Administrative Program Specialist - Teaching Learning and School Improvement

Administrative Program Specialist 1 - Teaching Learning and School Improvement

The Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is excited to announce multiple opportunities for Administrative Program Specialist 1 positions within our Professional Certification division. These full-time positions are headquartered in Olympia, Washington, and may be eligible for partial to near full-time telework. These positions require in-office attendance each Tuesday (subject to include additional days in future), as well as on any mandatory in-office days scheduled throughout the year.

In-office attendance is required during onboarding and training to support successful orientation, learning, and integration into the team. While we're happy to offer this balance of in-office connections and telework flexibility, this isn't a fully remote position.

OSPI is the primary agency charged with overseeing public K–12 education in Washington state. Working with the state's 295 public school districts and 7 state-tribal education compact schools, OSPI allocates funding and provides tools, resources, and technical assistance so every student in Washington is provided a high-quality public education.

At OSPI, we recognize that our employees are the key to the success of the agency. We are committed to our work but value the balance with our personal lives. We demonstrate our commitment to employees by providing an environment that stimulates professional growth and values them for their expertise. OSPI is a great place to work and has several initiatives to help create a great working environment, including:

• We support a healthy work/life balance by offering flexible/alternative work schedules and mobile and telework options. (Depending on job duties and work location.)
• We have an Infant at Work Program that is based on long-term values of newborns and infant-parent bonding. Eligible employees who are new parents or legal guardians can bring their infant (six weeks to six months) when returning to work. (Depending on job duties and work location.)
• We value and are actively involved in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion within OSPI by way of cross-divisional, collaborative committee. The focus of the committee includes employee engagement and education; reinforcing OSPI values; and maximizing the value of diversity and identifying strategies for inclusion.

Vision, Mission, and Values

Vision:
All students prepared for post-secondary pathways, careers, and civic engagement.

Mission:
Transform K-12 education to a system that is centered on closing opportunity gaps and is characterized by high expectations for all students and educators. We achieve this by developing equity-based policies and supports that empower educators, families, and communities.

Values:
Ensuring Equity, Collaboration and Service, Achieving Excellence through Continuous Improvement, Focus on the Whole Child

Equity

Each student, family, and community possesses strengths and cultural knowledge that benefits their peers, educators, and schools. Ensuring educational equity:

• Goes beyond equality; it requires education leaders to examine the ways current policies and practices result in disparate outcomes for our students of color, students living in poverty, students receiving special education and English Learner services, students who identify as LGBTQ+, and highly mobile student populations.
• Requires education leaders to develop an understanding of historical contexts; engage students, families, and community representatives as partners in decision-making; and actively dismantle systemic barriers, replacing them with policies and practices that ensure all students have access to the instruction and support they need to succeed in our schools.

Position Overview

This position supports the agency's mission by ensuring all certified educators and education staff associates meet minimum state requirements to serve the children of the state of Washington to the best of their abilities and to have a positive impact on student learning as related to WAC 181-79A and WAC 179-03.

Candidates for this position should understand the agency's commitment to racial justice and our work to create an atmosphere of antiracist practices within the workplace and throughout our work with the public. Candidates for this position must understand and share the values of the agency, division, and department to ensure equity within the workplace and with those with whom we serve.

Collaboration and service is the means in which we approach our work together, through continuous improvement we achieve excellence, and it is through working with these values we can focus our efforts on the children we ultimately serve in Washington state.

This position supports and is supported by cross agency collaboration to fulfill expectations of duties that are assigned.

Key Responsibilities

Evaluation Program Specialist of general educator certification applications and serves as certification…