The Early Childhood & Development Coach works in tandem with the Manager of Education & Inclusion to provide early childhood technical assistance, management, oversight and support to Head Start and/or Early Head Start programs to ensure effective coordination, implementation and monitoring of education services. This includes the effective implementation of a research-based curriculum, while incorporating recognized “best practices” in the fields of Early Childhood and Special Education, as well as providing educational resources for staff and parents.
The Early Childhood & Development Coach will provide training and technical assistance to the classroom staff to ensure high-quality programming. This position also monitors child and teacher progress and performance to ensure they are achieving program objectives. Furthermore, they consult with the Program Director and other Managers, as needed, to resolve complex issues and to ensure compliance with Head Start Program Performance Standards.
As a front line representative of Save the Children, Assistant Teachers are required to ensure the safety and security of children and families that he/she comes into contact with, adhering to the agency’s values of Accountability, Ambition, Collaborations, 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. You must take positive steps to protect children who may be a subject of concern and report and respond to any instance of child abuse and promote training and awareness around all child safeguarding obligations.
- Work closely with the Manager of Education & Inclusion and Program Director to assess all education staff and identify strengths and areas of needed support, as well as which staff would benefit most from intensive coaching.
- Ensure effective teacher practices and program performance goals align with program’s school readiness objectives, curricula and other approaches to professional development.
- Execute intensive coaching, including opportunities for education staff to be observed and then receive feedback and modeling of effective teacher practices directly related to program performance goals.
- Provide opportunities for education staff who are not identified as needing intensive coaching to receive other forms of research-based professional development aligned with program performance goals.
- Establish policies that ensure assessment results are not used to solely determine punitive actions for staff identified as needing support, without providing time and resources for staff to improve
- Ensure ongoing communication with and between the Program Director, Manager of Education & Inclusion and any other relevant staff.
- Ensure adequate supplies and equipment are available in classrooms and centers and that schedules and activities are age- and developmentally-appropriate.
- Attend home visits, parent conferences and Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) meetings when requested or as needed.
- Visit all classrooms on a regular basis (4-6 hours per month per site) to conduct observations (including CLASS); provide training and technical assistance, coaching and mentoring.
- Provide training and technical assistance to build capacity by working directly with Head Start/Early Head Start staff, parents and community partners to ensure high-quality programs.
- Develop and incorporate the Program for Infant Toddler Caregivers (PITC) into the curriculum and parent/child activities; ensure that staff consistently incorporate PITC information into their classrooms and home visits; provide strategies to support young English language learners and their families.
- Oversee site tracking of child screenings and assessments, child data collection and participate in local evaluation activities.
- Provide ongoing training in policies, procedures and program requirements, as well as communication and problem solving skills to staff.
- This position must have the ability to work in a constant state of alertness and safe manner and furthermore protect the safety of children by implementing active supervision techniques to ensure no child is left alone or unsupervised at any time.
- Complete other tasks as assigned or needed.
- Minimum 2 years of experience working with infants and toddlers and/or preschool-aged children.
- Experience in supervision and training as well as experience with developing consistent, stable and supportive relationships with very young children.
- Training and experience in adult learning and in using assessment data to drive coaching strategies aligned with program performance goals.
- Extensive knowledge of early childhood education, developmentally appropriate practices, child safeguarding and methods for communicating effectively with infants and toddlers and/or preschoolers, as well as parents and other staff.
- Must have extensive knowledge of Head Start Program Performance Standards.
- Experience with program planning and supervisory techniques and practices.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, children, families and outside agencies.
- Effective communication, problem solving, organizational, and time management skills.