Center Director/Education Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Position Summary:

Responsible for the oversight and coordination for planning, organizing, developing, coordinating, implementing, supervising and evaluating the overall activities of the multiple Child Development Centers; including Early Head Start and Head Start Program.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Responsible for hiring, supervising, training and terminating staff, in accordance with Easter Seals, OSHA, FLSA and other applicable labor requirements.
• Responsible for overall classroom supervision working collaboratively with the Teaching staff.
• Support the social and emotional development of children.
• Provide training and support to teachers to implement a high-quality early childhood education program and early intervention services, using the High Scope curriculum.
• Assist in the coordination of curriculum development, planning and providing daily classroom activities to meet social, intellectual, physical and emotional needs of individual children.
• Provide direct supervision and support to professional program staff to ensure quality service and a safe environment.
• Plan and implement in-service and other staff development activities as appropriate.
• Evaluate staff in accordance with established procedures.
• Ensure staff maintain required certification and documentation to meet state and local licensing requirements for employment; as well as specific program guidelines (i.e Early Head Start, Head Start, MDCPS, etc…).
• Supervise, train and support classroom volunteers.

Financial Management Responsibilities

• Help prepare and implement Centers budget, monitor monthly financial statements, and adjust spending as needed to maintain compliance.
• Ensure enrollment meets allocations for budget projections.
• Prepares and submits proposals, grants applications and reimbursements packages according to pertinent guidelines and procedures.
• Access and maintain current information on relevant local, state and federal fiscal issues.

Enrollment Responsibilities

• Responsible for maintaining 100% enrollment at all time, including VPK percentage and disability.
• Coordinate intake function including: screening telephone inquiries for admission, parent interviews, placement and follow-up, transitions and referral to other programs.
• Provide orientation for new staff, families and volunteers.
• Ensure that all referral, wait list and information calls for Center is documented.
• Ensure that all client records are current and complete as required by licenser agents and Centers policies.

Facility/Program Management Responsibilities

• Ensure compliance with applicable state and federal regulations for DCF Child Care licensure, Early Head Start, Head Start, Medicaid, ADA and others affecting facility and programs.
• Provide a safe and clean environment for staff and children by overseeing supply orders, submitting timely requests for facility maintenance and repairs, fire drills, fire drill practice and emergency contact sheets for staff and parents.
• Other facility related issues as they occur.

Community Outreach Responsibilities

• Promote fund raising efforts for the Centers.
• Coordinate Center parent newsletter and information distribution to families and staff regarding federal, state and local issues affecting children and families.
• Assist in evaluating individual and family needs and bring in appropriate resources to bear an effort to solve the problems.
• Seeks collaboration and maintains association with community professional and organizations.

Education component

• Coordinate, implement, evaluate and supervise a developmentally appropriate and inclusive educational curriculum for young children, in accordance with Head Start/EHS Performance Standards, National Association of Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and ESSF policies and procedures.
• Supervises education specialists to ensure proper implementation of the Galileo Assessment tool and ensures that all reports are submitted timely, including Galileo Monthly Checklists according to Head Start and other funding sources.
• Provides Education team with training, and mentorship in completion of NAEYC Classroom Portfolios and Annual Report, VPK and Head Start/EHS standards among others.
• Serve as an advisor to the teaching staff during the National CDA process.
• Monitor, Coach, modeling and support education team with educational staff 's appropriate corrective action to ensure compliance with policies and procedures. Develop and follow up Improvement Plans when necessary.

Physical Demands:

• Regular to frequent requirement, and as needed, to lift children (up to 50 lbs.), including bending, stooping, stretching, walking, squatting, pushing, pulling, kneeling, crawling, sitting on low chairs or on the floor.
• The work is in a childcare setting. In order to conduct classroom activities and interact with children in a meaningful way, some physical exertion such as the following physical demands are required:
  1. Noise level can be moderate to loud
  2. Detecting unsafe situations by sight or sound.
  3. Moving quickly to intervene in unsafe situations.

Educational & Experiential Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education or a bachelor degree and equivalent AND specialized college-level course work in administration, leadership, or management AND specialized college-level course work in early childhood education, child development, elementary education or early childhood special education that addresses child development and learning from birth through kindergarten .
• Work experience in supervision of staff, fiscal management and administration.
• DCF 45 hours (Introductory Child Care Training-40 Hours and Literacy Requirement-5 hours;
• Active Director Credential.
• Teaching experience.
• Three years previous experience supervising programs that provide comprehensive coordinated services to young children and their families.
• Head Start and/or Early Head Start experience.
• Working knowledge of services to infants/ young children with special needs and their families.
• Ability to work under pressure, maintain accuracy and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work with staff, participants and the public in a professional and concerned manner.
• Bilingual (Spanish & English) preferred.

Other:

• Work a flexible schedule as required.
• Other related duties as necessary to ensure the smooth running and efficiency of Easter Seals South Florida as a whole.
• Successful completion of background process which includes: Local background check, Level 2 clearance (FBI, FDLE), clear TB test, medical clearance, drug test and reference checks.
• Adhere to the use of Universal Health & Safety Precautions as applicable.