Early Head Start Mentor Coach (Personal Services)

PROGRAM SUMMARY:

Volunteers of America is a federally and stated funded comprehensive early childhood education program with a focus on child development that includes a child's cognitive, physical and social emotional growth and development. The program fosters Family Engagement in all areas of a child's development and provides comprehensive resources to low income families in the areas of health, nutrition and community resources.

SUMMARY OF DUTIES:

The Mentor-Coach will provide teaching staff with individualized coaching and support to enhance the quality of early childhood classroom services. The Mentor-coach will provide ‘hands on support' to teaching staff as additional professional development. The Mentor-Coach works in collaboration with the Education Service Area, including Center Child Development Coordinators who directly supervise teaching staff and develop the Professional Development Goals. Professional development goals support the School Readiness Goals for all children enrolled with Volunteers of America. Mentor coaching will be aligned to assessment data from DRDP, ECERs, ASQ-SE and any other sources selected by Administration. The agency commits to provide all children with a learning environment and the varied experience, which will help them, develop skills and knowledge to support School Readiness. We integrate all learning domains of the Head Start Early Learning Framework, and CA State Preschool Leaning Foundations in the daily program of activities.

Essential Job Functions:

The duties below are intended to provide an overview of the duties required of the Education Supervisor/Mentor-Coach.

• Conducts classroom visits for the purpose of observing classroom activities, teacher-child interactions and provides on-site support to teaching staff as a Mentor-Coach.
• Conducts observations using tools such as ECERS as well as classroom observations to ensure that school readiness goals doe enrolled children are addresses with the appropriate individualized activities.
• Provides training and technical assistance to Center Child Development Coordinators (CDC) and teaching staff.
• May confer with teaching staff regarding child's behavioral or learning difficulties, and recommends teaching strategies to encourage learning experiences.
• Provides direction to CDC's for teaching staff development.
• Establishes effective line of communication with CDCs.
• Participates in team meetings at sites with CDC and teaching staff. May participate in other agency meetings as requested.
• Prepares and submits reports to the Director on site visits, classroom/teacher observations and center activities promptly and accurately.
• Develops and maintains a calendar of mentor-coaching activities and provides updates to Director.
• Participates in the training needs assessment for teaching staff.
• Attends trainings and meetings, as scheduled and/or assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE & SKILLS:

Education:

• Bachelor's or advanced degree in early childhood education or a related field from an institution of higher learning accredited by a regional accreditation association recognized by the Council for Higher Education.

Experience:

• Minimum three years' experience in teaching infant/toddlers to school age children, as well as expertise in the theories and principles of child growth and development, early childhood education and family support.
• Minimum of one year providing mentor-coaching or technical assistance to 0-5 teaching staff.

Knowledge and Skills:

• The capacity to offer assistance to teachers in the implantation of curricula to meet the group and individual needs
• Must have knowledge of Head Start goals and objectives for young children and their families.
• Ability to work effectively with a variety of adults.
• Understanding of an ability to provide training in principles of child growth and development, School Readiness.
• Understanding of various cultural backgrounds of Head Start families.
• Ability to meet physical requirements of the position per attached Physical Demand Analysis, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Licenses/Permits/Certifications:

• California Child Development Director's Permit
• Experience and Knowledge of fundamentals of Early Learning Outcomes and School Readiness goals
• Knowledge of professional development practices for early childhood educators, such as Practice Based Coaching.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

Eligibility to Work:  All potential employees will be asked to present supporting documents establishing proof of identity and employment eligibility upon completing the I-9 form.

Medical Examination:  Must submit a medical examination demonstrating capability to perform type of work required; must submit a tuberculin skin test or chest x-ray, and proof of the following immunizations; Influenza, Pertussis TDAP (Whooping Cough), and Measles (MMR).

Fingerprint Clearances:  All potential employees will be subject to obtain fingerprint clearances from the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Child Abuse Index prior to starting work. *

Other Special Requirement:  Must have the use of an automobile with adequate insurance coverage and a valid California driver's license, or have available transportation

 *Failure to meet medical standards and/or criminal record clearance may result in withdrawal of job appointment.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job:

• Ability to lift 30 pounds if required.

• Ability to squat, bend, stoop, sit on floor, stand, and walk for required periods of time.

• Use close vision, color vision, peripheral vision and depth perception along with the ability to focus       vision.

• Reach with hands, arms, use hands, and fingers to handle objects and operate tools, computers, and/or controls.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.