Early Childhood Special Educator

Compass Family Services; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 105,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

An established nonprofit is seeking a passionate Early Childhood Special Educator to support children ages 0-5 facing homelessness and poverty. This role involves creating inclusive classroom environments, providing specialized academic instruction, and collaborating with families and educational institutions. You will have the opportunity to make a significant impact on the lives of vulnerable children and their families while working in a supportive and dedicated team. If you are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and have the skills to advocate for children with special needs, this position offers a fulfilling career path in a rewarding environment.

Benefits

4 weeks of vacation in the first year

5 weeks of vacation in the second year

Fully covered health, dental, and vision insurance

Retirement contribution after one year

Paid holidays and sick time

Time off for education

Family leave

Qualifications

• Valid California certified Special Education Credential required.
• Experience with children and families affected by trauma is essential.

Responsibilities

• Provide SAI and EI services to children with special needs.
• Collaborate with families and educators to create inclusive environments.

Skills

Specialized Academic Instruction (SAI)

Early Intervention (EI)

Experience with students with disabilities

Trauma-informed care

Collaboration with families

Education

Valid California certified Special Education Credential

Early Childhood Authorization

Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Special Education

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

About the organization: Compass Family Services is a 100+ year old nonprofit working on the front lines of San Francisco’s homeless crisis. We provide families experiencing or at risk of homelessness with comprehensive support to address immediate needs and ensure long-term success.

About the program: Compass Children’s Center (CCC) is an early childhood education center with a curriculum tailored to meet the specific needs of children experiencing poverty and homelessness. The Center serves 70 children, ages 0-5, and their families each day, and addresses the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development of the children, as well as the functioning and well-being of the families.

Compensation: $105k-115k annually

Location: 144 Leavenworth St, San Francisco (Tenderloin neighborhood)

Schedule: Full time, Monday - Friday. Exact schedule will vary but candidates should be available to work between the hours of 8:00am and 5:00pm depending on the needs of the clients.

Organizational Core Competencies: Accountable I Adaptable I Client-centered I Collaborative I Committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging I Resourceful

Role Description:

The Early Childhood Special Educator is responsible for creating inclusive classroom environments tailored to the unique learners in our care. The Special Educator will spend much of their time in the classrooms and working directly with children and parents. This role also involves direct service to children ages 0-5 in need of Specialized Academic Instruction (SAI) or Early Intervention (EI) as outlined on their Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), as well as advocacy with relevant institutions including Golden Gate Regional Center (GGRC) and the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).

In addition to collaborating with children’s families, the Early Childhood Special Educator will meet regularly with classroom teachers to discuss individual children’s goals as well as inclusion as a whole, carry a caseload of children for 1:1 support and will spend significant time in the classroom, modeling for teachers and meeting with children. Classroom sizes and teacher:child ratios are both small to allow for intentional, individualized education experience for all learners.

Specific responsibilities include:

• Provide Specialized Academic Instruction (SAI) and Early Intervention (EI) services to children with special education needs – anticipated caseload will be 10-15 children for 1:1 support.
• Attend all IEP and IFSP meetings.
• Monitor, track, and document progress on IEP and IFSP goals.
• Maintain and update all required documentation, including in Compass’ Salesforce system.
• Consult with general education teachers to create inclusive classroom environments.
• Partner with family members, teachers, administrators, and other professionals to design holistic intervention plans.
• Coordinate/advocate for children to get needed services/connect children to services with relevant institutions including Golden Gate Regional Center and the San Francisco Unified School District.
• Facilitate or co-facilitate educational opportunities for parents related to special needs; participate in parent engagement opportunities, including weekly coffee hour/parent advisory meeting.
• Work closely with other CCC staff in completing timely referrals to Golden Gate Regional Center and the San Francisco Unified School District.
• Stay up to date on developments in the field of special education.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Valid California certified Special Education Credential
  • IMPORTANT NOTE: for funding reasons, either having this credential or being able to obtain one quickly is essential. If you don't have the credential but are currently enrolled in a Special Education Credential Program or have a different Special Education degree (for example a masters in Special Education or a credential from another state), we are happy to review your application and discuss your path towards obtaining the credential. Otherwise, we do not recommend that you apply for this role.
• Early Childhood Authorization or Early Childhood Special Education Authorization
• Demonstrated experience working with students with disabilities in a school setting.
• Experience working with children and families that have experienced significant trauma.
• Able to lift a child of 30 lbs.; set up and move furniture; and bend, squat, sit, kneel and stand in order to engage children at their level.
• Health screening, TB and fingerprint clearance (Department of Justice, FBI, Child Abuse Index).
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging work.
• Fluency in English.

We'd especially encourage applicants who have:

• Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Special Education or a related field.
• Autism Certification.
• Spanish Language Fluency.
• At least 3 years of experience working directly with infants/preschool age children.

Compensation and Benefits:

• Salary range: $105k-$115k based on experience, education and languages spoken.
• Paid time off: 4 weeks of vacation in the first year, 5 in the second. Also paid holidays, sick time, time off for education, family leave.
• Insurance: health, dental and vision insurance are fully covered by Compass for employees and dependent children.
• Retirement: after one year of work, Compass contributes an amount equal to 5% of your salary into a retirement account; this vests during years 2-6.

Location and Covid Safety:

• Work location: 144 Leavenworth Street, San Francisco.
• Covid vaccination required for all staff.

To Apply:

Please apply through our online application.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. We are an equal opportunity employer and actively seek to recruit a diverse workforce. Employees must embrace the idea that Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging contribute to the success of our underserved communities, and therefore to shared prosperity in our city and region. Compass Family Services is committed to the continuous work of implementing specific actions that will disrupt systemic prejudice and improve equity across programs and departments, to become an example to partners who also believe in a culture of inclusion that leverages diversity.

Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act and California civil rights law, Compass Family Services will provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or candidate with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship for the agency. Requests for reasonable accommodation apply to all aspects of the hiring process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please use the answer box for the final question of the job application to let us know.