Educational Mentor Coach

Join to apply for the Educational Mentor Coach role at Ada S. McKinley Community Services, Inc
.

The agency has reached the 100‑year milestone, serving more than 7,000 people annually across Chicago, Wisconsin and Indiana. Its services include child development, employment, behavioral health, tutoring, mentoring, foster care, housing, mental health counseling, employment training, and head start programs.

Perform duties related to assisting teaching staff with planning, coaching and implementing educational activities for children aged 0‑5 in the Child Development Program, complying with state Early Learning standards and federal performance standards from the Office of Head Start (OHS). Mentor and coach teaching staff, observe and assess classroom activities, participate in ongoing monitoring of the educational component, and complete other delegated tasks.

A valid car is required.

• Support the teaching staff with planning, organizing and implementing the preschool education curriculum.
• Implement practice‑based coaching that supports teaching practices and leads to positive outcomes for the children.
• Engage in classroom observations; gather, record, and assess observations to provide teachers with constructive feedback.
• Monitor lesson plans, including nutrition activities, individualization, group activities, and environmental checklists.
• Co‑mentor teaching staff in implementing the curriculum with fidelity; use observation, modeling, performance feedback and relationship‑building strategies.
• Maintain tracking and data entry for the Child Outcome Planning and Assessment (COPA) database and Teaching Strategies Gold assessment system.
• Support and plan for the transition of children into/from the Child Development Program to kindergarten or other service providers.
• Prepare reports and files; facilitate gathering monthly and yearly program information; ensure accuracy.
• Enforce safety procedures for environmental, child safety and confidentiality.
• Adhere to Head Start performance standards and all accreditation requirements.
• Document all site monitoring visits according to the program’s monitoring process.
• Attend meetings, maintain minutes for Education Meetings.
• Ensure teacher‑child ratio compliance and enforce classroom supervision of children.
• Perform other tasks related to the position as needed.

• Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, child development, or a related field (Master’s preferred).
• Minimum five years of teaching experience in an early childhood classroom.
• Three years of coaching experience preferred.
• Bilingual preferred.
• Current Interrater Reliability Certification for Teaching Strategies.
• CPR/First Aid certification within 90 days of hire.

• Experience with CLASS assessment of teacher‑child interactions.
• Knowledge of early childhood environmental rating scales and developmentally appropriate practices.
• Understanding of The Creative Curriculum and Teaching Strategies GOLD.
• Lesson planning and assessment for preschool children.
• Cultural sensitivity to client population.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to develop professional relationships with stakeholders.
• Capacity to partner with clients individually or in families.
• Ability to coordinate with team members and external services.
• Knowledge of evidence‑informed practices, engagement strategies, boundary setting, documentation, motivational interviewing, family systems.
• Computer proficiency on desktop, laptop, tablet, and mobile devices.
• Work remotely with supervisory approval; follow safety protocols.

Use common sense to follow written, oral or diagram instructions. Solve problems with multiple concrete variables. Maintain prolonged concentration using a computer. Frequently sit; occasionally stand, walk, lift up to 10 pounds and sometimes up to 25 pounds. Requires close, distance, color vision and depth perception.

Moderate noise level in a typical office environment. No unusual or adverse working conditions.

This description documents the general contents and requirements of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.