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About the Role

The Education Specialist will provide educational advocacy and ensure students receive the necessary supports and services to succeed. This role involves working with up to 50 middle school students (grades 6-8) and their families, monitoring academic performance, and making referrals for tutoring and extracurricular activities. The specialist will also guide 8th graders and their families through the high school selection process and assist 5th graders with middle school transitions, ensuring students choose quality, best-fit schools.

Responsibilities

Provide individual assistance to students and parents.
Collaborate with case planners, tutors, schools, and mental health providers to offer student-focused support.
Identify environments and institutions that best meet a child's needs based on academics, school size, proximity, student/family preferences, and extracurricular activities.
Build and maintain collaborative relationships with schools and advocate on behalf of students.
Work with Case Planners, foster parents, bio-parents/caregivers, and tutors to address educational concerns.
Request IEP evaluations and behavioral/academic supports from schools.
Negotiate with DOE staff and ACCESS VR counselors for appropriate services.
Ensure school stability during student relocations, in consultation with Case Planners and parents.
Use an online platform to record progress and create automated reports.
Collect, review, and track NYC DOE monthly data on attendance, grades, promotion status, school enrollment, tutoring history, and transcripts.
Identify struggling students using data.
Work with Case Planners and parents to improve attendance and provide additional academic supports.
Ensure chosen schools are quality, best-fit options and record this list.
Guide the school selection process by establishing trust, explaining its importance, and providing information/guidance on selections.
Provide individualized assistance to 5th graders with the middle school selection process.
Follow up with Tutor Coaches regarding student performance, needs, and concerns.
Connect students to appropriate afterschool and summer activities.
Outreach to parents to discuss special education services, attendance concerns, behavioral issues, and school transfers.
Include foster parents in educational planning.
Coordinate with Case Planners on academic progress and follow up on needs/concerns.
Provide monthly reports to Case Planners with progress notes and key academic data.
Consult with Case Planners regarding school transfers and significant educational advocacy activities.
Collaborate with schools to explore options for students, such as afterschool tutoring, special education services, and other supports.
Schedule school visits for students to meet with the student and counselor together.
Work with community resources including tutoring programs, mental health services, and afterschool programs.
Offer long-term individualized interventions for students with complex needs and targeted short-term supports.
Secure representation for students receiving suspensions.
Advocate for students to receive the most appropriate special education services.
Request special education evaluations from schools when students may benefit from additional services.
Assist in developing IEPs focused on the student's best interest and ensure students receive necessary services.

Requirements

Ability to work with traumatized children/students.
Ability to engage students, families, school staff, and other entities.
Ability to advocate for the student and work collaboratively with other service providers.
Able to work independently, be proactive, tenacious, and resourceful.
A love for working with children, youth, and families.
Excellent interpersonal skills to engage and build relationships with children, families, school partners, and tutoring providers.
Engagement skills from a strength-based, collaborative approach.
Excellent interpersonal skills and able to easily build relations with children, families, school partners, and tutoring providers.
Values and promotes diversity.
Able to remain calm during times of tension and stress.
Good knowledge of the principles and practices of social casework.
Good knowledge of the laws, rules, and regulations governing the care and treatment of children.
Must be able to act decisively when necessary for client protection.
Experience related to services to families and children, preferably medical or child welfare related.
Excellent written, listening, and verbal communication skills.
Ability to establish effective working relationships with clients, relatives, and other individuals.
Ability to obtain and verify information needed through interviews and investigation.
Ability to prepare clear, accurate, and comprehensive case records.
Ability to reach logical conclusions based on pertinent regulations and information.
Must be able to accurately report the functioning of families and individuals.
Minimum two years in an education-related field.
Have experience in an instructional, administrative, or advocacy-related position.
Experience working with students and families in foster care is strongly preferred.
Ability to navigate complex educational issues, be resourceful, and work independently.
Ability to organize time and prioritize responsibilities.
Ability to effectively collaborate in team settings and build relationships with external partners.

Skills

Educational advocacy
Academic performance monitoring
Referral services
Tutoring services
Extracurricular activities
High school selection process
Middle school selection process
Online platform usage
Data collection and tracking
Interpersonal skills
Collaboration
Communication skills
Social casework
Client advocacy
Case management

Location

Brooklyn, NY

Work Type

Full-time
Onsite

Experience Level

Minimum two years in an education-related field

Education Level

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university

About the Company

Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York is a nonprofit organization that has worked to improve the well-being of children, youth, and families across New York City and Long Island since 1929.
Our staff of more than 500 provides prevention services, foster care, residential treatment care, adoption services, and medical and mental health services.
A career with Little Flower can be rewarding in so many ways.
We are looking for conscientious and caring people who are ready to commit to the work of strengthening families and supporting the well-being of children.
If you’re looking for a career where you can truly make a difference, we hope you will consider joining our team.

Equal Opportunity

With more than 250 years of combined experience, Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York and St. John’s Residence for Boys have a long-standing history of serving children, youth, adults and families of color.
Our mission, vision and values are grounded in elevating the shared humanity of every staff member, community partner and those with whom we engage.
We recognize that our DEIB work is continuously evolving as we strive for equity and inclusion for individuals of all races, ethnicities, genders, sexualities, ages, abilities, religions and lived experiences.