Assistant Director of Early Learning

Assistant Director of Early Learning

Full-time

Easterseals Serving Chicagoland & Rockford Send resume to:

Illinois

Email: [email protected]

Summary:

Through supervision of the HS Education Manager, EHS Education Manager, and the Inclusion and Mental Health Manager and their teams, The Assistant Director of Early Learning provides expertise, oversight, training, and leadership in the areas of education, disabilities, and mental health services for around 40 Easterseals Head Start/Early Head Start directly operated and child care partner programs and services in compliance with the Head Start Performance Standards and the Head Start Act.  The Assistant Director of Early Learning supports the Education Managers, Inclusion and Mental Health Manager, and Education and Inclusion Coordinators in ensuring that all education and inclusion support staff and teaching staff are implementing evidence-based instructional practices and facilitates the delivery of a plan for intensive and individualized professional development that results in exemplary teacher-child interactions, instructional quality, and retention of staff. The Assistant Director of Early Learning also supports the Inclusion and Mental Health Manager in developing and monitoring systems for identifying children with suspected disabilities, establishing collaborative agreements with Local Education Agencies and Early Intervention programs to ensure that children receive evaluations and services according to required timelines, and promotes inclusive practice for all enrolled children with identified disabilities. Together with the Inclusion and Mental Health Manager and Mental Health Specialist, the Assistant Director of Early Learning ensures the delivery of all mental health services, including classroom observations and staffing, mental health education to families, training to staff, and referrals of parents and children.

Planning and Program Services:

• Work collaboratively with the Education, Inclusion, and Mental Health teams to develop service/ management plans and implement systems to ensure consistent, high quality child development, disabilities, and mental health services at all Head Start and Early Head Start programs in accordance with all Head Start Performance Standards.
• Facilitate program planning, improvement plans, and professional development plans based on analysis of child and program educational outcomes.
• Facilitate the development of the annual training calendar for staff and sites in collaboration with the leadership team.
• Develop and track budget for Head Start and Early Head Start materials, trainings, and consultants.
• Co-facilitate the School Readiness Team and the development and implementation of the School Readiness Plan with the Head Start and Early Head Start Education Managers.
• Facilitate and participate in monthly meetings including: education and inclusion leadership team meetings, education and inclusion team meetings, leadership team meetings, senior leadership team meetings, directors’ meetings, and other meetings as scheduled or needed.
• Collaborate with the Inclusion and Mental Health Manager to develop memorandums of understanding with Local Education Agencies to ensure the timely evaluation and services of all children identified as benefitting from further evaluation.
• Participate in the formation of linkages with community organizations to ensure access to resources for Head Start and Early Head Start children, families, and staff.
• Participate in program planning and implementation of all service areas as part of an integrated leadership team.
• Participate in enrollment and recruitment as part of the Head Start/Early Head Start Team and ensure that the program is fully enrolled.
• Participate in the self-assessment process and strategic planning.
• Participate in the ongoing analysis of program-wide data with the leadership team, provide recommendations, and ensure that data is utilized to guide goal planning at all levels.
• Participate in the monthly analysis of monitoring data with the leadership team, provide recommendations, and ensure that data is utilized to guide planning.
• Participate in site visits, presentations, ECERS-R assessments, ITERS-R assessments, and orientation for prospective new sites as part of an integrated leadership team.

 
Record Keeping, Reporting and Communication:

• Work with the HS and EHS Education Managers to develop and implement a system to ensure that all education information is entered into COPA and Teaching Strategies GOLD in a timely manner, including home visits, parent-teacher conferences, observations, and assessments.
• Review monthly reports from the HS and EHS Education Managers and the Inclusion and Mental Health Manager with updates about PIR information, screenings, referrals, disability status, home visits, parent-teacher conferences, trainings, sites, and CLASS scores.
• Work with the HS and EHS Education Managers to write and present quarterly reports on child outcomes to the Parent Policy Council, Board and Communities.
• Complete the annual PIR as part of the leadership team.
• Facilitate and/or participate in regularly scheduled content area, team, director, and other meetings.
• Travel to Easterseals and partner sites regularly.
• Manage content area budget.

Ongoing Monitoring:

• Provide effective oversight of education services through supervision of the education team.
• Provide effective oversight of disabilities and mental health through supervision of the inclusion and mental health team.
• Participate in meetings with sites to support and guide the full implementation of educational requirements and best practices.
• As part of the integrated leadership team, monitor systems for ensuring the active supervision and safety of children so that no child is ever left alone or unsupervised.
• Collaborate with leadership team to develop and implement a system for supporting children with behavioral concerns, including a behavior review process and behavior plans.
• Collaborate with the HS and EHS Education Managers to coordinate and conduct the semi-annual CLASS assessment of all classrooms.
• Collaborate with PDM team to develop and implement a system of ongoing monitoring to be completed by the PDM team, including unannounced visits, file reviews, and observations/assessments.
• Review COPA and the PIR to ensure information is accurate and complete, including monthly tracking and reporting of information.
• Implement a system for tracking non-compliances and developing and monitoring action plans.
• Implement a system for ongoing review of COPA and the PIR to ensure information is accurate and complete, including monthly tracking and reporting of information.

Basic Responsibilities:

Human Resources:

• Implement reflective and relationship based practices, including providing reflective supervision monthly to all directly supervised team members.
• Supervise and provide ongoing technical support to the HS and EHS Education Managers and the Inclusion and Mental Health Manager.
• Implement a strengths-based approach to monitoring and supporting sites and team members in a way that encourages growth, partnership, and full compliance with requirements.
• Facilitate the development and continual updating of a training orientation plan for new staff.
• In collaboration with the HS and EHS Education Managers and the Inclusion and Mental Health Manager, develop and implement a plan for professional development and coaching/mentoring for all teaching staff based on the results of the CLASS and other observations and assessments.
• Form collaborative relationships with local universities and colleges to develop professional development cohorts and trainings for teaching staff and Easterseals staff.
• If funds are available, facilitate the coordination of professional development cohorts for teaching staff such as CDA scholarship programs.
• Develop a plan for training leadership staff on creating and tracking meaningful individualized professional development plans and work with HR to ensure that all staff have PD plans.
• Assist with reviewing transcripts for teachers.
• Conduct Teaching Strategies GOLD, Creative Curriculum, and CLASS trainings for Education and Inclusion Coordinators, Coaches, administrators and teachers.
• Facilitate the organization of an annual professional development conference in collaboration with the leadership team.
• All other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or another related field.

 
Experience Required:

• 5 years of administrative, supervisory, or coaching experience.
• 10 years of experience in Head Start/Early Head Start.
• Home visiting experience preferred.

 
Required Knowledge:

• Obtain certification as a CLASS-reliable observer within 1 year.
• Creative Curriculum and Teaching Strategies GOLD.
• Head Start Performance Standards.
• NAEYC.
• MS Office.

 
Skills/Abilities:

• Able to work well with all levels of the organization, partner sites, other agencies and funding source personnel.
• Demonstrates the ability to conceptualize and articulate program outcomes.
• Able to manage multiple projects.
• Well organized, highly detail oriented and accuracy driven.
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational and supervisory skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

 
ADA: Easterseals will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disability Act of 1990. Unless exempted by the Americans with Disabilities Act, all persons hired for this position are required to possess the ability to perform the physical tasks necessary to treat clients, i.e., bending, floor-sitting, etc., as well as to have the ability to lift up to 50 pounds frequently.