Inclusion and Family Specialist: Lakeland, FL

As an Inclusion and Family Specialist, you are a member of the school leadership team, with a focus on mobilizing and coordinating services for children and families of the Bezos Academy preschool in Lakeland. You will lead the development of student support plans and services and serve as the liaison to the local district office and service providers. You will work collaboratively to build the skills of staff, children, and families by providing services that include meetings and workshops, classroom visits and observations, crisis intervention, and staff training. You will develop meaningful partnerships with local educational agencies to support children with developmental delays or disabilities and forge connections to resources in the community and support families in accessing those resources. You will also work closely with the Head of School to ensure smooth school operations and support the educational experience for each child in every classroom, including providing classroom supervision, as needed.

You are deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion practices and achieving equitable outcomes for students in under-resourced communities nationwide, across all lines of difference. You have prior experience working with young children who have or are at risk of developmental delays or disabilities, ideally in a preschool classroom setting.

LOCATION, BENEFITS, AND COMPENSATION

• We are actively hiring for an Inclusion and Family Specialist at our location in Lakeland, Florida (2730 Maine Avenue, Lakeland, FL 33801).
• Relocation assistance is available for this role.
• This is a full-time, benefits-eligible, salaried position.
• The full salary range for this position is $58,000 - $87,000 per year. The upper third of the salary range is typically reserved for existing employees who have been in the role for multiple years and demonstrate strong performance over time. Starting salary will vary by qualifications and prior experience.
• This role includes 15 paid days of vacation, 4 days of paid personal time off, and 9 paid days of sick (care) time prorated based on your position start date, as well as, 9 paid holidays, 5 paid days off for an organization-wide winter break, and additional time off if required by applicable law. Benefits for this role include medical, dental, and vision insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, a 401(k) plan with a 4% employer contribution match, paid parental leave, an employer-matched flexible spending account for dependent care, and more. Please see here for details.

Relocation support is available for this role.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree
• Two or more years of special education experience from infancy through third grade
• Proven experience identifying children who need additional support, identifying effective strategies that teachers can reasonably deploy to support each child, and writing, supporting implementation, and monitoring progress of the student support plans
• Significant work experience with children and families in low-income communities in the US OR personal experience in low-income communities in the US (grew up and/or attended school in)
• Skill in collaborating with families, the community, school staff, school leadership, and others to build trusting relationships and partnerships, including across lines of difference
• Ability to meet all credentialing criteria for lead early childhood teachers in Florida
• Ability to be in assigned school on site five days a week to support smooth school operations and ensure proper staff-to-child classroom ratios, as needed

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced degree in early childhood, special education, social work, psychology, behavioral science, or a related field
• LMSW, LCSW, or BCBA certification Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) training or certification
• Deep knowledge on developing, writing, and monitoring the progress of student individualized education plans (IFSPs, IEPs, etc.)
• Proficiency or fluency in Spanish
• Knowledge of Montessori principles and overall approach
• Knowledge of the local community
• Experience supporting school strategic and operational planning
• Experience teaching preschool or coaching and developing teachers
• Ability to serve as the school’s licensing designee when the Head of School is not in the building

RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Conduct classroom observations and social/developmental assessments of children
• Model, train, and coach school staff and providers on evidence-based interventions and strategies to support students to succeed in an inclusive program
• Lead all aspects of developing student support plans, including collecting data, aligning stakeholders, supporting and coaching teachers to effectively implement strategies outlined in the plan
• Monitor goals in student support plans, discuss progress with stakeholders, and update plans as necessary in systems of record
• Read and ensure compliance with special education files, 504s, IEPs, resources, progress monitoring reports, related services schedules, and regional special education database
• Ensure compliance with local and federal legislation, regulations, and guidelines around special education
• Serve as liaison between local district, family, and school team for initial referrals 
• Collaborate with regional early intervention providers to ensure seamless transition into the school environment
• Support families to help them understand their child’s disability and equip them with the tools necessary to support their child’s progress with a strengths-based approach
• Connect families to community resources and health, housing, food, and crisis support and create an alliance between home, school, and community providers to access, mobilize and coordinate services
• As needed, independently supervise children throughout the day in classrooms and a variety of other situations, including but not limited to arrival/departure, transitions, outside time, rest/nap time, and (if offered) extended hours
• Assist in the development and implementation of school policies, procedures, and strategic initiatives as directed by the Head of Schools  
• Identify and address areas of improvement and implement efficient systems to enhance operational effectiveness  
• Monitor and address any operational issues or emergencies, providing timely and effective solutions to minimize disruptions 
• Maintain documentation and accurate records
• As needed, serve as the school’s licensing designee when the Head of School is not in the building

Please click here for a full job description.

Bezos Academy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status, or disability status.

Bezos Academy participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with employee Form I-9 Information to confirm authorization to work in the U.S. Bezos Academy only uses E-Verify once a candidate has accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9. If E-Verify cannot confirm that an employee is authorized to work, Bezos Academy will give the employee written instructions and an opportunity to contact the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so the employee can begin to resolve the issue before any adverse employment action is taken. For more information about your right to work, please see the Notice of Right to Work.