Early Learning & Inclusion Lead - Zapata Center

Mission Statement: AVANCE creates pathways to economic mobility for predominately Latino families through high quality, culturally responsive, two-generation programming that ensures school-readiness for young children and opportunities for parents to build social and economic capital.
Our targeted program services reflect the cultural, racial/ethnic, and linguistic background of our families and provide specific strategies based on the unique needs of these families and children, ensuring that racial equity is embedded in our systemic approach.
Job Overview The Early Learning and Inclusion Lead (ELIL) collaborates with Early Learning leadership to ensure full implementation of all aspects of AVANCE’s early learning system, policies/procedures, and tools, with the goal of supporting teaching staff in meeting all children’s needs.
The ELIL will work side-by-side with the Early Learning Leads to ensure that all necessary documentation and requirements are fulfilled when working with children and families with specific needs across all programs.
Specifically, the ELIL will be responsible for ensuring social emotional and development screenings, child and classroom observations are completed in a timely manner and ensuring that all necessary documentation and requirements are fulfilled when working with children and families with specific needs.
Job Responsibilities The Early Learning and Inclusion Leader is responsible for: Training and supporting teaching staff and Early Learning Leaders (ELL) in the use of all developmental and social emotional screening tools Supporting ELLs in the ongoing coaching of teaching staff to support them in successfully fulfilling all aspects of their role, including but not limited to effective practices in the following: CLASS Teacher-Child Interactions Learning Environments Curriculum Child Assessment Meeting All Children’s Needs Working with Families Professional Growth and Collaboration Working with Families Professional Growth and Collaboration Work with teachers to implement program curriculum with fidelity.
Work with teachers to implement child assessment systems reliably, including understanding child outcomes data and using them to plan and individualize.
Achieving the following outcomes for the Head Start/Early Start program: Serve as back up support for assigned centers Support the effective implementation of the education content area, implementing all relevant policies and procedures.
Support training of new hires (in conjunction with ELL); develop, conduct or arrange other training as needed for staff, parents or volunteers.
Work with teaching staff to implement a program curriculum that incorporates all elements and meets all standards established by AVANCE (in compliance with Head Start standards and best practices).
Ensure that teachers integrate goals from Individual Education Plans (IEPs) for children with disabilities Ensure the completion of all required child screenings and assessments, including 45 and 90-day requirements for new children and quarterly progress assessments for all children.
Ensure that classrooms and outdoor areas are supplied with developmentally appropriate materials.
Participate in team meetings, home visits, and community events as needed.
Provide consistent on-going coaching to teaching staff to support differentiated instruction for children with IEPs or with challenging behaviors through regular observations and formal and informal feedback.
In coordination with the Part C agency, LEA, and mental health consultant ensure timely identification, referral, identified services and transition support for children with disabilities.
Contribute to ongoing and regularly scheduled recruitment of children with disabilities.
Apply expertise in on-going, performance-based assessment systems to support the teaching staff in understanding child outcomes data and using results to plan and individualize instruction.
Assist education team in planning and implementing comprehensive, differentiated and sequential professional development for education staff including new staff onboarding and monthly professional development days Program Compliance Supervise or coordinate with the Family Services team to ensure full implementation of family services and parent involvement.
Model strong, positive relationships with families.
Support Family Advocates to implement all aspects of family services program, including support and monitoring of AVANCE’s Parent-Child and Education Program.
Communication and Service Coordination Support facilitation of regular team meetings to ensure effective communication and service coordination.
Attend local, state and regional initiatives to represent the program and to develop professionally.
Ensure children’s individual health, nutrition, disabilities or mental health needs are met, through implementation of AVANCE’s referral system, coordination with appropriate coordinators/specialists, and participation in case conferences as necessary.
Develop a working knowledge of local community resources related to education and transition.
Actively participate in Head Start/Early Head Start community, including staff meetings, mandated training, committee meetings, and other program-wide functions as needed, including some evening activities.
Record Keeping and Reporting Ensure complete and accurate implementation of all AVANCE’s required systems for recordkeeping and reporting, including: Individual child/family files Master binders Documentation of coaching for staff and strategies provided to teachers/providers/families In-kind contributions from parents or community members Purchasing and tracking of supplies and equipment Child, family & program information in Shine Insight/Child Plus Child observations, assessment & planning information in Cognitive Toybox Ongoing Monitoring & Self-Assessment: Review weekly MBI (managing by information) ensuring all concerns are addressed in a timely fashion.
Review quarterly and annual child outcomes data and support teacher planning to help all children make developmental gains.
Participate in annual program self-assessment Implement all monitoring systems required by AVANCE, Head Start, childcare licensing CACFP or other agencies.
Program Governance and Leadership: Participate in annual and quarterly planning to set, plan for, and monitor program goals.
Contribute to annual review and revision of the program's integrated service plan.
Lead for the good of the entire organization, understand the big picture and use it as framework to make decisions Make decisions that support program quality and maintain program accountability.
Improve quality and effectiveness of the education service area and overall organization by initiating, sponsoring and implementing organizational change and by helping others to successfully manage organizational change.
Promote consistent exchange of information and a cooperative environment within the leadership of the center.
Attend parent committees, Policy Council and board of director meetings as needed or requested.
Recognize that your job description is service area specific but not limited to: confidentiality, child abuse reporting, attendance and dependability, appropriate dress, customer service and support to all families, prudent use of program resources, and promoting and maintaining safe work environment.
Uphold the shared mission and values of AVANCE.
Operations and Facilities: Serve as an operational lead for the center, ensuring compliance with all program policies/procedures and Head Start/Early Head Start, licensing or other regulations Ensures that facilities, materials, and equipment are safe, appropriate, and conducive to learning and reflective of the different ages and stages of development of each child, including children with disabilities.
Ensures Center-based environments are free of toxins, such as smoke, lead, pesticides, and herbicides.
Ensures arrangements and space, as well as types and use of materials and equipment, match grantees identified curriculum.
Ensures the facilities are accessible to persons with disabilities as required by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
Support ELL in regular safety checks of all facilities.
Human Resources Understand the personnel policies and procedures and ensure that the people you support are aware of these and any changes to them that occur.
Assign and review work of the people you support.
Instruct, train and work effectively with the people you support from a variety of backgrounds and with differing levels/areas of training.
Model best practices within the service area.
Support Early Learning Leads with staffing and classroom coverage needs Non-essential Duties Performs other duties as assigned.
AVANCE Core Competencies Accountability The AVANCE Way Demonstrates Ability to Learn Fosters Innovation Takes Initiative Recovers from Setbacks Education Required:Bachelor’s degreeEarly Childhood Education or in any related field Preferred: Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education or in any related field License/Certifications Required: Certification in CPR and First Aid Work Experience 3+ years of experience with supervision, management or coaching.
Previous experience in teaching and/or managing in an early childhood setting Infant/Toddler education/training preferred.
Bilingual in Spanish and English Knowledge of infant/toddler health and safety licensing requirements (if applicable) Experience with collaborations and community partnerships (if applicable) Experience in Fiscal management/budget preparations (if applicable) Additional Skills Knowledge in Special Education/Inclusion Ability to multitask, work independently, efficiently organize and communicate effectively with off-site supervisors.
Ability to communicate effectively in written or verbal format to groups of all sizes and individuals Ability to interact effectively with people from diverse backgrounds.
Strong interpersonal skills Demonstrated computer literacy skills, using MS Office applications and other basic data systems including internet navigation.
Must be honest, dependable and able to meet deadlines.
Self-motivated and able to work independently.
Other Requirements Pass physical examination, background check, and fingerprinting screen Travel required locally or long-distance up to 10% of the time for work-related meetings and functions and ability to travel out of state on occasion Current driver’s license, reliable transportation Equipment Use of computer, computer software programs and peripherals, resource materials and equipment, copier, fax, and other equipment applicable to the position.
Working Conditions Work is generally performed in an office environment.
Noise level in the work environment is moderate to occasionally loud (examples: business office with computers and printers, light to moderate traffic, human voices).
Standard office equipment generally used includes: Telephone Personal Computer (monitor, keyboard, and mouse) or Tablet Printer/Photocopy Machine Calculator Fax Machine Mental and Physical Demands Maintain emotional control under stress; work with interruptions and deadlines; walking, standing, stooping, bending, pulling and pushing, use hands to finger, handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; occasional: lifting/carrying, pulling/pushing 10-30 pounds.
Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
Environmental Factors Occasional exposure to: biological hazards (communicable diseases, bacteria, insects, mold, fungi, etc.
).
Occasional expose to weather related conditions when working in outside environment/neighborhoods and events.