Education Manager

Position Description Summary

The Education Manager serves as the administrative and operational leader of a group of

centers, and collaborates with the Director of Education to build a culture of excellence and accountability. Provides monitoring oversight to assure that all centers are fully compliant with Head Start Performance Standards and Head Start Act, state licensing regulations and all CDCFC policies. Oversees the implementation of a comprehensive educational plan and curriculum to enable school readiness. This position provides direct oversight, monitoring, and supervision to center coordinators, and indirectly supervises all center staff.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities

Provides leadership to multiple centers to ensure the overall direction, management, and oversight of the center to ensure staffing requirements are met to operate each classroom and confirms the staff completes protocols related to active supervision. May provide classroom coverage, including serving as a classroom substitute to ensure proper staffing coverage and operations of all classrooms to meet Head Start Performance Standards and state childcare regulations.

Effectively communicates updates to the standards, practices, and procedures necessary to ensure early childhood best practices are implemented, families are supported, and the health, safety, and supervision of children and environments are maintained.

Completes onsite center visits to confirm learning experiences that advance the intellectual and physical development of children have been planned and implemented. Confirms a safe, healthy learning environment that supports the social and emotional development of children has been established. Monitors the completion of weekly in-kind hours to ensure targets are met.

Directly supervises the center coordinators though onsite visitations, regularly scheduled monthly meetings, touch bases, and site monitoring. Provides coaching and feedback, performance evaluations and addresses behavior and performance concerns. Complete and discuss Professional Improvement Plans (PIP) with applicable staff. Develop plans for improvement and establish professional development goals. Participates in the interviewing, hiring, and training of center employees.

Collaborate with other departments to plan and review educational programming, activities, and expectations within and across service areas to ensure consistency of service delivery systems and practices.

Trains, observes, and monitors staff to follow appropriate practices, protocols, and checklists to keep children safe during all activities, including, at a minimum:

Reporting of suspected or known child abuse and neglect to Franklin County Children Services according to agency procedures and the Ohio Revised Code Section 2151.421.

Safe sleep practices, including ensuring that all sleeping arrangements for children under 18 months of age use firm mattresses or cots, as appropriate, and for children under 12 months, soft bedding materials or toys must not be used.

Appropriate indoor and outdoor supervision of children at all times.

Only releasing children to an authorized adult

Adhere to all standards of conduct described in Head Start Performance Standards §1302.90(c)

Trains, observes, and monitors staff to follow appropriate practices, protocols, and checklists to systematically and routinely implement hygiene practices that ensure:

Appropriate toileting, hand washing, and diapering procedures are followed.

Safe food preparation

Exposure to blood and body fluids is handled consistent with standards of the Occupational Safety Health Administration.

Documentation of feeding and diaper changes for Early Head Start children.

Trains, observes, and monitors staff to follow appropriate practices, protocols, and checklists to follow, and practice procedures for:

Emergencies

Fire prevention and response.

Protection from contagious disease

The handling, storage, administration, and record of administration of medication

Documenting children’s attendance upon arrival and departure

Maintaining procedures and systems to ensure children are only released to an authorized adult.

Child specific health care needs and food allergies that include accessible plans of action for emergencies.

Ensures the completion and upload of developmental, speech, vision, hearing, growth, and behavioral screenings for children within mandated timelines. Results of developmental, speech, vision, hearing, and growth are entered in Management Information System (Child Plus). Ensures center teaching staff review the results in writing with parents during the home visits or parent teacher conferences. Provides rationale on any screenings not completed within mandated timelines.

Confirms all required certifications (including First Aid, Child Abuse, Communicable Disease and CPR) and professional development hours and trainings are completed within the required periods and education staff have a current and complete medical, along with a current background check that is connected to the center’s license. Maintains and secures all center education files (personnel, licensing, and child). Monitors the progress of all teacher assistants to obtain the completion of CDA (Child Development Associate) credential in the required timeframe.

Collaborate with the Social Services Manager to ensure the center maintains full enrollment and timely processing of new enrollment is complete. Analyzes and mitigates risk to the program (attendance issues, low enrollment, licensing issues) by proactively monitoring, developing an action plan, and coordinating with Family Services Manager to execute the plan.

Monitor the completion of the Child and Family Review(CFRs) meetings and collaborating with multiple departments and to gather necessary information for each enrolled child.

Review, submit and provide feedback on all monitoring, weekly, and monthly reports to ensure compliance with Head Start Program Performance Standards, federal, state, and local regulations, as well as the implementation of and compliance with all CDCFC’s policies and procedures. Provide guidance and ensure site compliance with all ODJFS and SUTQ requirements.

Monitor and approve time and leave requests, purchase/funds requisitions, and personnel action changes for Education Team. Ensures that purchase requisitions are submitted in a timely manner. Ensure Center Coordinators maintains an inventory of all center equipment, supplies and furnishings based upon checklists and observations.

Serve as a Head Start advocate and liaison by representing the agency with collaborative partnerships and participating in community activities.

Maintain and respect the confidentiality of families, staff, and program.

Attend and participate in professional development, training, and meetings. Must participate in 20 hours of training per year in understanding children and improving delivery of childcare services.

Uses and follows the policies/procedures of Head Start Performance Standards, and all federal, state, and local regulations. Ensure all federal, local, state, and/or agency documentation is completed accurately.

Perform all other duties assigned by supervisor or manager.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and/or Abilities

Extensive knowledge of early childhood development principles and developmentally appropriate educational practices.

Ability to plan, manage, and implement curriculum.

Ability to manage stress, remain focused, and use sound judgement to make clear decisions.

Must possess excellent verbal and written communication skills and must have the ability to read and interpret documents, write reports, present information to staff and parents, and respond to questions in a timely manner.

Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software as required for recordkeeping and documentation

Required

Experience

A minimum of three (3) years early childhood or human services experience and a minimum of three (3) years of demonstrated supervisory experience. Prior knowledge and experience with Head Start is preferred.

Must possess excellent verbal and written communication skills and must have the ability to read and interpret documents, write reports, present information to staff and parents, and respond to questions in a timely manner.

Intermediate to advanced computer skills, internet, and e-mail.

Required Education, Certifications, Licenses

Must have a baccalaureate or advanced degree in early childhood education or equivalent coursework in early childhood education (ECE) with early education teaching experience.

Receive and maintain Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) certification.

Must meet all the Teacher qualifications to provide supervision of children.

Must have reliable transporation.

Work Environment and/or Physical Demands

Individuals will be required to speak, listen, stand, and walk frequently.

May also be required to sit at the children’s level, use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.

Must have the ability to lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.

May be required to travel to other centers to provide coverage based on agency needs.