Education Specialist

Position Summary: Report to the Supervisor and Director of Educational Achievement & partnerships as a member of the Education Specialist Unit within the Foster Care Program.

Essential Duties:

• Utilize the most current educational data to monitor, advocate and refer students for educational intervention and support services in meeting the individual academic needs of students.
• Ensure educational stability as per ACS policy and regulations, by advocating for the rights of foster children to receive a quality, consistent educational experience in their school of origin.
• Coordinate/trouble- shoot transportation and logistical issues related to transporting foster children to their schools of origin.
• Conduct school visits, schedule meetings with pertinent school personnel, dialogue with students and parents, and monitor school documentation to ensure that appropriate academic interventions, mandated special education supports (as applicable), social/emotional supports, and opportunities to participate in extracurricular programming are provided as mandated or needed.
• In collaboration with the caseworkers, participate in educational planning meetings including IEP/504, disciplinary hearings, PT Conferences, and other educational meetings in support of the foster students and their families.
• Obtain and review copies of all educational documents (including report cards, IEPs, NYS test scores, etc.) and memorialize contacts and data in Connections Database.
• Attend transitional conferences for new intakes to ensure educational planning is discussed with biological and foster parents, respectively.
• Refer, monitor & track the effectiveness of afterschool tutoring and other support services; serve as the liaison between the tutors and the schools.
• Make timely Early Intervention referrals for families with children in the home who are 0 - 3 years of age
• Maintain daily progress notes and copies of educational documentation; ensure compliance and accuracy of data entered and updated in Connections.
• Participate in supervision, in-service training, and Education Specialist Team Meetings.
• In-person collaboration is an essential function of the job.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in social work, education, or related field required;
• Knowledge of the D.O.E and its Special Education programs.
• Knowledge of Foster Care/Adoption field
• Bilingual (Spanish/English) preferred
• Driver's License preferred

Key Competencies:

• Experience in working collaboratively as part of a team.
• Excellent oral, writing and organizational skills.
• Flexibility and ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with youth and families.