Expanded Learning Time (ELT) Inclusion Specialist

Framingham Public Schools; Framingham (MA); On-site; USD 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A public school district in Massachusetts is looking for an Expanded Learning Time Inclusion Specialist to support students, especially those with disabilities and multilingual learners. The ideal candidate should have a high school diploma, experience in education, and strong communication skills. This position requires working collaboratively with families and staff to ensure that all students can successfully participate in all program activities.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 1 year of experience as an educator in a school or community-based setting required.
• Basic knowledge of effective youth development and OST principles required.
• Fluency in Spanish and/or Portuguese preferred.

Responsibilities

• Support students with emotional regulation and behavior.
• Document incidents and injuries as needed.
• Communicate with families and school staff.

Skills

Ability to work with diverse populations

Communication skills

Professionalism

Education

High school diploma

Valid Massachusetts Teaching license

Job description

Expanded Learning Time (ELT) Inclusion Specialist – Framingham Public Schools

Position Summary

The Expanded Learning Time (ELT) Inclusion Specialist is responsible for ensuring that all students, especially those with disabilities and/or multilingual learners, are able to safely and successfully participate in all expanded learning program activities. This role works closely with the ELT Group Leader to provide supports, scaffolds, and additional supervision as needed for students who have unique learning and/or behavioral needs. The ideal candidate is creative, flexible, culturally nimble, and deeply passionate about inclusion and access for all students.

Our Mission

Framingham Public Schools is committed to excellence for all students. A core value, embedded in the district’s philosophy and goals, is that “all children will learn”. Offering equitable access to education to all of our students hinges largely on providing the highest quality teachers in every school and classroom. Diversity among teachers and staff advances student achievement. Framingham Public Schools is committed to achieving, developing and maintaining a workforce reflective of the rich racial, linguistic, and cultural diversity of our students. We aim to teach our children, and ourselves, to be culturally proficient and inclusive in order to live, learn, and work together in a vibrant and diverse world. We strive to inspire our school community to be accepting and willing to learn from individuals with differing backgrounds, and to reflect the diverse community we serve to create a great place to work for everyone by embracing the individual skills, perspectives and experiences our people bring to the workplace and harnessing these for high performance and improved service delivery. We want our employees to feel included, valued and respected and have access to equal opportunity, which supports full participation at work. Framingham Public Schools seeks to retain diverse talent and support our people to maintain a long and productive career. Framingham Public Schools is dedicated to building a culturally diverse and pluralistic faculty and strongly encourages applications from minorities.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

• Valid Massachusetts Teaching license and SEI Endorsement preferred
• Specialization/licensure in Special Education and/or ESL preferred

Training And Experience

• A high school diploma is required; additional post-secondary education credits in a related field are preferred.
• Minimum of 1 year of experience as an educator in a school or community-based setting required
• Basic knowledge of effective youth development and OST principles, practices, and trends is required
• Experience working with children and adults from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds is required
• Experience with differentiated instruction, IEPs, 504s, research-based inclusion policies and practices required.
• Fluency in Spanish and/or Portuguese is strongly preferred.

Skills And Ability

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Ability to work with diverse populations of students, especially students with disabilities and multilingual learners.
• Strong capacity to build and maintain positive relationships with children, staff, families, and supervisors.
• The capacity to communicate clearly and concisely both in oral and written form.
• Willingness to engage in positive, proactive and restorative conflict resolution processes
• High level of professionalism, including the ability to follow all district, state, and federal requirements such as those required by the MA Department of Early Education and Care (Elementary) and DESE 21st Century Community Learning Center programs (Secondary).
• Capacity to respond flexibly to multiple priorities in a fast-paced and complex working environment.
• Ability to receive constructive feedback and willingness to learn new skills to meet the needs of students and families.
• Familiarity with Google Suite and other technology as required by the program.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Support students with emotional regulation and behavior using tools such as behavior charts, visual schedules, and consistent routines.
• Offer differentiated academic support when appropriate, based on student needs
• Work closely with students who have IEPs, 504 plans, or other documented accommodations including as a 1:1 support as needed
• Work with the ELT site coordinator and family to ensure the student’s inclusion plan is followed.
• Encourage positive social interactions and foster student independence over time
• Document and provide appropriate follow up for incidents and injuries as needed
• Communicate with families, colleagues, and school staff to support student inclusion, growth and hold students to consistently high expectations.
• Create and reinforce a culture of achievement.
• Build and leverage relationships with students, families, volunteers, peers, and the school community to support student success.
• Facilitate students success in inclusion programming
• Attend monthly meetings and quarterly professional development as required by the department.

Physical Working Conditions

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. May be required to work at multiple schools; reliable transportation is necessary. Must be able to move about and may need to traverse the school building occasionally; often must remain in a stationary position for prolonged periods; occasionally need to reach with hands and arms and sit, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. Expected to lift at least 20 lbs (e.g., books, supplies); frequently use hands to finger, handle, or feel, and grasp tools with hand strength. Must be capable of assisting students with physical difficulties. Operate a computer and other office equipment (e.g., calculator, copy machine, printer). Must be able to input data into a computer and read material from screens, handwritten, or printed sources, with or without visual aids. Able to communicate effectively in person, via email, and on the phone with students, parents, and staff. In the classroom, must continuously see and hear to ensure student safety and frequently speak to provide instruction. Capable of moving quickly across even or uneven surfaces. Work takes place in a typical school environment with a moderate noise level. Interact regularly with students, parents, and staff. Able to kneel, sit, stand, crawl, push, and pull as needed to assist and teach students during the day. Responsible for students' safety, well-being, and work output. Able to handle multiple demands from various individuals. While most work is indoors, position requires outdoor time for recess, fire drills, and special activities. May be exposed to bodily fluids, disease, or pathogens. Risk of unintentional injuries from aggressive students. May involve some physical interaction with students with behavioral challenges. Limited personal care assistance to students may be required. Occasionally lift or position students to provide services. May be exposed to volatile or aggressive behavior. Must be able to stand, walk, and push a wheelchair for extended periods and assist with personal care. May be asked to help with toileting, depending on individual student needs. May be reassigned to different schools based on student needs and the best interest of the children. This job description does not form an employment contract and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the school and job requirements evolve.

Reports To

ELT Site Coordinator or ELT Program Lead

Supervisory Responsibilities

None.

Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Classification

This position is classified as Exempt (Professional).

This is a ten (10) month seasonal position during the school year. Shifts and schedules vary by student need. Framingham Public Schools reserves the right to shorten or lengthen the assignment time based on the district's needs. Employees may be requested to work at different sites as needed.

Background Check And Training

As our programs receive funding through the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF), all employees and volunteers must complete a background record check (BRC) through the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) under federal law. Effective May 2024, all staff in EEC child care programs must take the new EEC Essentials 2.0 training course. All new hires must complete EEC Essentials 2.0 before working with children. Thereafter, an annual EEC Essentials refresher package will be required of all staff in EEC licensed and funded programs. The annual refresher package will be published and available in fall 2025. This training currently does not apply to Little Explorers @ Juniper Hill or Secondary Group Leaders.

Framingham Public Schools provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Framingham Public Schools complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the District has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training. Framingham Public Schools expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. The Framingham Public Schools prohibit sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates. Individuals may report concerns or questions to the Title IX Coordinator. The notice of nondiscrimination is located at the Framingham Public Schools School Committee website.