, and direction from the Director
whenever he or she feels the need to enhance their performance with the
students, the parents, or the other staff.
To the best of his or her ability, the Advisor will maintain a good working
relationship with the students, the parents, the Director, the support staff
on location, the national director, and the Maine office.
Each Advisor is responsible for keeping track of his or her work hours,
completing the time sheets, and submitting them to the appropriate payroll
person.
The Advisor will meet as requested with the Director.
PART 3 -- Advisors and Parents
The Advisor will be available for direct contact with the parents. This
includes providing the parents with an email address and the HomeLink
Program's office phone number. It is the policy of the HomeLink Program
that the Advisor is NOT to give out his or her private phone number to
parents or students.
The Advisor will reply to phone messages left for him or her at the front
office. The Advisor will reply to emails, letters, and other correspondence
received from HomeLink families and staff.
The Advisor will counsel and advise parents concerning students who may
benefit from achievement testing, outside services from other agencies, or
other needs that may become apparent to the Advisors, the Director, or
others in the Program.
The Advisor will emphasize and reinforce to parents that they are the
primary decision-makers for their students' education, even in the courses
their students may take through HomeLink.
The Advisor may arrange meetings with parents, students, or others as
necessary.
The Advisor will maintain beneficial communication with parents concerning
each student's achievement, performance and classroom conduct.
PART 4 -- Promoting the Program
Advisors are encouraged to provide promotional literature to parents,
homeschool leaders, students, and others who might benefit from the HomeLink
Program.
Advisors, to the best of their ability, are free to answer questions posed
by parents, students, homeschool leaders, or others concerning the HomeLink
Program. However, in speaking of HomeLink, Advisors are also encouraged to
avoid unhealthy comparisons of the HomeLink Program with other support
groups, coops, or courses offered by others. It is never HomeLink's
intention to "put down" another program -- we do the best job we can, we
emphasize the benefits of what we offer, and the consumer makes the
comparison and the decision.
From time to time, the Advisors may be asked to provide narratives,
articles, anecdotes, testimonials, or other information for the HomeLink
Program web site. Advisors are paid for their time when they contribute to
these projects.
PART 5 -- Program Management
The Advisor is the Manager and Controller of his or her classroom. In
addition to the previously mentioned items, this management and control will
include, but is not limited to, the following:
Each Advisor will issue assignments to the students and parents and clearly
communicate the expectation and accountability needed for completing the
assignment.
The Advisor will collect assignments and offer a grade for each. In
addition, the Advisor will keep a record of the grades, average the grades
quarterly, and report the quarterly grades for each student to the Director
or the Director's designee.
In the course of his or her duties, the Advisor will discern any student's
special needs. If the Advisor believes there may be a need for achievement
testing or disabilities testing, the Advisor will bring this to the
attention of the Director. After consultation with the Director, the
Director and Advisor may decide to meet with the parent to advise them of
their observations and recommendations.
In the course of his or her duties, the Advisor will discern any student's
academic performance or classroom conduct. The Advisor may believe that a
particular student would better be served by HomeLink's "Independent Study"
option. After consultation with the Director, the Director and Advisor may
decide to meet with the parent to advise them of their observations and
recommendations.
CLOSING THOUGHT
Advisors are the front line of the HomeLink Program. Your relationship
with students and parents will keep the program strong. Your passion for
the subject area will move the student in a better direction. Your
understanding of the goals for the student can produce greatness, almost
without much effort for some, yet with hard work for others. You know the
difference, and you will become better and better at what you do. Your
colleagues, your director, and your national director are all here to help.