Education Specialist 2

Job Description

This position is open to Alaskan Residents only.

Please check out the

residency definition

to determine if you qualify.

The Department of Education & Early Development, Division of Innovation & Education Excellence is recruiting for an Education Specialist 2.

Pay will be determined based on the location of the selected applicant.

What You Will Be Doing:

Joining the Alaska Reads Act and Early Learning team provides the opportunity to support meaningful statewide work focused on strengthening early learning (preschool) programs, foundational literacy, and school readiness for Alaska’s youngest learners. In this role, you will serve as a statewide specialist for the early learning components of the Alaska Reads Act and work closely with school districts, educators, and early learning partners across Alaska.

Manage statewide implementation of the Alaska Early Education Program Standards, Early Education Program Grants, and Preschool ADM.

Manage the full lifecycle of the Early Education Program Grant (Preschool), including applications, awards, grant agreements, monitoring, technical assistance, progress reporting, partner coordination, and closeout.

Administer the Preschool ADM application and approval process and provide technical assistance to help school districts meet or maintain eligibility requirements.

Provide statewide guidance, training, and resources that support developmentally appropriate practices, foundational literacy grounded in the Science of Reading, and alignment with the Alaska Reads Act and Alaska Early Learning Guidelines.

Prepare reports, guidance documents, presentations, and communications; collaborate with internal and external partners; and develop and manage contracts, procurements, and reimbursable services agreements for early learning initiatives.

Mission and Values/Culture:

The Department of Education and Early Development’s mission is to provide an excellent education for every student every day. The Alaska Reads Act and Early Learning team strengthens early learning systems, foundational literacy, and school readiness through statewide standards, grants, technical assistance, and partnerships. This position helps school districts and early learning partners develop and sustain high-quality programs that meet the Alaska Early Education Program Standards and Preschool ADM eligibility requirements.

Benefits of Joining Our Team:

Joining the Alaska Reads Act and Early Learning team provides the opportunity to support meaningful statewide work focused on strengthening early education, foundational literacy, and school readiness for Alaska’s youngest learners. You will work collaboratively with school districts, educators, families, and early learning partners to develop and sustain high-quality early education programs across the state.

Support statewide initiatives that strengthen early education, foundational literacy, school readiness, and long-term outcomes for Alaska’s youngest learners.

Collaborate with a knowledgeable and supportive team committed to strengthening Alaska’s early learning systems.

Gain valuable experience in statewide program administration, grant management, technical assistance, contracting, reporting, and implementation of the Alaska Reads Act.

Build strong partnerships with educators, school districts, early learning providers, community organizations, and other state agencies throughout Alaska.

Flexible work arrangements and potential telework options may be available consistent with operational needs and State of Alaska policy.

The Working Environment You Can Expect:

This position may be based in either the Juneau or Anchorage office and offers flexibility to work in the office, hybrid, or fully remote depending on operational needs. The position supports DEED-sponsored events, statewide educational conferences, professional learning opportunities, and statewide collaboration efforts related to implementation of the Alaska Reads Act and high-quality early learning programs.

Travel may be required within Alaska to provide technical assistance and support to school districts and early learning partners implementing early learning and literacy initiatives. Occasional out-of-state travel for conferences, professional development, or collaboration opportunities may also be required.

Who We Are Looking For:

We are interested in candidates who possess some or all of the following position specific competencies.

•Grants Management:

Knowledge of requirements, practices, and procedures for soliciting, receiving, reviewing, and processing proposals, and awarding and administering grants and agreements.

•Education and Training:

Knowledge of teaching, training, research, making presentations, lecturing, testing, and other instructional methods.

•Teaching Others:

Helps others learn through formal or informal methods; identifies training needs; provides constructive feedback; coaches others on how to perform tasks; acts as a mentor.

•Project Management:

Knowledge of the principles, methods, or tools for developing, scheduling, coordinating, and managing projects and resources, including monitoring and inspecting costs, work, and contractor performance.

•Technical Competence:

Uses knowledge acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one’s job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.

Please note that this position will be required to travel within the State.

This position is occasionally required to travel to remote school districts for training and technical assistance (2 to 4 trips per year). This may require travel by fixed-wing aircraft, boat, and snow machine. Some districts do not have hotel accommodations. Incumbent may have to sleep on the floor in the school. Attending conferences requires the incumbent to travel with luggage filled with supplies for districts, which may exceed 25 or 50 pounds.

Additionally, this position requires:

Eligible at hire for an Alaska Initial, Professional, or Master Teacher Certification OR Type B Administrator Certification required.

Meet requirements for the Early Education Lead Endorsement.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college and four years of professional experience in education, one year of which was as a staff advisor/specialist, administrator, supervisor or consultant in planning, developing and maintaining standards and evaluating educational and vocational curricula or educational programs in a specialized field.

Substitution: Appropriate graduate study may be substituted on a year-for-year basis for the non-specialized experience to a maximum of two years.

Special Note:

Due to the duties assigned to a majority of these positions, applicants may be required to possess an Alaska Teacher Certificate at the time of employment and be required to maintain certification as a condition of employment. Specific endorsements may also be required. Documentation is included in the file of affected positions.

Individual positions in this class may require expertise in a particular educational specialty. Recruitment and selection will be on the basis of these requirements.

Additional Required Information

Please provide at time of application:

Cover Letter (see instructions below)

At the time of the interview, please provide the following:

A copy of your transcripts at the time of the interview.

Alaska Initial, Professional, or Master Teacher Certification OR Type B Administrator Certification

Three professional references with their contact information (email or phone), including full name, title, and company.

Please read the information below carefully. This applies to your application submission.

COVER LETTER

A cover letter is required as part of your application. In your cover letter, please describe how you possess the position-specific competencies listed in the “Who We Are Looking For” section and how your skills wil