Professional Education Advocate

Trent Hill Center is seeking two Professional Education Advocates to advocate for and support the educational rights and needs of foster care youth across Darlington County as part of our new Education Consultation and Advocacy Services. The Professional Education Advocate will work in partnership with Trent Hill Center leadership, interact daily with foster care youth across Trent Hill Center programs and within Darlington County, and partner with the Local Education Agency. The Professional Education Advocate will report to the Director of Education Services.

Job Duties

General Responsibilities of the Professional Educator include but are not limited to:

• Upholding Educational Stability Protocols, as developed in partnership with the SC DOE and DSS to mitigate individual educational disruption for foster care youth;
• Researching and collecting district-wide educational data via published school report cards and other public information sources;
• Collecting individual educational data for foster care youth across Trent Hill Center programs and within Darlington County via one-on-one interviews, review of educational documentation, direct observation of educational activities, and communication with school personnel;
• Attending scheduled on-campus and/or virtual meetings with school personnel (BIDs, ARDs, IEP & 504 meetings, expulsion hearings, and more);
• Advocating for individual foster care youth educational rights and needs to promote academic success and progress;
• Summarizing and presenting educational recommendations made in collaboration with the Director of Education Services for individual foster care youth;
• Partnering with personnel at the Local Education Agency to support successful student academic outcomes, as named in individual student success plan;
• Partnering with the Director of Education Services and DSS to monitor long-term educational progress for individual foster care youth across the county;
• Collaborating with the Director of Education Services to educate various community stakeholders on educational rights, processes, and data pertaining to foster care youth

Standard Responsibilities  

• Respect and maintain the confidentiality of youth participating in all Trent Hill Center programs.
• Always conduct oneself in an ethical manner. 
• Treat participants and other employees with integrity and respect. 
• Report suspected child abuse and neglect to the Out of Home Abuse and Neglect Unit of SCDSS or to a law enforcement agency in the county where the child resides or is found. 

The ideal candidate for this position would have public school teaching experience with a bachelor’s degree or higher level of education. Strong interpersonal skills and a proven track record of building a positive rapport with young people is strongly preferred. Though preference may be given to candidates with teaching certification, it is not required. Job preference may be given to candidates with working knowledge of and experience with educational law, special education processes, data collection and management, and strong organizational skills.  All candidates must be adept at using computers and other educational technology; proficient in Microsoft and Google based platforms such as Outlook, One Drive, Excel, and Word.

The Professional Education Advocate is a full-time, salaried position. The work schedule for the Professional Education Advocate will fluctuate based on program needs and requires travel between program sites. Salary commensurate with experience.

Interested candidates should email a cover letter and resume to Samantha Wilson at education@trenthillcenter.org.

Equal Opportunity Employment Policy

It is the policy of Trent Hill Center for Children and Families to provide equal employment opportunities to all individuals. All employment decisions will be made without regard to gender, age, color, race, creed, physical handicap, national origin, sexual orientation, gender 25 identity, religion, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

Trent Hill Center’s non-discrimination policy applies to all employment practices, including recruitment, hiring, promotion, termination, transfers, compensation, benefits, and working conditions.