Education Manager

Summary: Responsible for ensuring quality developmental and educational programming for children ages three (3) years to twenty-one (21) years. Defines and oversees implementation of curricula and best practices to achieve the highest standards and outcomes in education. Ensures classroom environment supports learning and individualized student needs. Supports classroom staff including teaching assistants, direct support professionals, and behavior technicians in carrying out programming through coaching, training, and hands-on modeling.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Classroom Instruction

• Plans curriculum and prepares lessons and other instructional materials to meet individual needs of students, considering state and school requirements, and physical, emotional, and educational levels of development.
• Instructs students, using special education strategies and techniques, to improve sensory-motor and perceptual-motor development, perception, memory, language, cognition, and social and emotional development.
• Uses lessons that incorporate best practices, accommodations, and adaptive equipment that best meets individual needs of students.
• Creates learning materials and bulletin boards that foster motivation and learning.
• Works with students to increase motivation, provide consistent reinforcement to learning, continuous assessment of level of functioning, and continuous feedback to students for all learning activities.
• Confers with parents, administrators, testing specialists, therapists, social worker, and others to develop individual educational program for each student.
• Incorporates and carries out student's behavior programs in conjunction with the behavior specialists and behavior technicians.
• Directs and maintains well-organized classroom routines and schedules.
• Timely completes required paperwork including evaluations, weekly or monthly data sheets (depending on program requirements), reports, quarterly evaluations, attendance, lesson plans, classroom schedules.
• Administers and scores standardized testing to evaluate and/or assess assigned students’ needs.
• Develops appropriate education objectives and goals for individualized program, treatment or education plans (IPP, ITP or IEP) depending on age of individual served and specific program requirements.
• Plans and directs classroom duties of teaching assistants (TAs)/paraprofessionals. Holds TAs/paraprofessionals accountable for job performance. Communicates ongoing problems with assistant director. Provides feedback for annual evaluation of TAs/paraprofessionals.
• Assists with feeding and changing of students and other personal care needs.
• Keeps monthly progress data to show student's progress towards goals and objectives. Turns in data on a regular basis as defined by director.
• Communicates with guardians and other staff about student's progress through regular reports and team meetings.
• Attends team meetings and other meetings held to discuss student needs.
• Conducts monthly observations for public school children where applicable.
• Arrives before students and is prepared for the instructional day.
• Maintains good attendance. If unable to report to work due to illness or emergency, notifies the assistant director as soon as possible.
  
  

Programming

• In addition to serving as the primary teacher for a classroom, this position is responsible for curriculum implementation and programming across the education program including the following specific duties.
• Train and mentor teachers and TAs/paraprofessionals to ensure delivery of developmentally appropriate, quality programming.
• Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of and ensure developmental, educational, and related service programming meets the requirement of the laws and regulations of the Arkansas Department of Education Special Education Unit.
• Provide input in classroom placement decisions.
• Support teachers in communicating with local school districts on admission, ongoing and discharge regarding education plans for individuals served.
• Ensure classroom staff receive timely information about new students including academic history, medical history, and any behavior concerns.
• Implement and monitor system for ensuring that timelines are met with respect to quarterly progress reports and conferences for individuals served by the education program.
• Ensure consistent, timely data collection on individual education/program plans across all classrooms.
• Provide input in and assist with implementation and monitoring of quality assurance/quality improvement program.
• Serve as liaison to families and other CRC departments as needed.
• Support teachers in creating a learning rich environment through classroom arrangement, use of visuals, and access to equipment and supports needed for each individual served.
• Provide information and training to staff on any changes that impact programming and/or related documentation such as data collection, goals, and objectives, etc.
• Support teachers in creating classrooms that maintain an environment and activities in accordance with quality standards and best practices.
• Mentor classroom staff in application of special education practices and concepts.
• Provide or make available professional development and education for teachers and teaching assistants.
  
  

CURRICULUM, ASSESSMENT, AND INSTRUCTION

• Select and implement education curriculum and related programming that complies with all licensing agencies and in accordance with best practice guidelines.
• Oversee classroom teacher development and implementation of regular lesson plans and activities with linkage to curriculum and individual student goals.
• Support classrooms in gathering resources and materials needed to support quality instruction.
• Facilitate coordination of goals and objectives for the students with therapies and other services received.
• Periodically reviews lesson plans to ensure timely completion, consistently sharing with other team members, clear delineation of roles and responsibilities of teacher and TAs/paraprofessionals, incorporation of centers and circle time, and well differentiated activities based on each individual student’s need.
• Encourage teaming between classroom, behavior, habilitation, nursing and therapy staff to optimize individualization of lesson plan in accordance with each student’s goals and objectives and to each student’s ability level.
• Monitor student and classroom progress through review of teacher administered assessments, daily data collection, and developmental evaluations.
• Oversee and/or perform developmental testing, score results, and generate reports in a timely manner.
• Ensure consistent implementation of evidence-based practices with fidelity.
• Ensure classroom instruction and activities and education plans facilitate a pathway to graduation for students as well as plans for higher education or active programming beyond high school where appropriate.
  
  

FINANCIAL

• Provide input during education budget development.
  
  

Compliance/HIPAA

While performing the duties of this job, employee will comply with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations pertaining to Easterseals Arkansas.

Employee has access to all client protected health information within his/her program. Employee will not attempt to access any other protected health information unless otherwise approved by Supervisor or Privacy Officer.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Directly supervises assigned staff. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.