Early Childhood Special Education Apprentice

Description

Job Description:

Provides early childhood special education intervention services to children with IEPs (Individualized Education Programs). Consultation with classroom teachers on special education adaptations and strategies to ensure successful integration of children with special needs. Provides training to staff and attends IEP meetings as CPCD representative.

Pay: $31.12/hr.  

About CPCD: 

CPCD is committed to the comprehensive early childhood development model, which is at the basis of its successful Head Start and Early Head Start programs. CPCD serves just under 1,200 prenatal through five-year-old at-risk, low-income and special needs children and their families. We operate classrooms in six school districts all throughout El Paso County. 

Additional Benefits for Eligible Employees (25+ hours per week): 

CPCD offers paid vacation time, paid sick time, and paid holidays/Breaks. 

• Paid Holidays include Memorial Day, Independence Day, Juneteenth, Presidents Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day

• Paid Breaks include 1-week for Spring Break (March), 1-week for Fall Break (November), and 2- weeks for Winter Break (end of December/beginning of January). 

Eligible employees receive a competitive benefits package including

• Access to medical, dental, and vision insurance, flexible spending accounts, Aflac supplemental insurance, and voluntary life insurance. CPCD also pays for Basic Life, Long Term Disability, and AD&D insurance at no cost to you. 

• Our 401(k) program offers traditional and Roth enrollment options with automatic enrollment in our profit-sharing after 1-year of employment.

Tuition Assistance is available after 60 days of employment 

• $4,000 per year for Early Childhood Education Associates/Bachelor’s Degrees.

• $2,500 per year for other degrees related to employment at CPCD.

Employee Wellbeing

• Employee Assistance Program provides 6 FREE sessions with a counselor or therapist per year 

• Full well-being program to encourage and promote your well-being in the workplace, including 2 hours of paid time per month for wellness activities. 

Please Note: The successful completion of a post-offer, pre-employment physical examination, TB screen, back-ground screen and drug test (including marijuana) is required.

Requirements

Required:  

• Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Special Education or Inclusive Early Childhood Education.
• Enrolled in a Master's Degree Program for Early Childhood Special Education.
• Colorado Department of Education (CDE) Licensure with endorsement in ECSE or be enrolled in a Master’s Program and have a TEE for Early Childhood Special Education.
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of special education, inclusive early childhood development special education programs. 
• Possesses the ability to work with diverse families, community groups, and staff. 
• Possesses the ability to coordinate and handle multiple priorities. 
• Completion of annual child abuse and standard precautions training, and maintains as required; and
• Successful completion of a pre-employment physical examination, TB test, drug test (including marijuana), and background check in accordance with the Office of Head Start Performance Standards and Childcare Licensing. (Physical examination and TB test thereafter as required).
• Must have access to reliable transportation and if using a personal vehicle must maintain minimum liability insurance as determined by the State of Colorado.

ESSENTIAL   FUNCTIONS, DUTIES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Provides screenings for children as appropriate, to determine child’s need for referral.

2. Participates in annual IEP meetings for the purpose of providing information and updating goals.

3. Director Designee for IEPs, including analyzing compliance for federal laws.   

4. Serve as case manager for IEP reports and provide oversight to all services a student receives per the IEP.

5. Provide differentiated instruction in inclusive classrooms and family daycare settings.

6. Document in data collection system for students who have qualified for a disability per IDEA guidelines (e.g., Developmental Delay, Autism, Down Syndrome, & speech or behavioral disorders). Maintains records of children on caseload, treatment provided, dates of service and meetings attended, hours spent each week per child on therapy services, objectives worked on during each session, and contacts made by the therapist with parents and CPCD staff.

7. Serve as a content expert for annual organization-wide training on topics including, but not limited to, understanding the signs of specific disabilities, screening students for IEP services, implementing IEP accommodations, differentiating curriculum, and best practices to promote inclusion to 200+ educators.

8. Partner with supervisors and behavioral health consultants to create class-wide improvement plans with supplemental behavior management systems aligned with state learning standards/expectations.

9. Support or conduct evaluations with assessment materials provided by the district. 

10. Partner with classroom supervisors to provide feedback on best practices in the classroom and develop supplemental training/coaching plans for general education teachers. 

11. Involves parents in planning and implementing therapy services by contacting parents by telephone, in writing, or in person. Maintains communication and documentation with parents, staff and agency contacts. Provides parents with a schedule of times when the therapist will be working with the child. Contributes to a quarterly newsletter and/or home programming activities to facilitate carryover into the home. 

12. Provides parent/staff training and participates in CPCD staff meetings or work groups

OTHER DUTIES:

• Other duties as assigned by the Director of Specialized Services.

Equal Opportunity Employer

CPCD is committed to fostering an inclusive workforce and is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sex, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, citizenship, or any other legally protected class.