Position Title: Early Learning Mentor

Organization: Kai Ming, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides free full-day full-year; full-day part-year; or part-day part-year Head Start preschool services to eligible children ages 3-5 years old in San Francisco, CA with funding from Head Start, the California Department of Education, and the San Francisco Department of Early Childhood. 

Job Summary: Under the general supervision of the STEP Program Director, Director of Learning and Development and Executive Director, the Early Learning Mentor works closely with the STEP operations team to provide mentoring, coaching, professional development, training, resources, and support to STEP substitute teachers to deliver high-quality services and improve outcomes for young children.  

Job Type: Full-time, Exempt

Report to: STEP Program Director

Essential Duties 

• Provide a coaching and mentoring model that establishes a safe and nurturing, yet challenging learning environment for STEP substitute teachers.
• Develop positive, trusting, supportive relationships with program staff and STEP substitute teachers. 
• Work with the Learning & Development and STEP team to develop and implement ongoing professional development for STEP substitute teachers and for program staff to support them to apply culturally sensitive approaches in working with children, families and each other.
• Ensure that program plans, policies and procedures are known, understood and being put into practice.
• Ensure compliance in program practices to meet requirements, such as Community Care Licensing regulations.
• Move STEP substitute teachers practices from simple compliance to quality best practice.
• Develop thoughtful onboarding plans for newly hired STEP substitute teachers to ensure their ongoing success. 
• Help STEP substitute teachers take information from in-services, training, workshops, and conferences and implement it into daily practice.
• Coach STEP substitute teachers on curriculum, frameworks, and assessment tools as needed.
• Work with STEP substitute teachers to identify individual and/or classroom goals to work on.
• Develop and implement an individualized professional development and career growth plan that is followed and monitored, including coursework enrollment, permit and degree attainment.
• Provide STEP substitute teachers with necessary materials, resources, and information to help them implement their professional development and career growth plans.
• Conduct in-classroom observations and assessments of teaching practices, teachers’ interactions with children, and classroom environment.
• Model appropriate practices and strategies in the classroom to engage children and improve learning and development.
• Meet with STEP substitute teachers regularly for reflective discussions, to prove constructive feedback, review goals and action plans
• Document meetings, observations, progress of individualized plans, and teacher’s progress using database platforms.
• Develop and facilitate STEP substitute teacher training, PLC (Peer Learning Community), and other learning opportunities. 
• Create training or course contents in an internal learning management system to enhance learning for STEP substitute teachers. 
• Provide technical support and assistance to STEP substitute teachers as needed.
• Work with program staff and partner agency staff to conduct staff’s skill and knowledge assessments and connect them with potential training and learning opportunities
• Collaborate with program staff and other education staff to proactively anticipate talent gaps and recommend appropriate solutions.
• Create an accountability plan to ensure suggested solutions are being implemented and followed through. 
• Develop specific training programs to fulfill staff’s individual learning needs to maintain or improve on-the-job skills.
• Ensure talent development strategy is in alignment with current training and coaching activities, performance review & succession planning, leadership development, diversity, equity & inclusion training, and other development initiatives.
• Cooperate with external channels such as city college, universities or learning entities and design specialized programs for the development of staff by integrating resources. 
• Review and analyze data from performance reviews and professional development goals jointly with program staff; make recommendations and draft action plans based on findings or patterns. 
• Works closely with the HR team, education team, program supervisors and employees to improve work relationships, build morale, and increase productivity and retention.
• Maintain confidentiality in accordance with agency policy and legal requirements. 
• Other duties as assigned.