Education Support Specialist

Education Support Specialist

Kopila Valley School - Surkhet, Karnali

Employment Type: Full-Time

Minimum Experience: Mid-level to Senior Level

Career opportunity at Kopila Valley School

"A world where every child is safe, educated, loved" 

KVS is a nonprofit school managed by the Kopila Valley Sewa Samaj, an NGO registered in Surkhet, Nepal, and funded by BlinkNow Foundation USA to provide world-class education to the neediest children who deserve the best education.  Our mission is to change the world by empowering Nepal’s children. We provide our students a free education, educational materials, health treatment and medicine, counseling, and a place to live. With our innovative future program, we strive to provide our children with career guidance, and scholarships for further studies. 

The BlinkNow Foundation is a 501(c)(3) based in New Jersey which, through its country office in Nepal, oversees these programs in rural Nepal. Every day we strive to create a sustainable organization working to educate all of Kopila’s children until they are ready to enter the world as happy, skilled, confident, self-sufficient adults. We believe we can serve as a model for quality education in Nepal. We will strive to provide our children with scholarships (should they choose to pursue higher education), the skills required to enter the world as global citizens, and ambassadors for change.

POSITION SUMMARY – Education Support Specialist / Math, Science, Social

Join our dynamic Nepal team! We want to increase our staff development through data-based, inquiry-based, academically engaging, hands-on experiences for our Nepali staff to build an academically engaging program for our students that can serve as a model to other schools in Nepal. The Education Support Specialist will work closely with the Head-Of-Departments (HODs), and instructional staff to make Kopila Valley School a model of engaging practices. Consequently, we're looking for a motivated, talented, and experienced  teacher-trainer to join, support, and mentor our Nepali staff. 

Work Location: Birendranagar -1, Surkhet

The Main Responsibilities and Role Description

1. Working alongside the school leadership team, to support math, science and social departments. 

1. Research best practices for engaging, hands-on, and inquiry-based practices into school’s existing curriculum, which align to the Nepal CDC standards. 
2. Lead the development of Math, Science, and Social Curriculum in collaboration with the KVS HODs and KVS teachers.
3. Have regular meetings to work closely with HODs to manage instruction. 
4. Hold monthly meetings with K-10 and +2 Math and Science teachers to help them implement research-based activities, identifying teachers who need additional support, and mentoring them in planning, preparation, instruction, and reflection to improve instruction as a whole.  (e.g. Algebraic Thinking in grades 2-10)
5. Perform informal “walk-throughs” and observations to provide constructive/reflective feedback and guidance to improve instructional practices.
6. Model data analysis for the HODs, teachers, and TAs by reviewing student formative and summative assessment data (BOY, Mid-Term, EOY, EGMA, ReAL, BLE, SEE, and Board Exams) and, based on data analysis, proposing and modeling enhanced instructional practices to KVS staff to focus on differentiated and individual instruction to boost student academic achievement.
7. Liaise between students, teachers and the organization to create a better learning place.
8. Strengthen Kopila Valley School’s ability to meet the needs of all learners, but especially struggling and special learners, by proposing and modeling diagnostic, intervention, high-dosage tutoring, and one-to-one differentiated instruction solutions.

2. Guide and mentor TAs in the areas of Math and Science 

1. Mentor our TAs, to support our students towards their future college and career success by modeling research-based, successful instructional practices for Math and Science, while also counseling TAs and students about “math in the real world,” and how these studies will assist them in success in their future studies. 
2. Support KVS staff and students in CDC question analysis and test-taking strategies. 
3. Guide students in best practices of formative assessments (EGMA, ReAL, BLE, SEE, CDC Board Exams, as well as informal assessments).

3. Support staff in the Math and Science activities.

1. Develop change projects in teacher education that focus on teaching practice improvements, assessment, and integration of Math and Science.  
2. Provide support to the Math and Science HOD for all activities and events (such as the Math Fair and Science Fair)
3. Contribute to the regular monitoring, evaluation, feed-back and guidance and subsequent training for the Math and Science departments. 
4. Participate in various extra-curricular activities (such as observing tessellations in nature) for math that promote individual support (such as tuition sessions) for individual and small group instruction. 

Additional expectations

• Takes ownership of change and engage and encourage innovation
• Report to the manager on a weekly basis, and as needed in case of urgent activities.
• Build and maintain a strong relationship with the students, teachers and relevant stakeholders. 
• Attend weekly staff meetings, and share operational updates.  
• Experience in multicultural environments
• Teaching experience in Math and other subjects. 

Must Haves

1. Education and Experience: University Graduate in any discipline (University students with hands-on experience in similar field). 
2. Language: A good communicator, and fluent in English and Nepali will be an advantage
3. Skills and Abilities: Ability to manage, mentor and lead teaching activities
4. Passionate about and cares for children and vulnerable population; initiator, and competent in managing operations and logistics in the organization.
5. Works collaboratively and independently with the least supervision required. 

Key Characteristics

• You believe that we can change the world, in the blink of an eye
• You believe in making decisions that put children first
• You are self-motivated, organized, and approachable
• You enjoy creating systems, keeping records, and increasing efficiency
• You are always looking for new ways for our team to work smarter instead of harder
• You are detail-oriented and conscientious. You make sure nothing slips through the cracks
• You have a strong work ethic and a willingness to pick up new skills. You are comfortable multi-tasking
• You are positive, patient, and a clear communicator who is comfortable working with both Kopila Valley staff in Nepal and the BlinkNow staff in the United States
• You are an empathetic person, with a knack for putting out fires before they start and soothing conflicts brewing beneath the surface
• You require little supervision and are flexible. You understand that you will be wearing many hats in this role, many of which are not explicitly included in this job description

The above list of responsibilities is not comprehensive, and the Education Support Specialist / Math, Science, Social may be required to take on additional responsibilities, as determined by his/her Supervisor.

Interested in joining?

If you think this career opportunity will amplify your career growth, we encourage you to apply by clicking  "Apply for this Job"  and submit all required documents. Only shortlisted candidates will be called for further screening process. No telephone inquiries will be entertained. We accept and screen applications on a rolling basis.