Tacoma Public Schools

Expected Start Date: 9/1/21*

FTE: .875

Hours per day: 7 hrs

Salary Level $23.18 : PA6 Para Salary Schedule

Union/Days per year: Para 182 + 11 holidays Active

Benefits: This job has the full range of benefits offered by Tacoma Public Schools.

Additional Information:
ECEAP (Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program
*This position will have additional work opportunities prior to the start of the 21-22 school year to work with families; remote learning and set up classrooms.

Summary:

This position has primary responsibility for the health, family involvement, and social services components of the ECEAP (Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program) service plans and state performance standards; this position collaborates with classroom staff to address the needs of families so they can optimize their children's development.

Responsibilities:

1. Establishes and maintains a mutually respectful partnership with families; communicates with parents through flyers, newsletters, telephone calls, and home and/or school visits; supports families in learning to advocate for their children's needs at school and in the community.

2. Assists families in promoting the optimal health of students by screening, assessing and tracking health and growth status of each child; assists families to develop health care plans and get physical and dental examinations for students; maintains and reviews cumulative health data to address individual needs of students; tracks student immunizations and encourages parents to fully immunize children; makes health referrals as needed; assists in the prevention and control of communicable disease by providing adequate information, screening and follow-up.

3. Supports families in accessing community social services, employment, and training resources and support networks by maintaining current program and community resource information, matching resources to family needs, and identifying unmet family needs; refers families to community social services, employment and training resources and support networks and follows up on the effectiveness of referrals; provides appropriate assistance to families requiring emergency assistance or crisis intervention; assesses need for emergency efforts, deciding when to intervene and when to refer to appropriate community resources.

4. Conducts strength-based assessments; assists families to identify goals and strengths; develops individual family plans based on these goals and strengths; follows up with families on progress toward meeting their goals, supports families efforts to reach their goals and facilitates the building of problem solving skills; assists families to revise their goals and plans as needed

5. Establishes relationships with community groups and social service agencies serving young children and their families.

6. Recruits families for program; screens and enrolls eligible children and families; assists in removing obstacles that might prevent student and/or family participation in program; participates in developing and evaluating the recruitment and enrollment process.

7. Monitors student attendance on a daily basis; complies with required methods of record-keeping and follow-up with families to encourage and/or facilitate student attendance in the program; assists with transportation arrangements for students.

8. Completes and maintains a variety of records and forms; maintains all documentation required by state performance standards in a timely and confidential manner; submits reports and/or records as requested.

9. Attends classroom team meetings and staff meetings; participates and takes an active part in annual program evaluation.

10. Plans and offers monthly family meetings and activities based on identified interests of families in collaboration with families and the classroom team; assists parents in preparing and presenting appropriate reports at parent meetings.

OTHER JOB DUTIES

1. Maintains and updates knowledge and skills required for success in the position by participating in professional development and in-service activities as needed or as assigned.

2. Assists classroom staff in management of students; provides classroom coverage when substitute is unavailable; performs related duties as assigned.

CONDITIONS

Requires frequent travel within the community; required to work flexible hours including evenings; may be exposed to infectious disease; required to deal with angry and distraught people.

Minimum Qualifications
Other information:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience
A two-year degree in the field of human services, social work, nursing, health education, early childhood education, or a related field from an accredited college and two years of successful, relevant, documented work experience with adults/parents and young children; a four-year degree in a related field is preferred; or any combination of experience and training which provides the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and ability required to perform the work and that meets federal and state requirements.

Allowable Substitution
A two-year degree in any field with at least 30 credit hours in social work, nursing, health education, public health, human services, psychology, or a related field and three years of successful work experience with adults/parents of young children.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Knowledge of and ability to support ECEAP performance standards, program, and philosophy.
Knowledge of childhood intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development.
Knowledge of health assessment screening processes.
Knowledge of current community programs, support networks, and resources for low-income families.
Skill in obtaining, clarifying, and exchanging information.
Ability to demonstrate reasonable, reliable and regular attendance.
Ability to work without direct supervision.
Ability to advocate and negotiate for families.
Ability to coordinate, organize, prioritize, and follow-through on a variety of tasks.
Ability to organize and coordinate activities.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationship with a variety of people in a multi-cultural, diverse socioeconomic setting.

Licenses/Special Requirements
Valid Washington State driver's license with access to personal transportation.
Current CPR and first-aid certification and food handler's permit.
TB test within first six weeks of employment.

Job Locator Number: D13-33

This job description is not an employment agreement or contract. Tacoma School District administration has the exclusive right to alter this job description at any time without notice. The statements contained herein reflect general details as necessary to describe the primary functions of this job, the level of knowledge and skill typically required and the scope of responsibility, but should not be considered an all-inclusive listing of work requirements. Individuals may perform other duties as assigned including work in other functional areas to cover absences or relief, to equalize peak work periods or otherwise balance the workload.

Tacoma Public Schools does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Civil Rights Coordinator: Lisa Nolan, 253-571-1252, lnolan@tacoma.k12.wa.us; Title IX Coordinator: Eric Hogan, 253-571-1191, ehogan1@tacoma.k12.wa.us; and 504 Coordinator: Elementary, Elise Friedrich-Nielsen, efriedr@tacoma.k12.wa.us, 253-571-1096; Secondary, Cari Ake, cake@tacoma.k12.wa.us, 253-571-1225. Address: P.O. Box 1357, Tacoma, WA 98401-1357.

HRInfo@tacoma.k12.wa.us, (253) 571-1250