Job Information

LOCATION OF (1) POSITION TO BE FILLED: DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION DIVISION, KNOX COUNTY
For more information, visit the link below:

https://www.tn.gov/education/career-opportunities.html
This position is hybrid

Qualifications

• Complete a criminal history disclosure form in a manner approved by the appointing authority;
• Submit to a review of the Indicated Persons Registry of the Department of Children's Services;
• Agree to release all records involving their criminal history to the appointing authority;
• Supply a fingerprint sample in a manner prescribed by the TBI for a fingerprint based criminal history records check;
• Submit to a review of their status on the Department of Health's vulnerable persons registry;
• Possess a valid driver's license if driving is an essential function of the position.

Summary

Responsibilities

• Conducts on-site observations of child/adult day care facilities, before/after school and community based programs, special education programs, and early childhood education programs as required by law.
• Examines facilities and grounds to determine if indoor and outdoor equipment and age-appropriate toys are adequate in quantity and variety; children with disabilities are provided equal opportunities in activities; and minimum square footage standards are met for indoor and outdoor play, naps, and classes.
• Examines physical structure for accessibility and safety and ensures equipment/furnishings are in good repair and are age-appropriate.
• Examines agency records to verify that required child, staff, and agency documentation is on file as required by law.
• Inspects transportation vehicles and emergency equipment to ensure compliance with state law.

• Inspects child/adult day care agencies to determine if they meet minimum state standards for annual licensure or certification with respect to safety, health, administration, physical facilities, transportation, and care of children and adults.
• Investigates complaints and conducts interviews with involved parties for details regarding the complaint in order to determine validity (gathers evidence during on-site visit including pictures, videos, medical and agency records and evaluates information to support or negate allegations).
• Compares inspection results against licensing or certification criteria for programs and cites violations for compliance with state law.
• Investigates child/adult day care facilities for alleged violations of licensure or certification laws and regulations including potential cases of abuse, neglect, and illegal operations.
• Evaluates child/adult day care agencies and programs to determine eligibility for licensure or certification: verifies that applications, fees, and other required materials have been received; compares results from child care program evaluations, fire, safety, health, and environmental inspections, and plans of corrective action against licensure or certification requirements to verify that the agency meets minimum standards; forms conclusions from data collected to determine if license or certification is approved, suspended, denied, or revoked; and presents licensing or certification recommendations to supervisor.

• Organizes daily activities to meet deadlines to ensure work activities including reports are accomplished in a timely manner.

• Operates computer hardware and software, scanners, and other equipment to complete reports, document collective data, and communicate with others to capture and maintain program information.

• Develops constructive and cooperative working relationships with child/adult day care agencies, local education agencies, local governmental agencies, co-workers, supervisors, and other partnering agencies to ensure quality and timely services.

• Utilizes available training resources to keep current and apply the latest policies, technologies, and procedures to ensure correct application of laws and regulations.

• Performs physical activities to assess, measure, and inspect facilities to ensure compliance.

• Assesses current programs' curricula for compliance with the Tennessee Early Learning Developmental Standards and appropriate school-age standards.
• Assesses the adult day care program for the four areas of development (cognitive, social, emotional, and physical) for compliance with licensing standards.

• Drafts recommendations for action against agencies based on investigation results and may testify in court about violations.
• Instructs programs in development of a plan of corrective action to resolve non-compliance.

• Schedules announced and unannounced visits to programs for evaluation, training, compliance, and investigation.

• Communicates relevant information regarding assessment and licensing to supervisor and co-workers by telephone, in written form, email or in-person to provide information and for consultation.

• Interprets child/adult day care rules and regulations for programs and the public in an effort to provide clarity.

• Compiles, categorizes, tabulates, and verifies information using a valid and reliable tool in order to complete the assessment report needed for licensure requirements.

• Documents early childhood classroom materials; health/safety; on-going daily activities; interactions between children and children and adults to ensure compliance and assess quality.
• Monitors implementation of corrective action plans for completion.
• Composes reports based on assessment documentation using a valid and reliable tool to provide feedback on quality to agencies for compliance with licensure requirements.

• Operates state/personal vehicles to conduct required observations to ensure compliance as required by state law.

• Interprets and explains child/adult day care agency information to answer the questions of: law enforcement investigators, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Child Protective Services, Department of Health, Department of Safety, attorneys, and the general public.
• Contacts fire, health, and environmental agencies and assessment unit to request inspections for child/adult day care providers to ensure the program meets licensure or certification deadlines.
• Coordinates interaction between child/adult day care agencies and government officials, not-for-profits, or other groups to address compliance issues, program or participant needs.

• Determines potential barriers to licensure compliance and unique needs of individual program including facility expansion, playground renovation, age-appropriate curriculum, accessibility and modifications for special needs; presents potential solutions to the agency through discussions and written communications.
• Provides counseling to existing or proposed child/adult day care agencies to develop and improve programs and physical facilities; answers questions regarding issues related to licensure or certification including concerns about applications, grants, and rating assessment systems.

• Provides on the job training and mentoring to new employees through job shadowing.
• Provides training and technical assistance to child care providers regarding federal and state mandates and State Board of Education policies.
• Identifies providers' training needs relating to children's health and safety, business development, budgeting, early childhood education, developmentally appropriate practices, appropriate social-emotional growth, or other needs based on observations, relevant law or policy changes, and discussions with providers to meet relevant state law or policy changes.
• Reserves training sites; schedules speakers; conducts training demonstrations or lectures using educational materials and multimedia equipment to meet program training requirements.

• Coordinates interaction between programs and partner organizations or other resources to meet provider needs.
• Addresses inquiries regarding programs and/or complaint findings to respond to the public.

• Gathers resource information related to health, welfare, safety, and academic growth to inform programs of resource availability based on needs.

• Diagrams facilities to establish capacity for number of participants to be served at one time.

Competencies

• Basic knowledge of laws, government regulations, and agency rules
• Basic math skills
• Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics
• Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation

• Active Learning
• Active Listening
• Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions
• Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do
• Critical Thinking
• Effective Time Management
• Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions
• Instructing
• Judgment and Decision Making
• Monitoring/assessing performance of self, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action
• Negotiation
• Persuasion
• Service Orientation
• Written Communication

• Arm-Hand Steadiness
• Auditory Attention
• Deductive Reasoning
• Finger Dexterity
• Memorization
• Multi-tasking
• Originality
Speech Clarity
• - the ability to speak clearly so others can understand you
Speech Recognition
• - the ability to identify and understand the speech of another person
• The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations)
• The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs
• The ability to combine pieces of information to form conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events)
• The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted
• The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together when the whole body is in motion
• The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways
• The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged
• The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you
• The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of materials
• The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong
• Verbal Communication
• Written Comprehension

Tools & Equipment

• Personal Computer
• Telephone
• Projector
• Measuring Tools
• Scanner
• Global Positioning System
• Cellular Phone
• Voice Recorder
• Digital Camera
• Motor Vehicle
• Fax Machine
• Printer