Educational Specialist - Fair Futures

About the Role

The Educational Specialist provides academic support services to youth in the family foster care (FFC) program, working collaboratively with foster parents, birth parents, school staff, and agency staff to ensure students receive the supports needed to reach their full academic potential.

Responsibilities

• Provide individual education counseling services to youth who are at risk of failing or dropping out of school; advocate for these youth within the public education system to ensure they are accepted into the most appropriate educational setting
• Communicate regularly with foster parents and birth parents about youth's academic performance, attendance, and related matters
• Communicate regularly with school personnel to obtain updates on student attendance, progress, and behavior in the classroom
• Monitor educational DOE data and send notifications to agency staff and parents about youth performance, attendance, and related matters
• Refer students to NYF tutoring programs for academic support
• Identify students in need of special education supports and make appropriate referrals for evaluations as well as ensure appropriate services are in place within the classroom setting
• Provide assistance and guidance in the college application process (college selection and admissions application, admissions essay writing, financial aid application, work study, scholarship selection and application process, room and board, and related areas)

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree from a U.S. accredited educational institution or Credential Evaluation for a non-U.S. educational institution
• Knowledge of the NYC DOE system, college admissions and financial aid process, high school enrollment process, and alternative educational settings
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Ability to evaluate and aggregate educational data, put together reports and summaries, and present information to other stakeholders
• Ability to collaborate with other program staff and community resources in meeting client needs
• Ability to engage hard-to-reach youth in academic services and provide them with guidance and support
• Two years in direct care position preferred (case planning/community service)
• Experience in youth/child welfare and/or NYC public school system preferred

Pay

$54,105.90 + (Bilingual Additive $3,500 + Education Additive $3,800)