Inclusion and Family Specialist: West Palm Beach, FL

As an Inclusion and Family Specialist, you will create an alliance between the school, family, and community to mobilize and coordinate services for children and families of the Bezos Academy preschool in West Palm Beach, FL, opening in fall 2024. You will lead the development of student support plans and services and serve as the liaison to the local district office and service providers. You will work collaboratively to build the skills of staff, children, and families by providing services that include meetings and workshops, classroom visits and observations, crisis intervention, and staff training. You will develop meaningful partnerships with local educational agencies to support children with developmental delays or disabilities and forge connections to resources in the community and support families in accessing those resources.

You are deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion practices and achieving equitable outcomes for students in under-resourced communities nationwide, across all lines of difference. You have prior experience working with young children who have or are at risk of developmental delays or disabilities, ideally in a classroom setting. You will collaborate with other regional leaders to reimagine an inclusive student support model in Bezos Academy’s network of tuition-free, Montessori-inspired preschools in under-resourced communities.

LOCATION, BENEFITS, AND COMPENSATION

• We are actively hiring a Student and Family Specialist at our West Palm Beach- Roosevelt location (1220 15th St, West Palm Beach, FL 33401).
• This is a full-time, benefits-eligible, salaried position.
• The full salary range for this position is $56,000 - $84,000 per year. The upper third of the salary range is typically reserved for existing employees who demonstrate strong performance over time. Starting salary will vary by qualifications and prior experience.
• This role includes 22 paid days of scheduled breaks, 7 paid days of vacation, 3 paid days of personal time off, 7 paid days of sick (care) time, 10 paid holidays, and additional time off if required by applicable law. Benefits for this role include medical, dental, and vision insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, a 401(k) plan with a 4% employer contribution match, paid parental leave, an employer-matched flexible spending account for dependent care, and more. Please see here for details. 

Relocation support is available for this role.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree
• Two or more years of special education experience from infancy through third grade
• Deep knowledge on developing, writing, and monitoring the progress of student individualized education plans (IEPs)
• Ability to meet all additional training and eligibility requirements of Florida, including clearing background checks, tuberculosis tests, and so on, with required documentation eligibility and training completion submitted through the state’s child care or educational regulatory agency prior to start of employment
• Demonstrated personal commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and experience working across lines of difference
• Skill in collaborating with families, the community, school staff, school leadership, and others to build trusting relationships and partnerships

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced degree in early childhood, special education, social work, psychology, behavioral science, or a related field
• LMSW, LCSW, or BCBA certification Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) training or certification
• 2+ years prior work experience with children and families in low-income communities in the US and/or significant personal experience in low-income communities in the US (grew up and/or attended school in)
• Proficiency or fluency in Spanish and/or Haitian Creole
• Knowledge of Montessori principles and overall approach
• Knowledge of the local community
• Experience supporting school strategic and operational planning
• Experience coaching and developing teachers
• Ability to meet all credentialing criteria for lead early childhood teachers in Florida (please see here for a summary of credentialing criteria)

RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Conduct classroom observations and social/developmental assessments of children and support school staff with the development of student support plans
• Lead all aspects of developing and monitoring student support plans
• Create and maintain special education files, 504s, IEPs, resources, progress monitoring reports, related services schedules, and regional special education database
• Ensure compliance with local and federal legislation, regulations, and guidelines around special education
• Lead and model facilitation of child study and Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) meetings 
• Model, train, and coach school staff and providers on evidence-based interventions and strategies to support students succeed in an inclusive program
• Support teachers with effective co-planning and co-teaching structures 
• Serve as liaison between local district, family, and school team for initial referrals 
• Collaborate with regional early intervention providers to ensure seamless transition into the school environment
• Support families to help them understand their child’s disability and equip them with the tools necessary to support their child’s progress with a strengths-based approach
• Develop strong partnerships with community-based organizations
• Connect families to community resources and health, housing, food, and crisis support and create an alliance between home, school, and community providers to access, mobilize and coordinate services
• Make regular home visits to gather information, foster positive relationships, and liaise between school and family
• Develop and facilitate training modules and group sessions for school staff and families
• Assist teachers and families in developing and implementing and monitoring student support plans
• Maintain documentation and accurate records

Please click here for a full job description.

Bezos Academy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status, or disability status.

Bezos Academy participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with employee Form I-9 Information to confirm authorization to work in the U.S. Bezos Academy only uses E-Verify once a candidate has accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9. If E-Verify cannot confirm that an employee is authorized to work, Bezos Academy will give the employee written instructions and an opportunity to contact the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so the employee can begin to resolve the issue before any adverse employment action is taken. For more information about your right to work, please see the Notice of Right to Work.