Certification Pathway Specialist

Job Title: Certification Pathway Specialist          

Department: Human Resources

Reports To: Director of Certification

Compensation: $83,370.15

TRS Classification: Classified

Summary:

Our Certification Pathway Specialist will play a primary role in the success of the First STEP teachers and any other  Epic staff members seeking support for a certification pathway or new credential through the Oklahoma State Department of Education. This position will work hand in hand with educators, leading a cohort of individuals through a variety of activities helping staff prepare for certifcation exams, undergo credential review, support additional training/microcredential programs or certificate areas, including the special education endorsements.

• Have a track record as a strong Special Education teacher and/or administrator Have a genuine passion to train degreed individuals to become effective teachers Hold exceptionally high standards for the quality of work,
• Have well-developed emotional intelligence and moral character;
• Possess an ability to build strong relationships, thoughtfully navigate challenging situations, and get excellent results from others; and
• Have problem-solving and clear communication skills.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following:

• Lead a cohort of First STEP teachers through the OSDE Alternative certification program(s) and become familiar with the various assessment requirements for each pathway.
• Teach and/or assist teaching the OSDE SPED boot camp, along with taking the lead in assessing the cohort's various assignments, projects, papers field experiences, etc.
• Assist First STEP teachers in preparing for the SPED (Mild/Mod) OSAT, the Assessment of Professional Knowledge (APK) exam, the Foundations of Reading (FOR) exam and other Content Area certification activities.
• Assist in organizing all of the content for study groups and cohort meetings to include: reviewing existing and creating new powerpoints and assignments; review speaker notes to determine areas of in-class presentation; review/Create virtual and In-class group activities; review/create handouts for In-class activities; and Assist in Creating Agendas/Calendar Invites for Virtual Cohort Collaboration Meetings
• Assist in organizing the certification exam information and presentations of practice questions for certification exams in order to lead study groups.
• Support Epic teachers during content area certification study group cohorts using standards as defined by OSDE.
• Responsible for being available to teachers to answer any questions about all aspects of certification requirements.
• Monitor the Google Classroom, discussion boards, assignments submissions and communicating missed work during Talent STEP department and certification cohort meetings.
• Attend weekly Talent STEP team meetings and monthly. Individual meetings with assigned teachers to evaluate progress on certification pathway
• Provide support for Talent STEP teachers ensuring all requirements for emergency and/or alternative certification are met, as set by the Oklahoma State Department of Education, prior to serving students
• When needed, assist in recruiting, interviewing, and scoring candidate’s case interviews for future Talent STEP cohorts
• Assist in reviewing credentials of Talent STEP candidates and staff members with existing certifications, in order to determine eligibility for certification in additional content or areas or endorsement(s)
• Assist teachers with understanding university coursework requirements and with reviewing information about the programs available at each university that might meet those requirements
• Assist in maintaining relationships with Oklahoma universities about alternative education program offerings each year and partnering with them for staff members completing internships or practicum activities, as required for certification pathways.
• Maintain professional communications with the Oklahoma State Department of Education on certification requirements for individual teachers and status of applications, transcript submissions, background checks, and fingerprinting required for certification.
• Assist in the submission of certification requests on behalf of the school district to OSDE using the Oklahoma Educator Credential System and certification pathway information provided on the OSDE website.
• Partner with members of the instructional team by maintaining communication on the progress of teachers toward activities required for their certification pathway and resources available to assist them
• Set up, monitor progress, and maintain teacher access to certification exam prep materials in virtual platforms for study activities, benchmark exams and study course completion.
• Maintain certification information in Human Resource information systems for all stakeholders in the district. Update HR information as teachers achieve certification endorsements and complete certification renewals.
• Participate in sharing information regarding certification activities, celebrations of success, and resources demonstrating best practices for teaching for new teachers on internal staff communication platforms, such as the Talent STEP channel, Talent STEP Page and the Talent STEP calendar.
• Demonstrate best practices for virtual teaching, by modeling the lesson plan cycle, guided practice activities, encouragement of class participation in discussions, and demonstrating the ability to use virtual instruction tools (ex: Virtual Whiteboard, Math manipulatives, chat, polls, breakout rooms, etc) within class platforms (ex: Zoom, GoogleMeets, etc,)
• Maintain files for exam score reports for individual teachers and conduct error analysis to determine areas of strengths and weaknesses to develop targeted interventions and study skills for individuals and to determine department-wide trends in certification exam performance data.
• Assist teachers in understanding requirements of the Assessment of Professional Knowledge (APK) exam, provide support and encouragement for completion of tasks by timeline, assist in reviewing provided artifact samples from APK, assist with in-person and virtual videography and submission of required artifacts, and tech support for the online assessment platform.
• Assist paraprofessionals with completion of the Tier 2 certification requirements and application for certification in the Oklahoma Educator Credential System.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• There are no supervisory responsibilities at this time.

Education and/or Experience   

• Bachelor's Degree, Master’s Degree preferred
• Recent supervisory or administrative experience, preferred
• Special Education certification, preferred

Qualifications

• Passionate commitment to the mission of school choice Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree preferred Experience in Special Education
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; demonstrated ability to present effectively and persuasively.
• Relationship-building and relationship management skills. Excellent organization and time management skills.
• Ability to learn quickly, work independently and to be effective in a fast-paced, dynamic, entrepreneurial environment.
• Able to communicate effectively across all departments
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; demonstrated ability to present effectively and persuasively. Good negotiating skills
• Relationship-building and relationship management skills
• Excellent organization, project management, and time management skills
• Strong attention to detail, dependability, and follow-through

Computer Skills

To perform this job successfully, an individual should have computer proffciency in Windows, Microsoft Office and Google Tools. Must have an understanding of using the Google suite.  Must also have the ability to learn new technology.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

• Current driver's license
• Valid car insurance
• Oklahoma Teaching certificate
• Oklahoma Administrative Certification preferred

Other Qualifications

• Must be able to pass a state-mandated background check
• Must have favorable employment references

Physical Demands

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

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms. The employee must regularly lift and /or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The person in this position works remotely from their home. Meetings in public places and at Epic offices are also required. The noise level is usually quiet to moderately loud (when students are present.)

Epic Charter Schools is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

For reasonable accommodations of a disability during the hiring process, please email Epic.hr@epiccharterschools.org. Someone will call you to discuss further.