General Summary

The Education/Mentor Specialist 0-3 will coach to support individual teachers, improve teaching practices, reinforce and incorporate new knowledge gained through training, coursework, or other professional development activities. Coaching goals are identified and act as a strategy to support goals in the Early Head Start program. Coaching methods include weekly on-site visits with individual teaching staff within 2-3 weeks of notification of hire and assess potential needs of staff and focus on the goals in relation to observation, conferencing, modeling and co-teaching, guided live or videotaped observation of other classrooms, sharing resources and/or journaling.

Primary Responsibilities

1. Assists in conducting an annual community assessment of the service area educational services and participates in the program–wide-Self Assessment.

2. Guides the development of annual quantitative and qualitative goals and objectives for education services in the Early Head Start Program, including: cluster area and the classroom.

3. Visits new classroom staff within 2-3 weeks of notification of hire and assess potential needs of staff and focus on the goals in relation to observation, conferencing, modeling and co-teaching, guided live or videotaped observation of other classrooms, sharing resources and/or journaling.

4. Serves as a training and technical assistance resource and works closely with staff to achieve qualitative and quantitative educational/child growth, education outcomes by providing instructional material, performing on-site assessments and analysis, maintaining and promoting a safe and healthy environment and developing and providing training for identified issues.

5. Designs systems and recommends practices in the education content area to assure compliance with the Head Start Program Performance Standards, School Readiness Goals and other applicable requirements

6. Assisting the Education and Early Childhood Development Manager and works in partnership in ensuring that each classroom: (a) reflects an understanding and implementation of the curriculum, individualization and coordinates with other content areas; (b) offer assistance to staff in implementation and adaptation of curricula to the group or individual needs of children in a Head Start 0-3 classroom; (c) assist staff in reviewing the schedules and helping the staff achieve a balance of activities in the classroom, and (d) assist staff clarifying the role of discipline and help staff develop skills in promoting self-control and a positive self-image in each child.

7. Assists staff in the selection of materials and equipment being used in the classroom at a given time to reflect developmental levels, cultural background of the children, meeting the needs of children with specials needs and that the interests of the children are considered.

8. Guides the development of an efficient system for documentation and reporting for the education content area, including instruments used to plan, assess and measure developmental growth and positive child outcomes.

9. Assists in collecting and analyzing the Ages and Stages Questionnaire and the GOLD-teaching Strategies Learning Accomplishment Profile Birth to Kindergarten (LAP-BK) data to determine and document training and technical assistance needs, trends and areas for improvement.

10. Assists in developing links to the education content area-related agencies and organizations for training, technical assistance, information and other resources.

11. Utilizes and maintains current and acceptable education, child development, and educational literature, training material, guides and other resources and disseminates material to appropriate Agency staff on a regular basis.

12. Networks with community organizations in order to promote the Head Start Program.

13. Complies with the Program’s confidentiality policy.

14. Any other duty as assigned by the Education & Early Childhood Development Manager

Work Experience

Experience teaching preschool children.

Education/Certifications/Licensure

Baccalaureate Degree (Required); Master's Degree (Preferred) in early childhood education or a coursework equivalent to a major relating to early childhood education, with experience teaching infant and toddler children.

A valid driver’s license, safe driving record and by the Agency’s vehicle insurance carrier.

Must pass TDFPS background check.

Must pass pre-employment physical. Obtain annual health certificate

*Annual certification: Health Certificate, Adult and Infant and Child CPR Certification, and at least 24 clock hours of training annually. Must attend staff development annually in the following areas: six (6) clock hours of annual training in one or more of: child growth and development, guidance and discipline, age-appropriate curriculum and teacher-child interaction. The remaining clock hours must be in one or more of the following: are of children with special needs, child health, safety, risk management, identification and care of ill children, cultural diversity for children and families, professional development, preventing the spread of communicable diseases, topics relevant to the particular age group the teacher is assigned, planning developmentally appropriate learning activities, observation and assessment, attachment and responsive caregiving and Minimum Standards, sexual abuse, responsibility of reporting of abuse, cultural diversity and professional development.

Skills

Good verbal, problem solving and writing skills.

Must have computer skills and reporting, service documentation and recordkeeping experience.

Bilingual ability (Spanish/English) is preferred.

Physical Requirements

Able to perform the following physical requirements of the position with or without reasonable accommodation: critical sensory requirements include general vision; specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. Hear or listen in the normal range (corrected) and speak and give directions clearly. Able to walk, sit, stand, kneel, crouch, crawl, reach, lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects up to 10 lbs., and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Working Conditions

Work is performed in a classroom/office setting where minimal exposure to injury exists. Hours of work will generally be during regular business hours and average at least 40 hrs. Per week. There will be work variations in work hours due to employee special projects, and deadlines.