Education Diverse Learner and Mental Health Manager (0-3)

Helping Children and Families to GO FURTHER!

Position Summary:

Responsible for ensuring that all compliances are met in the area of education of Chicago Commons sites and all partner sites.  Responsible for the evaluation and review of Mental Health and Diverse Learner Services in the Chicago Commons and Community Partner Schools.  Provides assistance and support to site staff through the development of Mental Health and Disabilities Services for children and their families. Provides training and technical assistance in curriculum and enhanced curricular practices for children zero-five. This position will support staff in meeting all rules, regulations, and procedures in these areas, as well as assisting families as needed. 

Education & Certification Requirements:

• Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and a minimum of 3 years of direct teaching experience  
• Bachelor’s Degree (B.A.) in Education and a minimum of 5 year's experience in Early Childhood Education and willingness to earn a master’s degree. 

Experience & Training Requirements:

• Must possess a valid driver’s license to be able to drive to various locations around Chicago. 
• Must be able to work in a fast-paced environment and manage many projects at once. 
• Must be able to provide supervision to others. 
• Must have the ability to work under stress. 
• Must be able to use supervision effectively. 
• Must be able to maintain confidentiality. 
• Must have outstanding people skills and the ability to develop, grow, and maintain relationships with other agencies. 
• Must have excellent oral and written skills in English. 
• Spanish fluency is a plus. 
• Must have sound judgment. 
• Must be a self-motivated person who can work both individually and on a team. 
• Must be able to take initiative and make sound decisions. 
• Must have knowledge of Head Start and Early Head Start requirements and Performance Standards. 
• Must be detail-oriented. 
• Must be able to serve as an advocate for children and families. 

Desired Outcomes:

• Monitor child data in Teaching Strategies GOLD and provide staff support to assist with improving child outcomes.
• Collect and evaluate child outcomes data quarterly to identify professional development opportunities for teaching staff.
• Conduct monthly monitoring of the education, diverse learner, and mental health components at Chicago Commons’ directly operated programs and community partner sites. 
• Monitor the utilization of Creative Curriculum bi-annually to ensure fidelity. 

Essential Job Requirements & Duties:

• Ensures compliance with performance standards and quality programming through classroom observations and feedback, review of education records and activity plans. (Monitors Education program.) 
• Continuously monitor educational services at assigned sites. 
• Carries out policies to meet and implement educational objectives and child development standards for children in Chicago Commons directly operated and partner sites. 
• Provides technical assistance as needed to maintain compliance. 
• Assist the Director of Excellence Quality and Innovation with the updates to the Chicago Commons Educational Plan. 
• Assists the Director of Excellence Quality and Innovation with the coordination of the educational curriculum. 
• Support staff in the coordination of diverse learner services and the interdisciplinary team meetings that includes parents, director, professional diagnosticians, and teachers to develop IFSPs.   
• Assess program quality and make recommendations for program improvements to ensure compliance with funding requirements and quality programming for children 0-3. 
• Works with the Director of EQI and Site Directors to develop and monitor site management plans. 
• Assist in the educational programming and the monitoring of that programming for children identified as diverse learners. 
• Train assigned staff on the educational, diverse learner and mental health services and regulations at Chicago Commons directly operated and partner sites as needed. 
• Quarterly monitoring of education, diverse learner and mental health component at the Chicago Commons directly operated and partner sites. 
• Monitors Community Partners sites and reports concerns to Child Development Administration. 
• Completes site visits as required. 
• Develops and maintains systems to assure record keeping occurs. 
• Represents Chicago Commons at applicable meetings and maintains a liaison with the community, neighborhood institutions, CPS, DFSS, other assigned committees/organizations. 
• Meet regularly with other team members to coordinate activities and provide for the integration of education components. 
• Keeps team and Site Directors informed of any requirements for compliance. 
• Writes self-assessments, improvement plans, and waivers as needed. 
• Assists in grant writing as needed. 
• Assists the Director of Excellence Quality and Innovation with performing trainings required by any funder. 
• Is a member of the Educational Excellence Team providing input and lending support as needed. 
• Ensures compliance (working with education staff and site directors) in diverse learner and mental health services in all community partner and Chicago Commons directly operated sites. 
• Creates tools and protocols to help assure compliance. 
• Continuously monitors diverse learner services at assigned sites. 
• Works with other Central Office coordinators to develop Diverse Learner and Early Childhood Development and Mental Health Service written plans, follow up and monitoring; works with education staff on IFSPs, individualization, and inclusion. 
• Reviews and monitors all disability packets for submission to the funder. 
• Provides assistance to parents as needed. 
• Serves as liaison to mental health consultants assuring that services are being provided as needed and/or required. 
• Makes recommendations regarding any other contracts and/or consultants related to mental health services and diverse learners. 
• Responsible for obtaining necessary transportation for any students identified as diverse learners. 
• Provides technical assistance to any staff as needed. 
• Assists in recording the keeping of diverse learner and mental health activities. 
• In conjunction with the Head Start Director, policy committee parents, and other staff, updates and implements the annual management plans. 
• Coordinates the curricula of agency sites with the management plans, IFSPs, and families. 
• Follow up all non-compliances as documented during Funder’s Review 
• Works collaboratively with Head Start Director in implementing the Head Start Performance Standards 
• Works collaboratively with Family Worker staff and Family Hub staff to bring families successfully into the educational program 
• Prepares written reports data requested or required 
• Monitors child database system and provides teachers support with observations with the goal of improving child outcomes. 
• Other duties as assigned. 

Physical Requirements: 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform.  

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to speak and read English proficiently. The employee must regularly operate a word-processing system and therefore must be able to read, produce and transmit data on such a system. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 pounds. Specific vision requirements include the ability to see at close range. 

Working Conditions: 

(The unavoidable, externally imposed conditions under which the work must be performed, and which create hardship for the incumbent including the frequency and duration of occurrence of physical demands, environmental conditions, demands on one’s senses, and mental demands.)