Education Specialist

Title:                    Education Specialist

Location:            1309 Louis Nine Blvd, Bronx, NY 10459

Reports to:        Vice President of Home-based Childcare Services

About Us:

The Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDco) is a community development organization founded on the radically simple idea that all people deserve to live in healthy, vibrant communities.  We build award-winning, sustainable, affordable homes – but our work is not over when our buildings are complete.  WHEDco believes that to be successful, affordable housing must be anchored in strong communities of which residents can be proud. WHEDco’s mission is to create and bridge access in the South Bronx to resources that support thriving neighborhoods – from stable, affordable housing to high-quality early childhood and school-age youth education programs, comprehensive family and community services, business and entrepreneur assistance, and cultural programming. See www.whedco.org for more information.

Job Summary:

WHEDco and the New York City Department of Education (DOE) regard family childcare as a respected and valued profession within the early care and education system. We aim to support and enhance the inherent strengths of family childcare programs for children from birth to age four. These programs foster continuous and responsive relationships, strengthen early learning skills, build resilience, and lay the groundwork for future learning. The primary role of the Education Specialist is to establish strengths-based relationships with affiliated providers, offering support as needed, particularly in implementing high-quality, play-based instruction.

Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with the FCC Education Director, FCC Family Support Worker, and FCC Monitors to meet the needs of all children and families.
• Provide strength-based, practice-based coaching twice monthly to approximately 17 affiliated providers implementing a mixed-age curriculum.
• Adapt and provide guidance to affiliated providers on implementing an evidence-based, mixed-age curriculum tailored to meet the individual needs of all children.
• Review and adapt curriculum supports and documents with affiliated providers to foster hands-on, developmentally appropriate, and relationship-based interactions with all children.
• Assist affiliated providers in gathering observations of children and entering child assessment data in a timely manner and support its use for curriculum and lesson planning.
• Document all coaching sessions in alignment with the DOE’s Early Childhood Framework for Quality (EFQ).
• Assist with ongoing outreach, enrollment, and other administrative tasks.
• Support the FCC Education Director in coordinating all required professional learning days throughout the year.
• Maintain relationships with community partners who provide mental health, special needs, and other support services for all affiliated providers and families.
• Create and regularly update the Community Partner Resource Guide within the FCC Network.
• Participate in twice-monthly FCC Network staff meetings to discuss individual providers, families, and coordinate all services.
• Participate in professional learning sessions delivered to Network staff.
• Perform other tasks as assigned by the FCC Education Director.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education or Infant/Toddler Studies required.
• Experience teaching children under six years of age required.
• Experience working in family childcare, particularly with infants and toddlers preferred.
• Strong time management skills are essential.
• Must be willing to travel within the FCC Network catchment area.
• Ability to multitask effectively.
• Must be a team player.
• Must have an appreciation for the unique needs of all providers and families.

WHEDco affords all qualified applicants equal employment opportunities without discrimination because of race, creed (religion), color, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, military status, age, disability, predisposing genetic characteristic, marital status or domestic violence victim status, or any other category protected by law. WHEDco follows the requirements of the New York Human Rights Law with regard to non-discrimination on the basis of prior criminal conviction and prior arrest.

WHEDco is an E-Verify employer. E-Verify is an Internet-based system that compares information entered by an employer from an employee’s Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to records available to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to confirm employment eligibility.