Continuing - Provincial School Outreach Consultant

Learning Services Teacher - Position of Special Responsibility

0.5 or 1.0 FTE

Provincial Outreach Program - Mountainside Secondary School

July 1, 2024 Start

NATURE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

Provincial School Outreach is a program that is funded by the Ministry of Education and is hosted by North Vancouver School District at Mountainside Secondary School. The program provides specialized in-person and virtual supports and services to school districts across British Columbia, especially those located in rural and remote regions of the province. The programs outreach consultants travel on an ongoing basis to schools throughout BC to provide in-person assessments, planning, and support to students with disabilities and diverse abilities. Consultants remain virtually connected to school and district personnel between in-person visits to provide ongoing consultation and support.

The program is hiring full-time and half-time specialists. Consultants who hold a full-time assignment travel twice per month (every second week) to provide in-person support to schools throughout the province. The remainder of their assignment is dedicated to providing virtual-educational support from the programs office at Mountainside Secondary in North Vancouver, or an alternate location if the consultant resides outside the Lower Mainland. Consultants who hold a half-time position travel one week per month and provide virtual-educational support for the equivalent of a second week each month. Because the program receives referrals on an ongoing basis the travel location for in-person support is not typically confirmed until three weeks prior to departure. Due to limited flight availability to rural and remote communities, outreach may occasionally involve travel on a weekend or holiday. Consultants who work half-time for Provincial School Outreach may maintain an assignment with another school district as long as they are able to fulfill the one week per month travel requirement of the program.

Specialist consultants place primary emphasis on serving the immediate needs of schools with priority given to providing direct and indirect service to students and families in whatever capacity is needed. Consultants use their specialization to provide support based on the unique context of every situation. In this regard, the position is quite different in nature from a conventional specialist assignment at a school. Flexibility and innovation are essential as consultants can expect circumstances at the school to change at the last minute due to any number of factors, including staff shortages. This will result in occasions when consultants need to adapt how they support students and the school during their visit. For instances in which a student is not attending school for whatever reason, PSO consultants will discuss with families the possibility of visiting the home to provide support and/or carry out an assessment. The essential service that the program provides is making its support felt by a school community through building strong relationships with students, families, and staff during in-person visits. This position involves and requires collaborative innovation and learning, to build and maintain purposeful connections and relationships across British Columbia. The successful applicant understands the unique context of working in remote and rural regions of the province and meaningfully supporting students and families of Indigenous ancestry.

NECESSARY QUALIFICATIONS A Bachelor of Education Degree.

Successful experience teaching in the public education system.

Masters Degree or Diploma in Special Education, including coursework specific to working with students who are neurodivergent.

Training and demonstrated ability to conduct Level B assessment and Functional Assessments of Behaviour..

Demonstrated ability and experience in creating extensive Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) for students.

Skill in developing instructional and behavioural strategies to assist classroom teachers.

Strong communication skills as evidenced with parents, teacher and other School Based Resource Team members.

Training and experience teaching students who have disabilities or diverse abilities, who require instruction using Applied Behavioural Analysis, Verbal Behaviour and Social Thinking approaches.

Experience developing online resources to support student learning.

Experience working in remote and rural communities and supporting Indigenous students and families.

Ability to take a trauma informed approach to supporting students and their families.

GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS, ATTRIBUTES and EXPERIENCE Strong commitment to excellence in teaching and demonstrated teaching ability.

Comprehensive understanding of curriculum coupled with demonstrated ability to interpret curriculum appropriately to accommodate individual differences.

Demonstrated ability to design and implement a variety of assessment practices to measure and monitor student progress effectively.

Demonstrated ability to organize for instruction to maximize student potential.

Confidence and proficiency in using instructional organizers, concepts, and strategies that actively engage all students in learning.

Knowledge and demonstrated ability to structure and organize instructional strategies to enhance academic learning time.

Practical knowledge of district initiatives in reading so that reading skills and strategies can be taught explicitly across the curriculum to ensure reading success.

Strategies to identify learning difficulties early, understand obstacles to learning, and implement effective intervention to maximize academic success.

Knowledge and understanding of the application of relevant computer technologies to teaching and learning.

Excellent written and oral communication.

Evidence of personal initiative and strong work ethic.

Demonstrated successful and creative classroom experience.

Demonstrated ability to demonstrate flexibility and responsiveness to the needs and demands of the profession.

Willingness to be involved in professional development, with an ongoing commitment to learn and implement new methodologies and strategies.

Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with students, parents, and staff to enhance the school as a learning community.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: Possession of a BC Teaching Certificate

Membership in the BC Teacher Regulation Branch.