Parents as Teachers Educator

JOB SUMMARY:

Instruct parents of infants and pre-school children in developmental information by performing the following duties:

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Additional duties may be assigned.

1. Maintains confidentiality of information gained through the performance and location of the position.
2. Recruits parents of infants and pre-school children and promotes screening opportunities.
3. Travels to homes and provides in-home education and support to parents.
4. Provides timely information on child’s development and parent-child activities.
5. Observes and plays with child and confers with child’s parents periodically to obtain information relating to child’s mental and physical development.
6. Assesses child’s development to determine levels of child’s physical and cognitive development.
7. Uses curriculum lesson plans covering self-help, motor, social, cognitive, and language skills development to help parent implement learning activities at home.
8. Instructs parent individually or in groups in social development, physical development, language development, and conceptual learning exercises and activities.
9. Organizes groups of parents in similar situations to provide social and emotional support for parents and to share common concerns, frustrations, and successes in the rearing of their children.
10. Consults and coordinates plans with other professionals.
11. Plans group meeting activities for parents and children.
12. Increases parent confidence in child-rearing activities.
13. Provides screening for children from birth to kindergarten age to identify possible delays, physical problems, or advanced abilities.
14. Refers children with developmental concerns to appropriate agencies.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE:

1. Successful completion of DESE approved training in parent education regardless of previous training and experience according to state specification (a minimum of 20 hours of approved in-service training during the first year of employment, a minimum of 15 hours of approved in-service training during the second year of employment, a minimum of 10 hours of approved in-services training during the third and following years of employment). AND
2. Bachelor’s degree from four-year college or university in Early Childhood Education, Early Childhood Special Education, Elementary Education, Vocational Home Economics or Family and Consumer Sciences, and demonstrated ability to work with young children and their parents; or
3. Two year associate degree or two year certificate program in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, or Nursing and demonstrated ability to work with young children and their parents or
4. 60 college hours and two years of successful experience in a program working with young children and their parents.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS:

1. Ability to communicate, both verbally and in writing, and interact effectively with all aspects of the school community is required.
2. Ability to solve conflicts, maintain confidentiality and remain open to various ideas and viewpoints.

REASONING ABILITY:

1. Ability to prioritize and meet deadlines while complying with established policies and procedures of the building and district.
2. Identifies and resolve problems in a timely manner, gathers and analyzes information skillfully; uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.
3. Ability to concentrate, think, read and learn is necessary to perform the essential job duties.

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

1. Demonstrate organizational ability and attention to detail.
2. Ability to provide assistance to the school community as necessary.
3. Ability to work independently.
4. Excellent human relation skills.
5. Knowledge of office equipment (computers, copiers, fax machine, and related items).

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee must regularly sit, talk, listen, and respond.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use repetitive wrist, hand and/or finger movement; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear.  The employee is frequently required to stand and walk. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, precise hand-eye coordination and the ability to identify and distinguish colors.  Occasionally, the employee may lift up to 50 pounds, such as, to lift files, papers, and equipment.  The foregoing is not an exclusive list and the employee may be required to exceed the minimum physical demand specifications should the safety and security of students and staff be compromised.

The above physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential duties of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job duties.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential duties of this job.  The noise level in the work environment is usually at a moderate level with frequent interruptions.  The employee continuously interacts with staff and the public.  Travel may be necessary to various District buildings and/or sites.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job duties.

The information contained in job description is for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and is not an exhaustive list of the duties performed for this position. Additional duties are performed by the individuals currently holding this position and additional duties may be assigned.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position.  Employees may be required to follow other job-related instructions and to perform other job related duties as requested, subject to all applicable state and federal laws.