Blended Early Childhood Teacher

Duties

Early Childhood Blended Teacher

Revised 04.03.2024

Perm/contract:

10 Month Position per teacher contract

Primary Reporting Location:

Assigned Longfellow School

Salary:

Per Teacher Contract

Date Available:

Start with 2024-2025 school year

About the District

Oak Park Elementary School District 97 is a PK-8 elementary school district serving the students of Oak Park in Cook County, Illinois. Oak Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, adjacent to Chicago. It is the 29th-most populous municipality in Illinois, with a population of 54,583 as of the 2020 U.S. Census. The district consists of 8 elementary schools and two middle schools serving 5,532 students.

Oak Park School District is a highly diverse and welcoming school community for all. Our community has a history of being forward-thinking and inclusive. We are racially and economically diverse, with about 46% of our students identifying as African-American, Hispanic, multiracial, or Asian.

About the Role

The Early Childhood Blended Teacher is responsible for providing a comprehensive early childhood program for students with and without Individualized Education Programs that is preventive in design and supports Oak Park early learners in a rich learning environment that privileges academic and social-emotional development.

The Early Childhood Blended Teacher is also responsible for developing and implementing comprehensive Individualized Education Programs to support students' academic and functional goals.

The Early Childhood Blended Teacher also serves as a consultant to administrators and staff in ensuring that services of support are delivered in a manner that supports the district's equity commitments as expressed in Board Policy 7:12: Ensuring Racial and Educational Equity.

Essential Role Responsibilities

• Provide rich learning experiences for students that involve communicating about instructional purpose and content, using questioning and discussion techniques, engaging students in said learning experiences; using assessment for learning and demonstrating receptiveness and responsiveness

• Cultivate respectful and affirming learning environments that foster a culture for learning, promote student agency and pride in work; support positive student behavior; support self-monitoring and collective responsibility

• Provide direct instruction and consultative services as written in student IEP's.

• Collaborate with general education teachers, related services staff, and other school staff to provide strategies for student success in the least restrictive environment.

• Identify and implement adaptations and modifications to the classroom curriculum, physical setting, and instructional strategies.

• Coordinate and facilitate educational and behavioral strategies between home and school environments.

• Collect and maintain data to document progress towards mastery of IEP goals and benchmarks.

• Establish a positive working relationship with students, school staff, and parents.

• Attend and participate in full and individual evaluation (FIE)/ IEP and annual IEP meetings.

• Conduct classroom observations and provide support as assigned or requested.

• Update caseload and schedule for submission regularly.

• Collaborate with the building principal and early childhood team to create a cohesive and seamless educational journey for all students.

• Assess student abilities, interests, and achievements to inform instruction

• Work with educators and parents by sharing strategies that support student achievement.

• Support and guide students and families to school or community resources for additional assistance and information.

• Builds collaborative relationships with students and families

Content Knowledge Required:

• Understanding of best practices and procedures for developing and delivering high-quality early childhood blended programs for all children in a variety of settings rooted in diversity, equity and inclusion.

• Understanding of the linguistic and cultural diversity of English Learners and delivering high quality language support

• Understanding of the principles, practices and trends that result in a transformative and inclusive early childhood experience for students

• Deep understanding of the Universal Design for Learning principles

Portrait of a District 97 Teacher:

• Champions the vision of the school district.

• Leads with an unrelenting commitment to serve ALL students.

• Embraces the connection between public school leadership, student learning and equity.

• Aspires to the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and confidentiality.

• Models a forward-thinking and innovative mindset.

• Generates a culture of care for, learning with, and service to the community.

• Demonstrates a passion to work in collaboration with a culturally, racially and linguistically diverse district team of administrators, educators and staff in all roles.

• Actively seeks feedback, including critical feedback intended for professional growth.

Courageously addresses adult behavior that does not meet professional expectations.

• Ability to analyze data to inform work and decision making - analyze and evaluate available data; assess student needs and develop and implement procedures and policies to support student achievement.

• Ensures compliance with State and Federal mandates.

• Familiarity with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

• Ability to work collaboratively with others

• Ability to work and communicate with students in an appropriate professional manner.

An individual who models and reflects:

• A belief that all students can learn and succeed if provided the appropriate opportunities.

• A belief that everyone can improve his/her respective performance and attain a higher level of success.

• An understanding that all decisions should be made based on the notion that schools exist for students.

• High expectations for self and others.

• Provide ongoing observation and authentic assessment of children and maintain documentation of each child's progress and growth.

• Assume all case manager responsibilities for children with Individual Education Programs.

• Utilize various research-based and best practices aligned with instructional and behavioral strategies.

• Design and implement behavior management strategies.

• Implement a differentiated curriculum to meet the needs of all students within the Early Childhood program including students identified as in need of special education, as at risk, as English Learners, and as typically developing.

An individual who has demonstrated the ability to:

• Address the needs of the whole child, including those that have special education needs.

• Utilize current and emerging technologies as learning/teaching resources.

• Engage students in challenging content through well-designed learning activities that require complex thinking and invite students to explain their thinking.

• Maintain a mindset that student performance can always be improved.

• Make sound decisions based on data.

• Provide a positive atmosphere for learning.

Physical Requirements:

This position requires the performance of light work-which requires exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently to move objects. The position includes close visual acuity, frequent talking, hearing, walking and standing, occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling, stooping, kneeling, crouching and/or crawling, and significant fine finger dexterity. The job is performed in non-hazardous environments and a clean atmosphere.

Qualifications

Preferred Candidate Qualifications:

Applicable Professional Educator License with applicable endorsements required:.

Early Childhood Special Education, English as a Second Language and Early Childhood Endorsements required.

Candidates with teaching experience in a district with a diverse population are preferred.

Candidates possess a deep understanding of cultural proficiency and competence.

How to Apply

Apply through Frontline:

Applications are currently being accepted for this exciting leadership position via our district website.

Link to District/Third Party Online Application Web Page

https://www.applitrack.com/d97/onlineapp/default.aspx?Category=Elementary+School+Teaching

School District

https://www.op97.org/

Position Website

https://www.applitrack.com/d97/onlineapp/default.aspx?Category=Elementary+School+Teaching

ILearn Link

ILearn

Report Card Link

District Report Card

Job Posting Date

4/17/2024

Application Deadline

8/1/2024

Start Date

8/19/2024