Early Childhood Specialist (Preschool)
: Job Details :

Position Type: Early On/Head Start/Early Childhood SpecialistDate Posted: 10/30/2024Location: Teaching and Learning CenterClosing Date: Until FilledThe WISD's Mission is to promote the continuous improvement of achievement for every student while providing high-quality service to our customers through leadership, innovation, and collaboration. The WISD's Vision is to be a leader in empowering, facilitating, and delivering high-quality, boundary-spanning, educational system that educates all children through an equitable, inclusive, and holistic approach. SUMMARY: The Early Childhood Specialist will support the Head Start Great Start Readiness Programs (GSRP) operated by local district and community partner sub-recipients. The Early Childhood Specialist will work to ensure the development and delivery of high-quality pre-kindergarten services and to support and coach classroom staff. The service area will include programs in local school districts and other community-based preschool partners within Washtenaw County. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Demonstrates a strong commitment to equity, social justice, and inclusion in all practices and position responsibilities.
• Demonstrates the ability to examine how his/her/their position (directly or indirectly) impacts educational inequities in student achievement outcomes.
• Engages in reflection and ongoing learning and development on critical concepts and terms identified in the Washtenaw ISD Educational Equity Policy including concepts such as cultural proficiency, racial equity, and systemic and structural inequities.
• Supports the WISD mission and vision to enhance achievement for all children.
• Develops productive relationships with other community partners in planning and development of coordinated early intervention and early childhood development services.
• Assists in developing, facilitating, and conducting local learning and awareness opportunities for school and agency personnel and community early childhood program partners.
• Attends scheduled staff, department and professional meetings.
• Participates in Michigan Department of Education and Head Start Technical Assistance sessions as needed.
• Facilitates and delivers appropriate preschool professional development strategies for local preschool classrooms.
• Completes necessary paperwork, documentation, narrative reports, correspondence and evaluation measures to assure all grant requirements are met in a professional and timely manner.
• Supports preschool joint recruitment in partnership with the GSRP and Head Start partners.
• Supports the GSRP/Head Start professional learning community to develop and share expertise in the area of early learning and to critically reflect with other Early Childhood Specialists in order to increase student achievement.
• Participates in the Parent Advisory and School Readiness Workgroups.
• Conducts the CLASS in assigned district and partner preschool classrooms to ensure implementation of quality curriculum and child outcome standards. Designs and implements CLASS Continuous Improvement plans for assigned partner classrooms, in collaboration with preschool teaching teams.
• Coach staff in the use of High Scope and Creative Curriculum along with the assessment systems that align with the curriculum.
• Participates in planning, organizing and facilitating the WISD annual Early Childhood Conference.
• Utilizes Classroom Coach, as necessary, to conduct regular classroom observations and provide observation/feedback including reports.
• Keeps coaching log to include classroom visits, meetings, communication, trainings, and other coaching opportunities.
• Provides support to programs on the implementation, data collection and follow-up on developmental screenings and social-emotional screenings.
• Provides support and assistance for Directors and Principals related to ChildPlus, reporting, monitoring, program quality, and goal setting.
• Gathers data on program quality and classroom quality, along with child outcome data and facilitates opportunities for conversations around data, quality improvement and program goals.
• Supports Preschool teachers in the collection, management, and assessment of child outcome data.
• Provides coaching using the Practice Based Coaching model to teaching teams as deemed necessary.
• Assists partner preschool programs with the development and facilitation of formal kindergarten transition strategies.
• Completes monthly monitoring of Head Start and Blended programs utilizing the ChildPlus Monitoring tool.
• Monitors sub-recipient staffing credentials developing compliance plans as needed.
• Maintains regular predictable attendance.
• OTHER RELATED DUTIES MAY BE ASSIGNED.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• N/A

QUALIFICATIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Alternative requirements that may be appropriate and acceptable to the Board of Education may be considered. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

• Master's degree in Early Childhood or Child Development.
• Five (5) years or more of relevant/comparable job experience.
• Knowledge of the Early Childhood Standards of Quality for Pre-Kindergarten.
• Experience and training in the High Scope and/or Creative Curriculum preschool curricula.
• K knowledge of the High Scope COR and/or Teaching Strategies Gold child assessment.
• Experience in mentoring or coaching, strategic planning, data integration/analysis, community outreach and philanthropy.
• Leadership ability and cultural sensitivity to develop relationships between diverse populations and multiple agencies across the county.
• Prior experience working in community-based initiatives, as well as knowledge of the local early childhood community preferred.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Exceptional organizational, leadership and interpersonal skills.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSE, REGISTARTIONS:

• Valid driver's license required.

LANGUAGE SKILLS:

• Ability to work effectively and collaboratively with other departments, agencies and individuals.
• Ability to read, analyze and interpret periodicals and professional journals.
• Ability to write reports, business correspondence and procedure manuals.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of educators, customers, and the general public.
• Ability to express self clearly, both orally and in writing.

TECHNICAL SKILLS:

• Demonstrated proficiency in the use of a personal computer (PC) or MAC in a networked environment to utilize the Internet and other electronic communications mechanisms such as email, conferencing, bulletin boards, etc.
• Excellent knowledge of productivity applications such as Microsoft Office (word processing, spreadsheets, database and presentation software) and other technology to support efficient and effective office operation is required.
• Ability to read and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, governmental regulations and forms.
• Ability to work in and utilize a variety of online data collection systems.
• Ability to integrate technology into the everyday workflow is necessary.
• Ability to implement new technologies.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:

• Ability to apply the concepts of math consistent with the duties of this position.

REASONING ABILITY:

• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
• Exhibit high level of professionalism with the ability to handle organizational dynamics, confidential information, use good judgment and problem solving, plan and handle complex projects and maintain a flexible attitude.
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS:

• Ability to work independently with management guidance.
• Possess excellent customer service and communication skills with a client-centered focus.
• Ability to build rapport with others and to serve diverse publics.
• Ability to take initiative, work well with others as a collaborative team member and exhibit good communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively and collaboratively with other departments, agencies and individuals.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, talk, see and hear. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl and reach with hands and arms. The employee is continuously repeating the same hand, arm or finger motion many times. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 35 pounds such as books and training materials. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distant vision and the ability to adjust focus. This position requires the individual to travel and/or drive to various off-site locations. The position requires the individual to sometimes work irregular or extended work hours and meet multiple demands from several people. ENVIRONMENTAL ADAPTABILITY: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is quiet to loud depending upon the activity in the particular part of the day. The employee may be required to be outdoors for periods of time, and therefore subject to varying weather conditions, for purposes of accomplishing the essential functions of this job. FUNCTIONS OF POSITION DESCRIPTION: This position description has been prepared to define the general duties of the position, provide examples of work and to detail the required knowledge, skills and ability as well as the acceptable experience and training for the position. The description is not intended to limit or modify the right of any supervisor to assign, direct and control the duties of employees under supervision. The WISD retains and reserves any and all rights to change, modify, amend, add to or delete from any portion of this description in its sole judgment. This position description is not a contract for employment. The WISD is an equal opportunity employer, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The District will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer. TERMS: Contract, salary and other employment conditions to be established by the Board of Education as reflected in the Non-Affiliated Staff Manual. Starting salary ranging (dependent upon experience) $61,267 - $75,314. Washtenaw Intermediate School District is a drug-free workplace. It is the policy and commitment of the Washtenaw Intermediate School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, age, height, weight, familial status, marital status, genetic information, sexual orientation or any legally protected characteristic, in its educational programs, activities, admissions, or employment policies in accordance with Title IX of the 1972 Educational Amendments, executive order 11246 as amended, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and all other pertinent state and Federal regulations.