Out of School Time Early Literacy Coach

  • Full-time

Company Description

With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and opportunities in more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia is the fifth largest city in the United States and one of the largest employers in Southeastern Pennsylvania. As an employer, the City of Philadelphia operates through the guiding principles of service, integrity, respect, accountability, collaboration, diversity and inclusion. Through these principles, we strive to effectively deliver services, to resolve the challenges facing our city, and to make Philadelphia a place where all our residents have the opportunity to reach their potential. 

Agency Descriptions:

This position will work on-site at the Philadelphia Department of Human Services (DHS) and will report to the DHS OST Early Literacy Coordinator.  DHS provides continuous quality improvement services and technical assistance to community-based sites and City Departments that provide Out of School Time (OST) programming in the city of Philadelphia.  Integrating early literacy into elementary aged (K-4) OST programs is a major priority within the city’s OST system.  

The Out of School Time Literacy Coach position and OST staff at DHS are a part of the Citywide Out-of-School Time (OST) Initiative. The Initiative is developing a shared, coordinated and inclusive OST system that reaches ambitious goals on behalf of Philadelphia’s young people.  This is a cross-sector, holistic initiative that is working to align various OST efforts from city departments as well as other existing and potential OST stakeholders. 

Job Description

The OST Early Literacy Coach  is a newly formed, grant-funded position that will play a key role in implementing evidence-based and data-driven literacy rich environments in Philadelphia’s OST landscape.  The OST Early Literacy Coach  will oversee the logistics of onsite early literacy supports focusing on light touch literacy practices such as reading aloud and independent reading which will be implemented across a range of OST sites.  The OST Early Literacy Coach  will create literacy tutorials and structured activities content.  The OST Early Literacy Coach  will provide on-site coaching at OST sites all over the city and lead citywide trainings.  

The OST Early Literacy Coach  will be a part of a team of one full time OST Training and Early Literacy Manager, one full time Early Literacy Coordinator, and a team of contracted OST Literacy Coaches.  This position is a new, grant-funded position that is a key part of building a continuous quality improvement culture across the City of Philadelphia’s vibrant out of school time community.  This is a full-time temporary grant-funded position for two years and will be supervised by the OST Early Literacy Coordinator.

This is a full-time temporary grant-funded position for two years. 

The duties of the OST Early Literacy Coach  include:

Early Literacy Expertise

  • Assist in the development of evidence-based and data driven literacy practices
  • Conduct workshops, demonstration lessons, and coaching visits to support providers in the implementation of light touch literacy practices

Program Observation and Technical Assistance

  • Conduct regular site visits and generate reports of observations
  • Bring commonly shared programmatic challenges to colleagues and OST management team and work to develop action plans in response
  • Maintain accurate technical assistance notes
  • Keep providers on track to define and meet their goals

Partnership Cultivation

  • Engage with Out of School Time partners to build trusting relationships that promote continuous quality improvement
  • Assist in the implementation of a comprehensive strategy to bring in new sites who will receive technical assistance and integrate recommended practices around Early Literacy Learning

Logistical Support

  • Work with Early Literacy team to plan group trainings and site incentive events, such as parties, field trips, and guest speakers.

Qualifications

 

  • Bachelor’s degree or related experience
  • Minimum two-years’ experience in Out of School Time or traditional school day education field
  • Experience in implementing creative and innovative OST or traditional school day programming
  • Experience in Early Literacy Learning practices
  • Demonstrates knowledge of the Philadelphia regional educational and youth development landscape and the broader community
  • Experience as a trainer, facilitator or teacher
  • Knowledge of Philadelphia geography and neighborhoods
  • Valid Driver’s License and willingness to travel within the City
  • Database management experience and high level of comfort with MS Office, Google Suite
  • Flexibility and adaptability in work style and work schedule, including evenings
  • Experience with non-traditional learners and ELL populations

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

  • Experience implementing program plans, providing trainings, and collecting program and participant data
  • A team player with strong interpersonal skills, who can work both independently and collaboratively to produce quality work
  • A quick learner who is adaptable and reflective
  • Firm understanding differentiated learning styles and informal literacy strategies
  • Detail oriented and extremely organized
  • Excellent time management skills with capacity to work simultaneously on multiple tasks and projects and deliver on deadline
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Analytical; able to use analysis to assist in making decisions
  • Practical; able to use real-world experience to assist OST programs in the planning and implementation of early literacy strategies
  • A high energy, results oriented individual who takes initiative, makes things happen, accepts accountability and has a “can do” attitude; has a sense of urgency
  • Comfortable speaking in front of an audience
  • Ability to articulate Citywide Out of School Time Initiative mission and to inspire others
  • Ability to design programming content in OST setting

 

Additional Information

Salary: $45,000/yr 

Successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire.

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670. For more information, go to: Human Relations Website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx