Early Language Professional Development Specialist

Early Language Professional Development Specialist

About Us

Georgia College & State University is the state's designated public liberal arts university. As a member of the prestigious Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC), Georgia College is committed to fostering a liberal arts environment that values interdisciplinary inquiry, diversity and inclusion, and academic excellence. The College enrolls approximately 7,000 students -5,800 undergraduate and 1,200 graduate students-- and is prominently cited for excellence in teaching, undergraduate research, nursing education, and high impact practices outside the classroom in a number of leading publications.  

The university's beautiful and historic campus is located downtown in Milledgeville, Georgia, a charming, diverse college town of approximately 19,000 residents in Central Georgia, approximately 90 miles southeast of Atlanta. Milledgeville is also the home of noted American author and alumna, Flannery O'Conner, and the college community enjoys many exciting literary arts programs at O'Connor's former home, the Andalusia Institute, now owned by the College.  Milledgeville is also located on the banks of beautiful Lake Sinclair and Lake Oconee, allowing faculty, staff, and students to take full advantage of the environmental and recreational benefits of being part of a lake community. For cultural, educational, and leisure opportunities beyond Milledgeville, Macon and Atlanta are located within easy driving distances.  

Georgia College takes great pride in combining the educational experience of private liberal arts colleges with the affordability of a public university. The university's main campus is a residential learning community focused on undergraduate education and a select number of graduate programs. Faculty and staff are dedicated to engaging students through high-impact pedagogies that foster intellectual curiosity, reasoned inquiry, and critical thinking. We strive for excellence in the classroom and beyond. We nurture collaborative leadership and global citizenship, and we value diversity and inclusion in all of its forms.  

Georgia College seeks faculty and administrators who understand and embrace our public liberal arts mission, who are committed to respecting and fostering diversity and inclusion inside and outside of the classroom, and who are dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through teaching, scholarship, and service. All Georgia College faculty share the responsibility of teaching our core curriculum and providing foundation courses for majors and non-majors alike. To carry out our public liberal arts mission, we seek faculty with the desire and ability to provide a first-class learning experience for our students, one that will prepare them to be competent, thoughtful, and well-rounded leaders who make transformative contributions to their communities and to the world

Department Information

Sandra Dunagan Deal Center for Early Language and Literacy-

Founded in 2017 as a statewide research and training facility for the advancement of early language and literacy located on the Georgia College campus; the Sandra Dunagan Deal Center for Early Language and Literacy promotes evidence-based practices for educators, childcare providers, families, and community organizations serving children from birth to age eight.

The Deal Center partners with school systems, universities, technical colleges, early childhood education programs, and other public and private stakeholders to engage the community at large in the important goal of improving Georgia's literacy rate as measured by the end of third grade. Governance responsibilities of the Deal Center are held by a Board that is appointed by the Governor of the State of Georgia. The Board includes representatives from an array of public and private organizations committed to early language and literacy improvement.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Program Manager, the Early Language Professional Development Specialist will develop a statewide professional development program in early language and literacy and early brain development for center directors, caregivers, and teachers of children birth to Preschool.  The Early Language Professional Development Specialist serves as the Deal Center's resource on early brain development and early language development to build the knowledge of teachers and caregivers of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. The Early Language Professional Development Specialist will collaborate with the Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL), Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), and other professional development providers offering support in childcare centers and family day care homes to increase effectiveness and align systems of support.  The Early Language Professional Development Specialist will explore ways to provide language and literacy enrichment for children birth to Preschool who are not in formal childcare settings in collaboration with public libraries, the Department of Public Health, pediatricians and community health centers, home visiting programs, and community non-profits.

Responsibilities

Program Development -

Plan and develop a comprehensive curriculum of professional development in literacy for teachers, parents, community organizers, and caregivers of children birth to preschool throughout Georgia.  Develop an annual professional learning calendar that can adjust to both in- person and virtual training.  Develop Early Learning Institutes to build knowledge on early brain, early language and literacy, and social and emotional development birth to preschool teachers, support staff, and center directors.   Plan and develop a Governor's Summit to highlight the Deal Center work and statewide partners' work in literacy. 

Coordinate and manage community outreach and literacy grant initiatives.   Identify and guide literacy consultants to conduct specialized program events.  Identify and prioritize professional development needs for teachers, parents, community organizers, and caregivers of children birth to preschool throughout Georgia.  Prepare and provide reports on program progress and status.

Training -

Design and deliver high-quality professional learning opportunities on developmentally appropriate language and literacy practices, brain development, and infant/ toddler social-emotional development for early childhood teachers, caregivers, directors, and others.  Knowledgeable in a variety of training models and best practices in adult learning.  Develop content in the areas of language and literacy development and evidence-based strategies for teachers, support staff, and educational leaders of children Birth to Preschool.   

Lead in-person and virtual meeting, training, and workshops and provide instructional leadership and modeling.  Continually reviews/evaluates content to ensure that it is meeting the intended objectives, and makes improvements and revisions, as needed.  Develop a systematic statewide approach to curriculum and instructional planning, development, implementation, and immediate informal feedback.  Create and maintain training guides, early literacy toolkits, and content curation of resources.

 In-depth Content Knowledge

• Early brain development and intervention strategies.
• Early language developmental stages and evidence-based practices to support growth.
• Early language and phonological continuum of development
• Social-Emotional Development and practices related to high-quality adult-child interactions.
• Knowledge of early literacy foundations.
• Knowledge of the evidence-based approach to early literacy.

Collaboration -

Collaborate and coordinate with technical assistance and professional development for providers offering support to childcare centers, family day care homes, preschool classrooms, and community organizers to increase effectiveness and align systems of support.  Build strong collaboration with the Department of Early Care and Learning, Technical College System of Georgia, and other providers of professional development for caregivers and teachers of children birth to Preschool.  In collaboration with public libraries, the Department of Public Health, pediatricians and community health centers, home visiting programs, and community organizations explore ways to provide language and literacy enrichment for children birth to age 4 who are not in formal childcare settings

Required Qualifications

Educational Requirements-

Master's degree in early childhood education, child development, or a closely related field and at least 3- 5 years of direct experience working in early childhood settings with children birth to age 4.  Experience supporting adult learning, coaching, and facilitation.

Preferred Qualifications

Preferred Educational Qualifications
Ed.S. or Doctorate in early childhood education, child development, or a closely related field.

Preferred Experience
Experience in teaching and coaching adult learners.
Experience in curriculum design/content development and instructional design.
Experience/knowledge of e-learning/on-line learning pedagogy and tools.
Strong background in early literacy content and pedagogy'with specific emphasis on knowledge and implementation of construction of the reading brain.
Experience in leading teams in literacy approaches, programs, or interventions.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

KNOWLEDGE

• Best practices in professional development for adult learners.
• Knowledge of best practices in teaching adult learners
• Deep knowledge of early language and literacy models and strategies
• Knowledge of coaching as a tool for improving practice and student achievement.
• Knowledge of Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards (GELDS).

SKILLS

• Program planning
• Program development
• Communication and collaboration
• Event planning
• Teaching adult learners
• Curriculum development
• Collaboration
• Communication

Equal Employment Opportunity

Georgia College is committed to the fundamental principle of equal opportunity and equal treatment for every prospective and current employee and strives to create a campus environment which understands, fosters, and embraces the value of diversity. No person shall, on the grounds of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or genetic information, be excluded from employment or participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination, under any program or activity conducted by Georgia College. It is the policy our institution to recruit, hire, train, promote and educate persons without regard to race, color, national or ethnical origin, age, disability, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status as required by applicable state and federal laws (including Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, Sections 503, and 504, AREA, ADA, E.O. 11246, and Rev. Proc. 75-50). Georgia College is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Institution.

Other Information

• This is not a supervisory position.
• This position does not have any financial responsibilities.
• This position will be required to drive.
• This role is considered a position of trust.
• This position does not require a purchasing card (P-Card).
• This position may travel 0 - 25% of the time
• This position does not require security clearance.

Background Check

• Position of Trust Background Check
• Motor Vehicle Check
• Drug Screen

GC&SU is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action institution, with a commitment to cultural, racial, and ethnic communities. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. It is expected that successful candidates share in this commitment. For more information, please visit our web page at www.gcsu.edu.