Child Development Specialist in Houston, Texas at Gulf Coast Community Services Association Inc

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Child Development Specialist supports the Child Development Manager in designing and implementing developmentally appropriate curriculum that addresses the cultural, social, language, literacy, and cognitive needs of young children.

The position also involves close collaboration with partner school districts, programs, and community agencies to ensure that the Head Start program effectively prepares children for school success.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Support and assist teaching staff as they implement the following models and strategies:

Teaching and learning environment:

• Plan and implement developmentally appropriate activities that support children’s literacy, language, cognitive, social/emotional, and physical/health development.
• Establish a positive, nurturing, and caring environment to foster children’s emotional security and confidence.
• Use flexible grouping strategies for instruction to promote collaboration and build a caring, community-based classroom.
• Use various teaching strategies to ensure all children, including those with disabilities or special needs, are successful in their learning experiences.
• Ensure the classroom is organized and that classroom equipment and materials are clean for the children to use. Coordinate with all Head Start / Early Head Start Specialists, Licensing, and Accreditation in the development of new or improved teaching approaches.
• Provide weekly classroom observations, support staff on behavior interventions, and maintain program
• deadlines.

Curriculum:

• Develop and implement weekly lesson plans that align with developmentally appropriate curricula.
• Incorporate best practices in teaching methods and materials to enhance children’s learning outcomes.
• Ensure that learning materials are accessible and reflect diversity, supporting inclusivity for all children.
• Implement weekly lesson plans and follow the classroom daily schedule.
• Inform/teach/demonstrate to teaching staff how to implement “best practices” material, curricula, and approaches.

Child screening and assessment:

• Conduct daily observations of children to track progress and identify developmental needs.
• Perform quarterly developmental assessments to monitor and assess each child’s learning and progress.
• Provide individualized learning strategies based on assessment results to ensure each child’s developmental outcomes are met.
• Assist teachers and Center Administrators in the assessment process, providing guidance and support to ensure accuracy and efficiency in evaluating children’s progress

Parent and family engagement in education and child development services:

• Encourage parents to be involved in the curriculum through weekly family activities, classroom volunteering and attending monthly parent meetings.
• Maintain regular communication with parents regarding their child’s development and progress.

Training and professional development:

• Lead the creation, execution, and monitoring of the CLASS (Classroom Assessment Scoring System) Action Plan, collaborating with teaching staff and administrators to ensure the implementation of effective strategies aimed at improving classroom quality and child development outcomes.
• Provide coaching and ongoing support to all teaching staff, fostering their professional development and enhancing instructional practices.
• Train staff to ensure their knowledge and skills are aligned with best practices in early childhood education.
• Coordinate with the Child Development and Professional Development Coordinator to create a tailored training plan based on the specific needs of each center.
• Facilitate continuous training and professional development opportunities for teaching staff to keep their knowledge up-to-date and aligned with evolving educational standards.

KEY KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES NEEDED:

• Have exceptional people skills and customer service. Must have the ability to read and comprehend intermediate to complex instructions. Excellent oral and written communication skills are necessary to interact with all levels of management, colleagues, and staff to ensure consistency and proper procedure implementation;
• Have advanced technological skills and knowledge of Microsoft Office 365 Application Suite, and client tracking software.
• Have effective leadership and organizational skills.
• Problem-solve effectively and make data-driven decisions.
• Have familiarity with the Head Start/Early Head Start Act, Head Start Performance Standards, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Childcare Licensing Standards.
• Promote a harassment-free environment.
• Be able to work independently or on teams in a challenging work atmosphere.
• Be able to prioritize and balance multiple projects and deadlines in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Plan and complete tasks and assignments on schedule with minimal supervision using appropriate judgment.
• Exercise appropriate judgment, discretion, and maintain the confidentiality of all GCCSA’s stakeholders.
• Avoid any interest or activity that conflicts with GCCSA’s Standards of Conduct.
• Be experienced in conflict resolution; and Work with intentionality and integrity to ethically uphold GCCSA’s mission, values, and goals.

DESCRIPTION OF WORK ENVIRONMENT

GCCSA’s work locations vary based on the duties and responsibilities of the GCCSA team members (e.g., office,

workstation, classroom, food pantry, warehouse, training, and/or counseling rooms). In general, the noise level is

usually quiet to moderately noisy.

VITAL TRAITS

• People-person
• Adaptable
• Self-starter
• Energetic
• Results-oriented
• Respectful
• Critical-Thinker
• Decisive
• Trustworthy
• Inclusive
• Servant-Leader

The following educational/experiential, licensing/certifications, communication, and physical demands outlined below must be evident and met satisfactorily:

Bachelor’s Degree required in Early Childhood Development, Elementary Education, or related field. Combination of lesser education with strong proven experience may be considered. Minimum of three (3) years of classroom teaching experience. Desired curriculum development and analysis background.

Knowledge of adult learning styles and successful approaches to adult learning. Experience working in multi-disciplinary teams. Experience working with children, preferably birth to five years. Knowledge of problems of low-income families, especially minority groups.

Experience in Head Start/Early Head Start preferred. Ability to provide large or small group training.

1. Communication Skills

Must have the ability to read and comprehend intermediate to complex instructions. Bilingual English/Spanish preferred.

Able to write concise, logical, and grammatically correct written communication and the ability to write simple and clear correspondence.

Excellent oral and written communication skills are necessary to interact with all levels of management, colleagues, and staff to ensure consistency and proper procedure implementation.

GCCSA is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and apprenticeship. GCCSA makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.

In addition, GCCSA retains the right to change or assign other duties to this position, as needed.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT STATEMENT

If requested, GCCSA will attempt to provide reasonable accommodations to enable employees with disabilities to perform essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship.