Early Childhood Education Leader

Definition

Definition: Under general supervision from the Superintendent, the Early Childhood Education Leader educationally leads, plans, organizes, directs and manages the SRPMIC Early Childhood Education Center to provide the most appropriate education and developmental services to children ages 2 weeks to 5 years old; and the educational and support services to their parents and families. Responsibilities include the management and implementation of classroom operations, exceptional student services, family advocacy, parent education, health and nutrition programs; and coordination of services to families from other SRPMIC departments and the State of Arizona. This is inclusive of the management of Head Start, Early Head Start, Child Care Development Fund, and other grants.

Primary Job Functions: Primary functions may vary among positions, but may include the following tasks, knowledge, skills, and abilities among other characteristics. This list of tasks is ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY and is not intended to be a comprehensive listing of tasks performed by all positions in this classification.

Examples of Tasks

Job Duties

• Provides Educational Leadership - For the ECEC and all students and staff attending the center. Assists students, staff and parents with comprehensive educational programming with in the center and the home based programs. Stays current with the theory and practices of early childhood education and child development. Ensures that all students are educationally and developmentally ready for the transition to kindergarten. Facilitates monitors and evaluates the implementation of the early childhood educational and developmental programming. Is current with the latest teaching and learning methodologies and the developmental practices necessary to accommodate the needs of the children attending ECEC.

• Manages Staff - Plans, organizes, directs and manages the activities of staff assigned to the Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC) including classroom teachers, assistant teachers, teacher aides, curriculum specialists, health and nutrition specialists, parent educators, cultural specialists, disability specialists, enrollment, accounting, clerical staff and assigned administrators. Includes the development of benchmarks, duties and goals, monitoring of performance, conducting performance evaluations, conducting training needs assessments, developing training plans and training programs. In addition, assures that ECEC staff is cognizant of applicable federal, state, and tribal compliance requirements.

• Program Planning & Development - Establishes and maintains the Early Childhood Education Center that promotes an effective learning environment for children from infant to kindergarten. Manages the initiation, design, implementation, and monitoring of child development activities to meet specific needs of enrolled children. Monitors the educationally programming and developmental learning tools and activities to ensure that the learning and activities are compliment established age appropriate lesson plans, and developmental abilities. Develops and implements effective processes for conducting classroom observations to aid in assuring program compliance and continual improvement of instruction as well as provide documentation and feedback. Promotes the educational development of each ECEC student and the understanding of their pattern of development and learning.

• Family Advocacy Services - Manages and coordinates a family advocacy program that conducts a needs assessment for each family to identify service needs and to identify community resources and services that are available to provide appropriate service linkages for each family and child. The program provides periodic evaluation of available resources and services provided to ensure that they remain responsive to each family's interests and goals; and recommends changes as needed to meet evolving family needs. Maintains an active network with tribal programs to provide current information and obtain timely services for ECEC children and their families.

• Special Services - Manages programs to ensure that all educational aspects of health, nutrition, mental health, disability services, cultural education, parent involvement, and family support are evaluated for each child and are integrated into individual student's program activities in a comprehensive an coordinated team effort; and providing an array of services to exceptional students including speech therapy, behavioral health services, occupational therapy, and other supplemental services as may be appropriate.

• Parent Education Services - Manages a program to provide parent education services and training programs to encourage and facilitate quality parenting.

• Mediation - Serve as the primary mediator in resolving parental and/or teacher disputes and issues.

• Business Systems - Manages the development and maintenance of ECEC policies and procedures to ensure the integration and efficient operation of each program in collaboration and with approval of governing entities.

• Boards & Committees - Serves as an advocate for the ECEC by serving on, or reporting to, various boards and committees. Works with parents and ECEC Policy Council to develop and implement ways to enhance ongoing ECEC programs and community activities. Develops and maintains program policies and procedures in conjunction with the ECEC Policy Council. Attends required SRPMIC Education Board meetings.

• Accountability - Develops maintains and implements education program self-evaluation and monitoring tools to measure the performance of ECEC program areas over time to identify areas for improvement; and fiscal monitoring tools to assure accountability and control of all program expenditures.

• Management Reports - Prepares and submits periodic fiscal and program reports to the Education Superintendent / Director, ECEC Policy Council, Education Board and Tribal Council regarding the status of program operation, self-assessment results, program goals and progress achieved.

• Budget Management - Develops and maintains annual operating tribal and grant budget requests to fund expenditures for the various programs. Prepares and submits annual budget proposal to Education Superintendent / Director and ECEC Policy Council for inclusion in the Education Division annual budget submission. Monitors and tracks tribal and grant funded positions to assure that they are utilized as intended.

• Grant Management - Plans, prepares, and submits grant applications for Head Start, Child Care Development, and other ECEC programs to funding agencies. Monitors and ensures that grant funding applications and program reports are submitted within time limit prescribed by the funding source to avoid loss of funds. Develops and maintains processes and procedures to ensure accurate accountability for grants and tribal program funds for all ECEC programs. Tracks and approves program expenditures in accordance with grant parameters.

• Procurement - Manages the acquisition of learning equipment, materials, supplies, programs and other resources needed to continually improve the various learning programs of the ECEC program.

• Records Management - Monitors the development, maintenance and audit of student records that includes attendance, student progress, health immunizations, disabilities income eligibility and family needs (Family Partnership contract).

• Performs other related duties as assigned for the purpose of ensuring the efficient and effective functioning of the work unit.

Knowledge, Abilities, Skills, and Other Characteristics

A willingness to learn and understand:

• The History, culture, traditions, and customs of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community

Knowledge of:

• Arizona State Regulations for Child Care Licensure
• National Head Start and Early Head Start Performance Standards
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Guidelines
• Accommodation Requirements of the ADA for disabled programs
• Laws, regulations, and policies governing the care and education of children ages birth through 5 years
• Special needs of children in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
• Standard principles, practices, methods, and techniques for administrating early childhood education
• programs
• Government fund accounting, grant management and budgeting practices.
• Records management systems
• Generally accepted principles and practices of employee management and supervision, including training,
• counseling, and performance evaluations
• Staff development methods and employee motivation techniques

Skilled in:

• Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with the public school systems, community agencies and departments, vendors, parents, volunteers, Policy Council, Education Board, SRPMIC staff, and the general public
• Public relations
• Making formal presentations and developing appropriate media materials
• Developing proposals, reports and budgets for grants
• Evaluating student needs and utilizing/developing program and other SRPMIC resources, or other appropriate referrals, to meet such needs
• Dealing with sensitive, personnel issues, and maintaining appropriate, professional, confidential relationships
• Providing leadership to and evaluating the work of subordinate staff
• Instructing others and working effectively on a team

Ability to:

• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing
• Research potential funding sources, write grants and requests for proposal (RFP's)
• Input data and retrieve information, such as statistics, in order to prepare necessary financial and program reports
• Maintain accurate records for accountability of ECE Program funds
• Prepare budgets, monitors expenditures, provides quarterly reports, and review contracts
• Develop and present public materials, including, brochures, posters, news releases, newsletters, and classroom status reports
• Operate a variety of standard office equipment, including but not limited to: a photocopier, fax machine, typewriter, calculator, telephone, and personal computer to fulfill job requirements.
• Handle food products, various supplies, and cleaning products, including but not limited to: soap and bleach.
• Be adaptable, flexible, resourceful, energetic, creative, and dependable.
• Ability to drive various SRPMIC vehicles such as a fifteen (15) passenger van.

Minimum Qualifications

Required Education: Master's degree from accredited college or university in Early Childhood Education, Early Childhood Development, Elementary Education, Educational Leadership or a closely related field. Minimum of three (3) years teaching experience in Head Start, Child Care, Early Elementary Grades or closely related program, and four (4) years progressively responsible fulltime work experience supervising, managing, and overseeing staff/administrative responsibilities for a related program is required.

• Applicants with a Master's degree in a "closely related field" must have a minimum of 18 credit hours in Early Childhood or Childhood Development from an accredited college or university.
• Preference will be given to applicants who possess a Master's degree in Education Administration or Early Childhood Education Administration.

Equivalency: Any equivalent combination of education and/or experience that would allow the candidate to satisfactorily perform the duties of this position, will be considered.

Underfill Eligibility: An enrolled Community Member whom closely qualifies for the minimum qualifications for a position may be considered for employment under SRPMIC Policy 2-19, Underfill.

Special Requirements

Special Requirements - Due to the confidential and sensitive nature of this position, successful completion of an extensive background investigation is required. Incumbent is required to pass a basic physical examination and provide proof of immunizations at time of hire. Follow-up physical examinations and current immunizations are required and must be completed to maintain good employment status. Maintaining booster shots on immunizations and taking a TB skin test or x-ray annually is also required. Documentation of the above medical actions is absolutely essential for the file and for the health of the children in the Early Childhood Education Program. Incumbent must also obtain First Aid and CPR certification within the first three (3) months of employment from the date of hire and maintain certification subsequently.

• At the time of hire, the incumbent must pass a basic physical examination and produce proof of a negative TB clearance and current immunizations, as well as fingerprint clearance.

Driving Requirement: This job description does not require the incumbent to drive; however, any employee who chooses or is asked to drive an SRPMIC vehicle for work related community business must receive authorization to do so. For clarification, work related community business includes driving to and from SRPMIC government sites and buildings.

Terms of Employment: This position is treated as a full-time exempt position scheduled for 40 hours per week.

Prior to hire as an employee, applicants will be subject to drug and alcohol testing. Will be required to pass a pre-employment background/fingerprint check.

"SRPMIC is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer" Preference will be given to a qualified : Community Member Veteran, Community Member, Spouse of Community Member, qualified Native American, and then other qualified candidate.

In order to obtain preference, the following is required: 1) Qualified Community Member Veteran (DD-214) will be required at the time of application submission 2) Qualified Community Member (must provide Tribal I.D at time of application submission),3) Spouse of a Community Member (Marriage License/certificate and spouse Tribal ID or CIB is required at time of application submission), and 4) Native American (Tribal ID or CIB required at time of application submission).

Documents may be submitted by one of the following methods:

1) attach to application

2) fax (480) 362-5860

3) mail or hand deliver to Human Resources.

Documentation must be received by position closing date.

The IHS/BIA Form-4432 is not accepted .

Your Tribal ID/CIB must be submitted to HR-Recruitment-Two Waters.