Program Specialist

Title: Program Specialist

Department: Early Childhood Education

For forward-thinking administrators and educators, opportunities abound in the School District of Philadelphia. The School District of Philadelphia is committed to transforming the education opportunities it offers the city’s more than 203,000 school-aged children. The District seeks leaders who have a passion for working with schools, principals and communities who are committed to ensuring all students achieve. Serving a population as diverse as ours requires creativity, commitment and vision. Will you join us?

Job Summary

Provides technical assistance and support to school administration and staff as well as external agencies in response to the School District’s education initiatives. Facilitates the enrollment and registration processes to ensure that access to education is not hindered by concerns associated with transiency. Identifies and locates children, removes barriers of learning, assesses their needs, and develops appropriate programs based on these needs. Insures that all legislative regulations governing the educational rights of children and youth are adhered to and establishes and maintains liaison with local, state and federal officials and agency representatives.

Essential Functions

• Implements the EXCEL program.

• Collects, manages and monitors program implementation and outcome data.

• Coordinates various campaigns and serve as a liaison between the Office of Early Childhood and corporate sponsors.

• Schedules and enters credit for professional development.

• Participates in school opening and closing processes.

• Identifies and orders materials as appropriate to support early childhood programming.

• Serves as resource contact person on issues pertaining to early childhood students within the School District of Philadelphia’s Partner Childcare Agencies; delivers informational sessions to internal and external personnel working with early childhood students.

• Consults with stakeholders pertaining to student achievement; conducts follow-up sessions and professional development.

• Visits service providers and city agencies that provide programs and services, communicates with program managers and staff, and evaluates services being provided.

• Gathers and compiles data and prepares reports.

• Identifies and discusses the appropriateness and necessity of services being rendered based on detailed evaluation of student outcomes.

• Establishes and maintains a cooperative working relationship with city officials and agency representatives.

• Conducts site visits; inputs written reports into chosen database, and maintains records.

• Attends required meetings at the local level.

• Represents superior at staff meetings.

• Performs other related duties as required

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.

• Three years of full-time, paid, professional experience which has involved working with children and youth, or in social services or community outreach work.

OR

• Any combination of training and experience determined to be acceptable by the Office of Talent.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Demonstrated knowledge of:

• the current, social, and economic problems affecting urban families and children and their specific impact on disadvantages families and children.
• the theories of child growth and development.

Knowledge of: counseling and intervention techniques.

Demonstrated ability to:

• conduct comprehensive needs assessments.
• communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• establish and maintain effective working relationships.

Disclaimer

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified.

Nondiscrimination

The School District of Philadelphia provides to all persons equal access to all categories of employment in this district, regardless of race, color, age, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, ancestry, national origin or handicap/disability, gender identity, or genetic information. Please refer to Board Policy 104 for further information regarding the District's commitment to Nondiscrimination in Employment Practices.