Spec, Education & Inclusion

Position Title: Specialist, Education & Inclusion

Employee Type: Regular

Supervisor Title: Program Director or Manager, Education & Inclusion

Division: U.S. Programs & Advocacy

The Education & Inclusion Specialist supports the education and disability services within a program, guiding the curriculum and program planning, policy development and training. You will provide early childhood technical and management support to the Head Start, Early Head Start and Birth-3 programs to ensure effective coordination, implementation and monitoring of the education services, reporting to the Program Director or Manager, Education & Inclusion. You will oversee the implementation of the education services at all sites, and work with all local educational agencies (LEAs) and other partners, ensuring appropriate staff training and technical assistance, proper implementation of the curriculum to support the unique needs of each child, and provides educational resources for staff and parents, ensuring appropriate placement of children in the classroom.

As a front-line representative of Save the Children, you are required to ensure the safety and security of children and families that they come into contact with and represent the agency values of Accountability, Ambition, Collaboration, Creativity and Integrity.

As a Save the Children employee who will come into contact with children on a routine basis, you are expected to prevent child abuse in every situation by striving, through mental awareness, good practice and training, to minimize risk to children. The position must take positive steps to protect children who may be a subject of concern and report, respond to any instance of child abuse and promote training and awareness around all child-safeguarding obligations.

What You'll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

Develop, implement and evaluate systems for the delivery of home base education services including screening, curriculum planning, individualization and assessment for children and families in compliance with all state and federal regulations.
Develop, implement and evaluate systems to recruit, identify, diagnose and provide services to children with disabilities and their families.
Research, evaluate and prepare recommendations on curriculum to ensure compliance with the Head Start, Early Head Start and Birth-3 Program, federal and state regulations and monitor for fidelity in implementation.
Collect and use quality data to support the use of effective teaching practices and have a positive impact on school readiness and individual child outcomes. Facilitate the development of integrated school readiness plans.
Assist in development of program training plan for staff, parents and volunteers.
Monitor home base practices including weekly lesson plans and bi-weekly socializations to ensure their adherence to program policies.
Monitor receipt and completion of Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) and/or Individualized Education Program (IEP) and goals and other disability service records, ensuring goals are incorporated into weekly learning activities. Assist in the coordination of services for children with disabilities with LEAs, consultants and other service providers.
Assist in developing and monitoring education budgets and manage resources to maximize program effectiveness.
Interact with parents and staff to discuss educational activities, child progress, program policies and children's behavioral or learning challenges via home visits and group socializations. Participate in case management meetings and solution creation.
Secure contracts, interagency agreements, and in-kind activities, goods, and services, with community service providers to enhance local delivery of comprehensive services to children and families.
Participate in screenings, evaluations, monthly home visits and biannual group socializations per home visitor
Monitor home base records weekly, providing regular reports ensuring oversight and tracking of early childhood screenings and assessments and early childhood date collection.
Provide ongoing training in policies, procedures and program requirements,
Responsible for ensuring education training and individualized coaching and mentoring are included as part of each home visitor's professional development plan.

Required Qualifications

Bachelors degree in a related field or equivalent, plus a minimum of 3 years of relevant experience.
Proven experience working with children from birth-five and their families.
Demonstrated knowledge of early childhood development and safety issues and methods for communicating effectively with infants, toddlers, parents and other staff.
Proven experience developing consistent, stable and supportive relationships with very young children.
Proven knowledge of developmentally appropriate early childhood education practices in infant, toddler and preschool programs.
Demonstrated ability to communicate and collaborate with individuals and teams at all levels.
Demonstrated knowledge of program planning
Demonstrated basic fiscal accountability.
Proven professional judgment before making decisions.
Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, children, parents, and outside agencies.
Professional proficiency in written and spoken
Proven problem solving and time management skills.
Willingness and ability to travel up to 50%, in and out of state.
Physical Requirements related to essential functions: Ability to perform medium to heavy physical work exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, up to 20 pounds frequently and up to 5-10 pounds constantly, performing such activities as sitting, crawling, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting and grasping. This also includes some duties that require repetitive action and motion skills, keyboarding and computer use.

Clear pre-employment background check requirements, including local, state, and national criminal records check, sex offender registries, employment, and education verifications (including child abuse registry check if required by state regulations) and pass all state and local health requirements required post job offer and prior to employment.

This position may require the incumbent to operate a motor vehicle to fulfill certain essential functions of the job. The incumbent should maintain a valid driver's license and remain in compliance with any Save the Children policies pertaining to the safe operation of motor vehicles.

Current and former Head Start/Early Head Start parents will receive preference for employment vacancies for which they are qualified.

About Us

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Save the Children is committed to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for the children it serves and helping protect the children with whom we are in contact. All Save the Children representatives are explicitly prohibited from engaging in any activity that may result in any kind of child abuse.

Save the Children is committed to minimizing safety and security risks for our valued employees, ensuring all are given training, support and information to reduce their risk exposure while maximizing the impact of our programs for children and families. Our shared duty, both agency and individual, is to seek and maintain safe working conditions for all.

If you require disability assistance with the application or recruitment process, please submit a request to applicantsupport@savechildren.org.