About Us:
The Ohio Department of Education is a diverse team of passionate, education-focused professionals dedicated to fulfilling the vision established in Each Child, Our Future , Ohio’s strategic plan for education. The vision is , “I n Ohio, each child is challenged to discover and learn, prepared to pursue a fulfilling post-high school path and empowered to become a resilient, lifelong learner who contributes to society. ” Ensuring this vision for each of Ohio’s 1.7 million students , in partnership with more than 240,000 educators across the state, is no small feat. Under the leadership of the s uperintendent of p ublic i nstruction and governed by the State Board of Education, Department team members , in collaboration with a wide range of partners, are sharply focused on helping schools and districts continually improve to be the best they can be for each child. Equity and impact are core to every program, service and action. The Department’s work is well regarded both in Ohio and nationally for its innovative, leading-edge and forward-looking approach. When the Department succeeds, students succeed, communities succeed and Ohio succeeds.
Culture and Values:
Ohio Department of Education is mission driven, values a culture of feedback and places a premium on growth mindset among all its team members. Together the enterprise is building a continuous learning and improvement community.
Overview:
The Office of Whole Child Supports is seeking a dynamic leader to engage a team of expert professionals in the Ohio Department’s work associated with behavioral health, student wellness, social-emotional learning (SEL), positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) and multi-tiered systems of support for Ohio schools. The ideal candidate is a strong collaborator with demonstrated experience with and understanding of Ohio’s standards for PBIS and SEL and educational systemic improvement processes to address the needs of the whole child.
Major Duties and Responsibilties:
Serves as Assistant Director of Safe and Supportive Schools
- Provides visionary leadership and develops strategies, processes and procedures aligned to the office and the Department’s vision and priorities.
- Assists in the planning and coordination of overall operation of the Office of Whole Child Supports.
- Partners with Office for Exceptional Children, Graduation Success, Career Technical Education and Research and Analytics on policy and implementation of PBIS, school safety initiatives, restraint and seclusion, workforce development skills and school climate.
- Collaborates regularly with other state agencies, including the Department of Public Safety’s Ohio School Safety Center and the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services to support comprehensive school safety needs, respond to immediate needs and support local and regional resources and relationships.
- Acts as the Ohio Department of Education’s liaison and point of contact for the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Ohio School Safety Center.
- Collaborates with the team and Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Ohio School Safety Center to coordinate responses to the SaferOH Tip Line, school safety and management plans and comprehensive school safety programs and initiatives.
- Assists in development of policy, budget and legislative recommendations to further the mission of the office and center (e.g. develops policy related to implementation of statewide PBIS, school safety initiatives, school climate and workforce initiatives in compliance with federal and state guidelines and regulations and research-based practices) .
- Makes policy and program recommendations related to interpretation and implementation of federal and state law, research and best practices to support student behavior, school safety, school climate dimensions, positive, caring interpersonal relationships, and workforce development skills.
- Leads, supervises and develops assigned staff (e.g., evaluates performance; provides feedback and support; implements agency employee policies; approves/disapproves leave; makes selection and/or termination recommendations; assigns of roles and responsibilities; provides staff training and coaching).
- Oversees policies, project plans, technical assistance, professional development, research, resources and communications for statewide implementation of PBIS, school safety initiatives, school climate strategies and workforce development skills and legislation requirements.
- Researches and develops data informed project guidance to ensure continuous improvement and compliance.
- Develops and manages budget and fiscal resources including grants, contracts and partnerships to support expansion and implementation of PBIS, school safety initiatives, School Climate Guidelines and workforce development skills (e.g. U.S. Department of Education School Transformation Grant).
- Oversees and monitors the agencies compliance with federal and state laws, regulations and funding including State and Federal Laws, Ohio Revised Code and federal and state grants.
- Collaborates with staff, other office teams, other agency offices and external partners to align and integrate PBIS, school safety, school climate strategies and workforce development skills, pre-k through grade 12, into a multisystem of support, the Ohio Improvement Process or student assistance programming.
- Coordinates Ohio Department of Education’s engagement with educational service centers, state support teams, other state agencies or workgroups, national technical assistance providers and other partners to build local and regional supports and expand statewide capacity for PBIS, school safety initiatives, school climate strategies and workforce development skills implementation.
- Builds relationships with key stakeholders, local community organizations, state agencies and organizations to expand and strengthen PBIS, school safety, school climate and workforce development skills implementation.
- Performs other related duties as assigned; handles media requests and responses from LEAs; attends and presents at state and/or regional meetings and conferences.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications:
- Completion of graduate core program in education, mental health, law, public safety, public policy, public administration, social or behavioral science, or education-related field (superintendent, principal, school counselor) and one of the following:
- 5 years supervisory experience in school safety, implementation of positive behavior intervention s and supports, school climate and /or school-based initiatives that directly support school climate (for example, school-based mental health, school wellness, school social work or school counseling)
OR
-
- 5 years of experience as an educational leader supporting districts, schools and/or educators with school safety, implementation of positive behavior interventions and supports, and/or school climate
Preferred Qualifications:
- Strong organizational and project management skills with demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex roles and responsibilities.
- Systems thinker with creativity and strong problem-solving skills
- Strong analytical and critical thinking skills related to educational policy, resource allocation, and program design
- Experience developing and implementing policy
- Excellent relationship-building skills, with demonstrated success engaging a broad array of stakeholders
- Exceptional verbal and written communication and presentation skills
- Proven ability to build productive relationships with, and communicate complex messages to, a wide variety of stakeholders
- Unwavering belief that all students can learn and achieve success in school
- Budgeting and managing grants and multiple funding sources.
- Document editing skills.