Education Specialist (FCCN)

Union Settlement is an East Harlem anchor institution, serving families, children, youth, older adults, and businesses for more than 127 years. As a proud member of the settlement house movement, our nonprofit organization is always innovating to meet our evolving community. Since opening our doors in 1895, we have brought education, wellness, business support, and community-building programs to our neighborhood, empowering New Yorkers with opportunities to realize their dreams.

Today, Union Settlement offers more than thirty programs and services, across nearly twenty East Harlem locations and serves more than 10,000 people and nearly 1,000 businesses every year. As a pillar of East Harlem, Union Settlement is a connector, convenor, and advocate for the neighborhood and our network of partnerships. We have a dynamic, diverse, and collaborative team of more than 350 who are committed to supporting our neighbors and growing the vitality and success of East Harlem. With new leadership, Union Settlement is growing! 

Position:  Educational Specialist 

Department:  Family Services

Reports to:  Director of Curriculum, Training & Coaching

Hours:  Full-Time 

FLSA:  Exempt

Salary: $58,500

Position Summary: 

Union Settlement and Department of Education (DOE) view family child care as a respected and valued profession within the early care and education system in New York City. We seek to support and enhance the existing strengths of family child care as birth-3 programs that promote continuous and responsive relationships, strengthen early learning skills, build resilience, and lay the foundation for all future learning. The primary role of the Education Specialist is to build strengths-based relationships with affiliated providers to support the implementation of high-quality play-based instruction.

Responsibilities: 

• Deliver strength-based, practice-based coaching for up to 17 affiliated family child care providers as they implement a mixed-age curriculum following the DOE’s Let’s Play curriculum and the Creative Curriculum.
• Provide coaching and guidance to affiliated providers on the educational curriculum's implementation by providing home visits at least twice per month for at least 90 minutes per visit.
• Adapt, coach, and model curriculum activities with affiliated providers that foster hands-on developmentally appropriate and relationship-based interactions with all children including infants and toddlers and children with developmental delays or disabilities. 
• Assist affiliated providers in documenting and gathering observations of children to determine children’s progress on key developmental milestones as track through Teaching Strategies Gold (TSG).
• Support affiliated providers in using TSG by entering children’s progress data in a timely manner and supporting its use for curriculum, lesson planning, and during conversations or conferences with families.
• Collaborate with the Director of Curriculum, Training and Coaching to support the professional development needs of affiliated family child care providers.
• Document all coaching sessions aligned with the DOE’s Early Childhood Framework for Quality (EFQ).
• Collaborate with the program and senior staff in offering opportunities for parents and family members to be involved in the program’s education and family services.
• Collaborate with the management team in implementing annual program self-assessment, staff evaluations, professional development, and monitoring compliance with the NYCDOE’s Family Child Care Policy Handbook and contract.
• Obtain required training to maintain compliance with the NYCDOE’s contract and policy handbook.
• Participate in staff meetings, one-on-one supervision sessions, and other meetings as needed to address the needs of affiliated providers, children, and families. 
• Collaborate with the team members in supporting providers in meeting compliance and ensure the health and safety of children in the programs.
• Participate in the program’s staff professional learning sessions and attend other training courses as needed or identified by program senior management and supervisors. 
• Other tasks as assigned by the Director of Curriculum, Training & Coaching.

Skills:

• Willingness to travel within the Manhattan area. 
• Time management skills are essential.
• Ability to multitask. 
• Must be a team player.
• Appreciation for the unique needs of all childcare providers and families.
• Bilingual preferred

Qualifications: 

• BA/BS in early childhood or infant/toddler studies (required) 
• Experience teaching children under four (required)
• Excellent computer skills (required)
• Experience working within a family childcare network (preferred)
• Excellent organizational skills and interpersonal skills.
• Overall flexibility and ability to work under pressure and meet many deadlines.

         UNION SETTLEMENT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER