Education Specialist

Child-Parent Centers, Inc.•Tucson, AZ

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

As a member of the Family and Community Partnerships (FCP) department, reporting to the Education Coordinator – EHSCCP, the Education Specialist - EHSCCP is the educational leader at Child-Parent Centers, Inc. guiding family childcare (FCC) and center partners. Ensure high-quality Early Childhood Education, school readiness, and support the agency mission to create strong communities in Southern Arizona by providing onsite coaching, instructional support, and mentoring to family childcare providers and childcare center teachers. Enhance the quality of early care and education programs and meet Head Start Performance Standards and the Early Learning Outcomes Framework. Use research based coaching and mentoring strategies to support the implementation of the agency’s Languages of Learning along with Creative Curriculum for FCC. Accountable for assuring annual developmental gains for all children; collaborating with partners to identify children not meeting developmental milestones and determines individualizes support, either through a referral for further screening and individualized instruction in the learning environment. Lead and implement home visits with families in collaboration with providers to support parents (families) in their role as their child’s first teacher and implement a team approach to children’s learning and development.

Requirements

Possess a bachelor's degree from a recognized educational institution in early childhood education or a bachelor's degree in a related field (as determined by the agency) with a minimum of 18 credits in early childhood education or child development coursework.
Three (3) years’ experience working with infants and toddlers in a classroom or home-based setting or with infant toddler teachers or family childcare providers.
One (1) year coaching and/or mentoring experience of early childhood staff.
Must be able to communicate effectively (reading, writing, and oral communication) in English and Spanish.
Demonstrated proficiency using Office 365 (Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Must be able to work a flexible schedule which may include evenings and weekends.
Submit a current AZ Department of Public Safety Level One Fingerprint Clearance Card prior to start date
Excellent driving record
Must be able to travel to and from various sites as needed.
Must be able to travel outside assigned areas in company-owned vehicle.
Provide proof of immunizations: MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella), Tdap (adult Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis), and a Tuberculosis Skin Self-Assessment.
Able to pass a company paid physical exam prior to starting work.
Able to pass a criminal background check.
Must be able to prove the right to work in the USA by providing appropriate documents to complete the Federal I-9 form.
Ability to attain and maintain the following: Pre-school CLASS certification on an annual basis
My Teaching Strategies Reliability Certification every three years
First Aid and CPR training including Infants and Children.

Nice To Haves

Possess a master's degree from a recognized educational institution in early childhood education or a master's degree in a related field (as determined by the agency) with a minimum of 18 credits in early childhood education or child development coursework.
Minimum three (3) years’ experience in a non-profit organization or working for a Head Start program.
Possess Pre-school CLASS certification.
Possess My Teaching Strategies Reliability Certification.
Possess First Aid and CPR training including Infants and Children.

Responsibilities

Support family childcare providers (FCCP and their assistants) and center-based partner’s selection and implementation of an evidenced-based curriculum and teaching practices that promote physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and language development appropriate for infants and toddlers.
Support family childcare providers to set up and maintain Reggio inspired environments, indoors and outdoors, that promote learning and engagement in multi-age settings.
Meet bi-weekly to observe, evaluate, coach, and mentor FCCP’s and partner teachers to enhance the quality of early care and education programs for infants and toddlers.
Use agency tools and resources to provide opportunities for regular and ongoing coaching including feedback and modeling of effective practices based on areas of support identified in assessments and/or as requested.
Collaborate with FCCPs, families, Inclusion and Mental Health to complete referrals to AZEIP and Child Find for CCP and non-CCP children and accompany families to screenings and MET meetings as requested and needed.
Collaborate with partner programs (staff and families) to develop age-appropriate School Readiness Goals (SRG) and ensure alignment with child assessment tools in order to measure growth and development over time, such as Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) and CDA.
Collaborate with Family Services, Health/Nutrition, Inclusion, and partner programs to determine child and family needs related to education and child development.
Complete assessment of Family Child Care homes to identify professional development/training needs, play material ordering needs, and changes to classroom environment arrangement; collaborate with partner staff.
Plan, develop, conduct, and recommend EHS training and technical assistance needs for existing childcare providers and those interested in serving children enrolled in the Early Head Start program.
Maintain a Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) reliability certificate for Toddlers and Pre-K.
Conduct CLASS observations, analyze CLASS scores, and coach FCC Providers on quality interactions.
Ensure classroom practices including lesson plans, daily schedules, routines, and transitions to assure adherence to program policies and best practices.
Identify self-growth, development goals, and strategies for achievement with support and input from supervisor.
Commit and participate in consistent and planned meetings with supervisors to further professional growth by seeking feedback, reflecting on and assessing own practice, and taking advantage of opportunities to improve skills and knowledge.
Observe, document, and make recommendations to determine if a Program-Partner Improvement Plan is necessary, or to renew or terminate contracts.
Monitor child supervision systems and coach partners in ensuring compliance and reports non-compliance to Education Coordinator, Critical Issues Database and those with a need-to-know.
Plan, develop, and maintain an automated system for tracking and reporting statistics.
Document activities and gather report information.
Monitor and analyze EHSCCP child data (child outcomes, school readiness goals, and assessments).
Use data and analysis for decision making, planning, and professional development.
Provide regular reports about progress, improvements, and outcomes to supervisors, which are used to report to senior leadership, program committees, and governance.
Monitor staff qualifications for all partner teaching staff and completion of individual professional development plans.
Actively participate on the EHSCCP education services team and the Family and Community Partnerships department team and contribute to the decision-making process for compliance, strategic initiatives, professional development, budget, governance, and agency self-assessment.
Implement and monitor key management decisions in the areas of EHSCCP education services.
Participate in the Comprehensive Services Unit team and contribute to the Cross-Department Collaboration team in support of integrated policies, procedures and services.
Maintain content area expertise including best practices, local, state, and federal initiatives through active membership in professional associations and/or organizations and establishment of good working relationships with internal and external stakeholders with goals and objectives that align with the vision and mission of the agency.
Collaborate with organization and employee development to assess EHSCCP FCCP’s and partner teacher’s strengths and areas needing support and recommend planning strategies for quality/process improvement and/or development.
Develop and facilitate high quality research based pre-service and in-service learning.
Research, review, and recommend resources to support professional development including viable partners or consultants.
Work collaboratively (directly or through other program leaders) with committees, the policy group, and the governing body by sharing data, problem solving, acting on their recommendations, and/or implementing policies and plans generated by them.
Assist FCCP’s and partner teachers in effective use of resources.
Understand and model the agency's vision, mission, and philosophy within the agency and the community.
Demonstrate approachability, ownership, accountability, and life-long learning.
Use the agency's communication and problem-solving approach.
Seek perspective of others.
Identify emerging issues and contribute new knowledge.
Work to de-escalate when emotions and stakes are high.
Maintain professional behavior and relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
Use agency systems and technologies to accomplish work.
Maintain a high level of attendance to support ongoing service delivery.
Recognize children's safety as the first responsibility of all staff and act swiftly to ensure no child is unsupervised.
Implement agency policies and procedures for safeguarding confidential or sensitive information about employees and/or program participants.
Restrict access to paper or electronic documents for those with a need to know.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

26 paid holidays
5 days paid vacation after one year and up to 20 days each year thereafter
8 days paid Personal leave first year, 9 days each year thereafter
up to 5 days paid Sick leave per year
Dental
Flexible Spending Accounts
Health Reimbursement Arrangements
Health Savings Accounts
PPO medical (3 plans)
Vision
Supplemental Life coverage for self, spouse, and child ($25,000 basic life and Accidental Death and Disability provided by employer)
Agency contribution after years of services and hours eligibility criteria are met (Retirement Plan)
401k deferral once eligibility criteria is met