Director of Early Childhood and Special Programs

Description

Position Objective

The Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph in Kansas City, Missouri is seeking a Director of Early Childhood and Special Programs who is charged with the comprehensive oversight of Early Childhood, Federal and Special Education programs and initiatives. In addition, this position provides coordination and support of school counselors and school nurses. The goal of this position is to optimize resources for Catholic schools while providing assistance to pastors, principals, directors, teachers and stakeholders throughout the diocese.  This is a full time position averaging 40 hours per week.

Essential Duties 

• Ensure school consultations and participation in Federal Programs.
• Support schools in accessing appropriate federal and state grant programs for non-public schools.
• Act as a liaison between Catholic schools, Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) related to IDEA and Federal Programs for non-public schools.
• Assist schools in developing protocols and systems for providing special education support to students with exceptionalities.
• Provide onsite student observations and consultation.
• Act as a mediator in facilitating conversations between parents and schools, particularly in situations with Special Education, Counseling or Early Childhood programs.
• Serve as Catholic School Office representative on the FIRE Foundation Board.
• Organize and/or assist in organizing professional development sessions, meetings, and other events to ensure ongoing formation for principals, special education teachers, school counselors, nurses, and Early Education Center staff.
• Assist Associate Superintendent with accreditation process for PreK-12 schools and Early Education Centers.
• Work with Pastors to supervise and evaluate six Early Education Center Directors.
• Analyze and provide data related to Title programs, special education, and early childhood programs as required for reporting      purposes.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Respects and maintains confidentiality.
• Maintain patience and flexibility when responding to new demands.
• Earn others’ trust and respect through consistent honesty and professionalism in all interactions.
• Use strong verbal and written communication skills to exchange information clearly and concisely
• Build constructive working relationships.

Basic Qualifications

• College degree in special education, school leadership, or related field is required, master’s degree preferred
• Knowledge of special education, federal programs, early childhood development and other ancillary programs such as school counseling and school nursing.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience, preferably in Catholic education
• Advanced Word, Excel, Outlook, and other applications.
• Practicing Catholic with ethical standards, personal integrity, and conduct consistent with the morals and teachings of the Catholic Church.

The Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph offers a comprehensive benefits program, including medical, dental and vision plans, STD/LTD fully paid by the employer, retirement plans including a 403b plan and a defined benefit pension plan. Paid time off includes Vacation and Sick leaves, plus paid Holidays.

NOTE: All employees are required to consent to a background check, commit to our Code of Conduct policy, and complete online and in-person training prior to hire.