2469 Blindness Skills Specialist

POSITION IDENTIFICATION

TITLE Blindness Skills Specialist

CLASSIFICATION NUMBER 2469

GRADE 45

CLASSIFICATION Exempt

IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR Director, Agency for Teaching, Leading and Learning

MAJOR ADMINISTRATOR Department Head, Counseling, Leadership and Special Education

GENERAL FUNCTION

The Blindness Skills Specialist provides professional development to school administrators, teachers, and paraprofessionals who work with children identified with blindness or low vision, provides workshops on topics related to visual impairment for professionals and administrators, and provides information and training to parents of children identified with blindness or low vision. The Blindness Skills Specialist is responsible for coordinating and working collaboratively with University faculty, staff, and administrators, PK-12 Schools, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), and business/community partners. The Blindness Skills Specialist coordinates and facilitates the development of professional development workshops, seminars, meetings, and other activities for PK-12 teachers and administrators who work with persons identified with blindness or low vision.  The Blindness Skills Specialist works collaboratively with department heads, deans, and other University officials in order to ensure that these activities and programs follow appropriate University guidelines, policies, and procedures.

MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Education: A Master's degree in Special Education, Education of the Visually Impaired or a related field is required.

Experience: Five years of experience coordinating and facilitating programs, projects, and/or activities for the education of the blind is required with at least three years of experience working with PK-12 schools.

Skills:  Strong verbal and written communication skills, excellent interpersonal skills, and organizational skills, particularly in planning, are required.  Computer literacy is required. The ability to develop knowledge of, respect for, and skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds is required.

Certification: Must possess and maintain current Teacher of the Visually Impaired certification for PreK-12 schools.

Other: The nature of the position frequently requires attendance at evening and/or weekend activities, including national, state, and local conferences.  Travel is necessary.  Must be able to lift and transport materials weighing up to 50 pounds. A valid Missouri driver’s license is required within ninety days of employment.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Ensures the success of the University's commitment to the Public Affairs mission of ethical leadership, cultural competence, and community engagement by coordinating and facilitating professional development for educators, specifically by providing one-on-one professional development and workshops to school administrators, paraprofessionals, and teachers of the visually impaired.

2. Provides information and training to parents of children with blindness or low vision.

3. Facilitates the development and maintenance of partnerships between University departments, colleges, area schools, and community/business partners by developing and/or coordinating appropriate projects.

4. Works with Director, Agency for Teaching, Leading and Learning to maintain compliance and documentation of work for evaluation purposes and for compliance with the requirements of MoDESE and the Blindness Skills Specialist grant.

5. Enhances PK-12 teachers' ability to develop and implement innovative instructional approaches for students with blindness or low vision into their existing classroom settings by coordinating and presenting teacher staff development programs.

6. Ensures that education programs for the College of Education and the Agency for Teaching, Leading and Learning are included in strategic planning by participating in annual education program budget development and representing the education program.

7. Advises the Department Head, Counseling, Leadership and Special Education, the Director, Agency for Teaching, Leading and Learning, and other senior administrators on the status of on-going programs and projects by preparing and presenting reports to the Department Head, Counseling, Leadership and Special Education and Director, Agency for Teaching, Leading and Learning, and a variety of advisory groups.

8. Contributes to a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds.

9. Remains competent and current through self-directed professional reading, developing professional contacts with colleagues, attending professional development courses, and attending training and/or courses required by the Department Head, Counseling, Leadership and Special Education or Director, Agency for Teaching, Leading and Learning.

10. Contributes to the success of the College of Education and the Agency for Teaching, Leading and Learning by performing all other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISION

The Blindness Skills Specialist is supervised by the Director, Agency for Teaching, Leading and Learning and generally exercises no supervision of others.

OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES

REVISED JUNE 2017

JOB FAMILY 4

Factor 1: Professional Knowledge, Skill, and Technical Mastery

Level 5.0 - 3300 Points: Knowledge of the principles and methods of an administrative, managerial, or professional field such as accounting or auditing, financial management, information technology, business administration, human resources, engineering, law, social sciences, communications, education, or medicine. Knowledge permits employee to supervise projects and/or departments using standard methods to improve administrative and/or line operations. Knowledge also permits employee to plan steps and carry out multi-phase projects requiring problem definition and modified techniques, to coordinate work with others, and to modify methods and procedures to solve a wide variety of problems. Knowledge at this level requires a Bachelor's or Master's degree with substantial related work experience, including up to two years of administrative or supervisory experience. Alternatively, this level may require a professional or clinical degree beyond the Bachelor's degree with moderate related work experience; knowledge requirements include significant levels of related work experience.

Factor 2: Supervisory Responsibility

Level 1.0 - 50 Points: Typically, little, if any, supervision of others is required. The job may require irregular but occasional responsibility to direct the work of student workers and/or temporary or part-time workers. The nature of supervision is largely confined to assigning tasks to others and does not include a full range of supervisory responsibilities. The amount of time spent on directing the work of others is normally a small portion of total work time.

Factor 3: Interactions with Others

Level 4.0 - 500 Points: Interactions with others are somewhat unstructured. The purpose may be to influence or motivate others, to obtain information, or to control situations and resolve problems. Interactions may be with individuals or groups of co-workers, students, or the general public, may be moderately unstructured, and may involve persons who hold differing goals and objectives. Individuals at this level often act as a liaison between groups with a focus on solving particular unstructured problems. Interactions at this level require considerable interpersonal skill and the ability to resolve conflict.

Factor 4: Job Controls and Guidelines

Level 3.0 - 500 Points: The employee operates under general supervision expressed in terms of program goals and objectives, priorities, and deadlines. Administrative supervision is given through statements of overall program or project objectives and available resources. Administrative guidelines are relatively comprehensive and the employee need only to fill in gaps in interpretation and adapt established methods to perform recurring activities. In unforeseen situations, the employee must interpret inadequate or incomplete guidelines, develop plans, and initiate new methods to complete assignments based on those interpretations. Assignments are normally related in function, but the work requires many different processes and methods applied to an established administrative or professional field. Problems are typically the result of unusual circumstances, variations in approach, or incomplete or conflicting data. The employee must interpret and refine methods to complete assignments. Characteristic jobs at this level may involve directing single-purpose programs or performing complex, but precedented, technical or professional work.

Factor 5: Managerial Responsibility

Level 3.0 - 850 Points: Work involves providing significant support services to others both within and outside of the department that substantially influences decision-making processes. Work activities are complex and others rely on the accuracy and reliability of the information, analysis, or advice to make decisions. Work activities have a direct, but shared, impact on further processes or services, affect the overall efficiency and image of the department, and may have material impact on costs or service quality within the cost center. Incumbents may be responsible for identifying areas of need and for developing proposals that request funding to fulfill those needs.