Bilingual Lead Teacher

EnCircle’s Transitional Foster Care program is part of our Immigration and Refugee Services division. This program is in partnership with Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS) and serves unaccompanied children (UC) in the custody of Office of Refugee Resettlement and are now living with foster families.

The primary responsibility of the Bilingual Lead Teacher is to plan, organize, and implement the appropriate instructional program in an elementary or secondary learning educational setting that guides and encourages students to develop and fulfill their academic potential. This individual will also lead a team of teachers and teacher aides within the program, while ensuring all direct reports fulfill the requirements of their position in alignment with the needs of the program.

This position is expected to function effectively with moderate supervision while following the guidelines given on procedures, along with agency, federal, and state regulatory requirements.

(Candidates must be eligible to teach in the state of Virginia and be located in Virginia.)

Compensation and Benefits

• Competitive salary starting at $62,000.  
• Health, Dental and Vision Insurance. 
• Nationwide Pet Insurance, including coverage for reptiles, birds and exotic pets.
• 401(k) and 401(k) Matching.  
• Employee Assistance Program, including Access to Chaplain Services. 
• Educational Assistance Program.   
• STD, LTD, Life, and AD&D Insurance. 
• Generous PTO and Paid Holidays. 
• Retention Bonus. 
• Cell Phone Reimbursement. 
• Unlimited Access to Premium Calm App for Staff plus Friends and Family.
• Early access to paid wages with Wisely ADP and DailyPay.

MINIMUM EDUCATION, TRAINING, REQUIREMENTS AND PREREQUISITIES

• Bachelor’s level degree in Education or equivalent field of study from an accredited college or university, required.
• Bilingual with excellent oral and written communication skills in both English and Spanish, required. 
• Active certification by the relevant governing authority. 
• Prior work experience teaching English as a Second Language with Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Certification or other appropriate accrediting body and additional training to meet the special needs of unaccompanied children.
• At least three (3) years of experience working in a similar role.
• At least one (1) year of work experience supervising others.
• Must be CPR, First Aid, and AEC certified upon hire or within 60 days of hire.
• Prior experience working with immigrant and/or refugee populations is preferred.
• Trauma-informed training for serving immigrant or vulnerable populations is preferred.
• Active motor vehicle license and a reliable automobile with adequate insurance coverage.
• Pass a criminal history screen, including state and local child protection agency registries.
• Willing and able to be on an on-call rotation (24hr availability) and work a variable schedule including weekend and evening hours.
• Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00AM-4:30PM. Year-round.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the educational team in creating a trauma-informed and safe learning environment for UC as well as creating a welcoming environment for foster parent engagement around the child’s educational needs.
• Plan, prepare, and deliver lesson plans and instructional materials that facilitate active learning.
• Direct, lead, and supervise teachers and teacher aides.
• Maintain discipline in accordance with the rules and disciplinary systems of the program.
• Observe and evaluate the child’s performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
• Manage staff vacation and time off schedules to ensure coverage in the classrooms at all time.
• Attend meetings with treatment team members to discuss children’s behavior in classroom, if necessary.
• Update all necessary records accurately and completely as required by ORR.
• Effectively communicate the necessary information to the assigned case manager, clinician, foster parents, and supervisor regarding student progress, concerns, or needs on a regular basis.
• Ensure agency policies and procedures are enforced through employee evaluations, conference request, time sheets, and reimbursement vouchers.
• Complete other duties as assigned.

To give equal employment and advancement opportunities to all people, we make employment decisions at enCircle based on each person’s performance, qualifications, and abilities. EnCircle does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. 

As part of the Company’s EEO commitment, we will also provide reasonable accommodations consistent with applicable law. The Company will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with a disability so that they can perform the essential functions of the job unless doing so would cause significant difficulty or expense — i.e., an undue hardship. Similarly, the Company will also make reasonable accommodations to the known limitations of a person related to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship. 

If you seek an accommodation because of a medical condition or impairment, or related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, please notify Human Resources so we can evaluate your request. Please cooperate with the Company as to any information needed so we can assess your request for an accommodation. 

As part of our EEO commitment, the Company will also reasonably accommodate an employee whose sincerely held religious belief, practice or observance conflicts with a work rule or requirement unless doing so would impose more than a de minimis cost or burden. 

Please inform Human Resources if you seek an accommodation based on a religious belief. The Company will not take any adverse action or tolerate any retaliation against a person who requests or uses a reasonable accommodation.