Center Based Early Learning Director

ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE

The Carole Robertson Center for Learning (the Center) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating, enriching, and empowering children and families through comprehensive child and family development programs. Our vision is to help build a just and equitable society, in partnership with families, and be a beacon of best practices, innovation, and impact in early childhood and youth development.

The Center is named in memory of Carole Robertson along with Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, and Denise McNair — the four girls killed in the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, during the Civil Rights Movement.

Today, the Center serves more than 2,000 children and families daily through anchor program locations in Albany Park, Little Village, and North Lawndale, as well as more than two dozen communities across Chicago. Programs serve children at every stage of development, from birth to age 17. Current programs include center-based, family childcare, and home-based early childhood development programs for children ages 6 weeks through age 5 and afterschool and summer camp programming for children up to age 17, as well as extensive family support, mental health, social services, and professional development training.

The Center strives for excellence in providing the highest-quality programs and services to the children, families, and communities it serves. It is a recognized leader in early childhood education and is accredited through national and state entities. The Center has a deep commitment to representing the communities it serves and demonstrating cultural competence and understanding across programs and services. The organization was founded for the community and by the community, with social justice and equity at the forefront. This commitment remains in all we do.

Position Summary

The Center Based Early Learning Director implements and manages center based Infant/Toddler and Preschool direct service programs and related support services/activities at assigned facility.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES AND KEY TASKS

1. Program Planning and Implementation

• Ensure the implementation of all program activities for the assigned facility. These activities include daily, developmentally appropriate curriculum components, field trips; special events; enrichment programs; and other activities as assigned.
• Maintain full enrollment.
• Maintain 90% monthly attendance.
• Works collaboratively (directly or through other program leaders) with committees, the policy group, and the governing body by sharing data, problem solving, acting on their recommendations, and/or implementing policies and plans generated by them
• Encourages families’ involvement in program decision making by ensuring that families are informed about decision-making opportunities (e.g., policy group, service area committees) and by supporting their involvement (e.g., transportation, training, convenient meeting times).
• Conduct regular parent meetings; issue monthly written communication with parents regarding curriculum plans and news, program policies and other items of interest. Plan field trips and other activities in response to family needs.
• Develops meaningful and realistic program plans by analyzing results from the previous year’s program improvement efforts and multiple data sources (e.g., community assessment, program self-assessment, Program Information Reports (PIR), performance appraisals, federal and state monitoring reports, child outcomes) to identify program improvement needs.
• Secures staff buy-in to program and service area goals by eliciting their input and discussing the goals’ content and rationale.
• Conduct weekly program staff meetings; major season/event planning; review of daily classroom activity plans and issues with weekly written follow up. Consolidate all program components into consistent site activity plan.
• In collaboration with the senior center based program director, executes plans and policies by developing procedures, protocols, and schedules that ensure their full implementation.
• In collaboration with the senior center based program director, assures alignment of center based program practices, systems, and services.

2. Program Monitoring and Compliance

• Manage and administer all program-specific funding contracts, or assigned portions thereof.
• In collaboration with the senior center based program director, responsible for quarterly and annual eligibility audit preparations, DFSS, DCFS, federal, and NAEYC monitoring visits, and site specific statistical compilations as required by funding sources.
• Ensure agency compliance with all contractual and audit requirements for assigned 0-5 site based program components.
• Generate monthly reports which include enrollment, service delivery statistics, monthly vouchers, and all auxiliary records as stipulated by agency policy, statute, and contract and/or audit requirements. Including but not limited to:
• Monitoring and reporting of attendance.
• Monitor and reporting of program enrollment.
• Monitor and reporting of CACFP meal counts.
• In kind, volunteer tracking and reporting.
• In collaboration with Intake and Eligibility, assist in family eligibility determination and follow-up.
• Ensure a healthy, safe and friendly environment for children, youth and parents in accordance with all licensing and funder requirements and consistent with agency philosophy and policies. This includes but is not limited to:
• Statutes/policies regarding appropriate staff/child ratios; presence of the required qualified site management staff.
• Correct and complete records of all children and staff files.
• Correct and complete records of equipment, supplies, and physical facility indoors and outdoors; and other areas consistent with statute and regulation.
• Manage the physical plant and supervise its upkeep; in collaboration with operations, oversee food services and catering and ensures site compliance with licensing, sanitation, and Board of Health requirements.
• Conducts daily walk through of program environment to ensure cleanliness and safety of physical plant
• Proactively submits requests to maintenance for needed repairs.
• Proactively submits requests to tech support for needed supports to ensure staff access to technology and services.

3. Staff Management

• Responsible for oversight of program teaching and support staff, and program assistant directors. This oversight includes but is not limited to all functions of reflective supervision and staff evaluation, mentorship, and coaching.
• Helps ensure that site staffing structure supports the program’s mission and goals by maintaining an adequate number of qualified staff who meet position requirements.
• Monitors daily staff ratios and ensures compliance.
• Plans and weekly/monthly staffing schedule
• Approves requested time off
• Builds a team that advances the program’s mission by hiring and promoting qualified staff who support the program’s philosophy and goals and who culturally and linguistically represent the community and program.
• Leads the orientation process for new site based staff.
• Trains all staff on the program’s history, philosophy, and requirements.
• Monitors and reports new staff progress weekly.
• Advances staff performance by meeting regularly with individual staff to provide reflective, strength based performance feed-back based on expectations contained in job descriptions, program plans, and policies and procedures.
• Maintains a consistent schedule for reflective supervision with all direct reports.
• Promotes staff development by monitoring SMART goal performance to assess staff strengths and areas for growth.
• Establishes professional development goals and plans, and monitor progress for all staff.
• Supports staff retention by creating an environment that fosters equity and provides opportunities for professional growth.
• Participate as a member of the management team, including work on budget preparation, monitoring program planning, staff and general operational concerns.
• Collaborates with program and impact leadership, evaluation and learning, family and community engagement, and mental health director to help direct service staff advance program quality by supporting them in linking current research, resources, and program data to their practice and by discussing program quality issues and ways to advance practice

4. Resource Management

• In collaboration with the senior center based program director, exercises prudent stewardship of program resources by making decisions based on program budgets, program financial reports and applicable federal, state, and program financial requirements (e.g., allowable costs, non- federal share, cost-sharing).
• In collaboration with the senior center based program director, manages and assesses monthly program budget to ensure alignment of budgeted expenses and actuals. Source: Education Development Center, From the Office of Head Start, Administration for Children and Families, U. S. Department of Health and Human Services.
• In collaboration with the senior center based program director, advocates for resources to improve program quality by offering suggestions and providing information about needed resources during the program’s planning and budget development process.
• Minimizes the program’s financial and legal risk by assessing exposure to liability, improving internal controls and other program practices, training staff, and monitoring their compliance with requirements.
• Improves efficiency and effectiveness by using technology to enhance and/or create systems to share and track information about service delivery.
• Ensures a safe, attractive, well-equipped program environment by contributing to the development of sound budgets, purchasing high-quality materials and equipment, and establishing and/or implementing systems to monitor and maintain/replace equipment, and a ensure clean and safe facility

5. Observation, Analysis, Planning, and Documentation

• Meets federal, state, and program documentation requirements by ensuring that the program maintains accurate, objective, complete, timely, and well-organized child, family, financial, and program records.
• Monitors staff performance by creating and/or implementing systems for observing practice, reviewing records, gathering feedback from stakeholders, and documenting results.
• Promotes effective use of program data by developing and/or implementing a process for creating reports and sharing them with other program decision makers.

6. Communication

• Builds an understanding of the program by communicating its philosophy, mission, and services to staff, families, and the community and by supporting staff to do the same.
• Demonstrates respect for others by sharing information objectively and non-judgmentally and adjusting verbal and written communication strategies for different audiences.
• Facilitates staff’s, families’, and partners’ acceptance of decisions and advice from funders, the governing body, policy group, committees, and management by positively presenting decisions, explaining the rationale, and openly addressing questions and concerns.
• Ensures that all staff follow protocols (e.g., chain of command, confidentiality) when communicating with others in the program, families, governing body, policy group, committees, and those in other community programs.
• Employs a culturally competent and flexible approach when working with those from various cultures by acknowledging, accepting, and accommodating differences (e.g., providing information in an understandable format and/or language for those who have limited/no reading skills or who are English language learners)
• Promotes a collaborative, productive working environment by following established communication protocols, clearly articulating expectations, outcomes, and timelines, and using conflict resolution and negotiation skills when needed.
• Ensures that own communication is easily understood by speaking and writing clearly and using standard grammar and spelling.
• Facilitates communication with others by using available technologies and by supporting staff to do the same.
• Consistent use and updating of Outlook calendar.
• Utilizes Outlook to schedule all meetings.
• Maintains a monthly Outlook calendar of site specific events, i.e., family events and staff workshops that is shared with all CRCL staff.
• Answers e-mail within 24 hours 80% of the time

7. Professionalism/Leadership

• Ensures program’s adherence to applicable federal, state, local, and program standards, policies, and/or procedures by keeping abreast of these requirements and by promoting staff’s understanding and implementation of them.
• Promotes a culture of inquiry by exhibiting a commitment to lifelong learning, keeping abreast of new information and research, and reflecting on their relevance. Source: Education Development Center, From the Office of Head Start, Administration for Children and Families, U. S. Department of Health and Human Services.
• Furthers professional growth by seeking feedback, reflecting on and assessing own practice, and taking advantage of opportunities to improve skills and knowledge.
• Advances excellence and progress in the field by advocating for high-quality child and family services at the program, community, state, and/or federal levels.
• Promotes a collaborative, productive working environment by sharing planning, decision making, and problem solving responsibilities with staff, families, the policy group, and governing body.
• Ensures staff and family confidentiality by limiting conversations about them and access to their records to those directly involved in providing services to them and by ensuring that confidentiality policies are followed across the program.
• Establishes and maintains external professional relationships by participating as a member of community, state, and/or national professional organizations.
• Serves as a role model for families and other staff by following and exhibiting sound, daily physical and emotional practices (e.g., making healthy food choices, communicating positively, understanding and accepting cultural differences).
• Maintains professional boundaries in relationships with staff and families by distinguishing between others’ needs and one’s own, guarding against abuse of power and sexual misconduct, and using appropriate language.
• Represents the community’s cultural and linguistic diversity throughout the program by ensuring that staff, committees, practices, materials, and activities reflect this diversity.
• Strengthens staff’s, the program’s, and the community’s commitment to family empowerment by establishing expectations for engaging with families, acknowledging the contributions they make, and modeling approaches for working with families as full partners.
• Maintain appropriate professional affiliations and represent the agency/program to the larger community.
• Conduct frequent tours and program presentations for potential funders.

8. Perform other duties as assigned.

• Follows procedures as required by licensing and funding agencies, including but not limited to Illinois DCFS Licensing Standards, Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS), City of Chicago Health Requirements for Day Care Centers, Head Start Performance Standards, Carole Robertson Center for Learning Policies and Procedures and quality standards as defined by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and ExceleRate Illinois.