Program Specialist IV

Early Childhood General Education Coach

The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) seeks to create a world-class educational system that gives students the knowledge and skills to be successful in college and in the workforce, and to flourish as parents and citizens. This is a non-state service, time-limited position.

The Early Childhood General Education Coach (ECC) will provide services on behalf of the Mississippi Department of Education's (MDE) Office of Early Childhood (OEC) by supporting the implementation of early childhood education efforts in Mississippi. The ECC will provide a non-threatening, open, professional, collaborative work relationship while modeling effective early childhood teaching and family engagement strategies and support and conduct training for pre-k teachers and administrators in schools, Head Start centers, and childcare centers. The ECC will be required to identify, and document needs within a web-based early learning system to develop quality improvement plans, communicate the impact of developmentally appropriate practices, and support the utilization of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) tool to effectively ensure school success. The ECC will be trained and reach reliability of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) tool.

What you'll need to be successful:

• A positive outlook for the field of early childhood education in the state.
• Knowledge of developmentally appropriate practices.
• Knowledge of Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS).
• Knowledge of and ability to maneuver through web-based early learning data systems.
• Organizational skills, an eye for detail, self-motivation, and a vision to be a team player.
• Fluent in Excel/Word/PowerPoint/Outlook.
• The ability to take direction and advice from leadership in a professional manner.
• The ability to effectively and accurately communicate via phone or email.
• The ability to travel on a daily basis.

Preferred qualifications typically require a Bachelor's degree and 4-7 years of experience. Agency preferred qualifications include:

• Experience in early childhood, specifically pre-kindergarten through second grade.
• Experience leading others in a collaborative process.
• Successful experience facilitating adult learning to a diverse group of educators and delivering professional development specific to early childhood education (e.g., professional development feedback, surveys, letters, etc.).
• Experience providing positive, effective feedback about instruction to educators.