EDUCATOR OPT B (Science)

Position Overview:

The Department of Juvenile Justice is seeking a motivated and passionate Educator to join our team! The ideal candidate for this position will have a passion for instructing students in their assigned curriculum area by utilizing developmental teaching methods and techniques that are current with teaching methodologies. The ideal candidate will possess the ability to set student goals, implement behavioral techniques and goals, work with the school principal, fellow teachers, administrators, and counselors while providing supportive supervision. If you meet the requirements and have previous experience preparing and executing diagnostic test instruments, evaluating testing on a follow-up basis, gauging the rate and scope of students’ progress, and maximizing student potential than this opportunity is for you. We encourage all qualified and interested individuals to apply!

Essential Functions:

• Administers classroom and individual instruction to participating youth in the assigned subject area.
• Within the purview of the Core Curriculum policy, develops curricula for each assigned teaching subject.
• Develops examination tools designed to measure each students' strengths, weaknesses, and progress.
• Prepares and keeps detailed records and reports on attendance, achievement, and individual progress and needs of the students.
• Directs students in recreational, social, or other extracurricular activities.
• Attends and participates in discussions and planning at regular teachers' meetings, including counselor-teacher meetings, team meetings, and staff development.
• Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Requires possession of a current and valid Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Professional Educator License (PEL) with Secondary Education, Grades K-12, in Science.

Preferred Qualifications (In Order of Significance):

• Prefers ability to communicate with, and instruct, adult students of all levels of competence when assigned.
• Prefers ability to communicate with, and instruct, students with physical and/or intellectual disabilities.
• Prefers elementary knowledge of behavior modification principles.
• Prefers elementary knowledge of and ability to operate a personal computer.
• Prefers a written and spoken knowledge of a foreign language at a colloquial skill level when necessary to instruct non-English speaking students.
• Prefers proficiency in manual communications when instructing students who are deaf, hard of hearing or deafblind.
• Prefers proficiency in Braille when instructing students who are blind, visually impaired, or deafblind.
• Prefers ability to prepare written documentation related to student performance and education.
• Prefers ability to relate to students with extreme and profound emotional impairments.
• Prefers patience and tolerance of a wide range of behavior.
• Prefers ability to use the English language in preparing and delivering instructions.
• Prefers  ability to evaluate the student, to select behavioral objectives to meet the student's needs, and to guide and to direct facility staff regarding the necessary training and educational development of a student.
• Prefers ability to maintain effective working relationships with staff, assigned students and parents of assigned children. 

Conditions of Employment:

• Requires the ability to pass an IDOC/IDJJ background check.
• Requires ability to pass a drug screen. The use of unauthorized drugs by an employee, regardless of position held, is prohibited.
• Requires ability to travel in the performance of duties, with overnight stays as appropriate. Requires appropriate, valid driver’s license.
• Requires ability to attend seminars, conferences, and trainings to stay current on methods, tools, ideologies, or other industry related topics relevant to the job duties.

The conditions of employment listed here are incorporated and related to any of the job duties as listed in the job description.

About the Agency:

The mission of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ) is to build youth skills and strengthen families by promoting community safety and positive youth outcomes. Over 900 staff members from across various departments—security, programming, education, mental health, and more—collaborate with the understanding that youth are physically, emotionally, and cognitively different from adults. The department provides extensive services to young people through a developmental, treatment-focused model of care that builds youth resiliency, engages families, and promotes community safety at the five youth facilities it operates across the state. IDJJ serves and houses approximately 150 youth and is responsible for approximately 500 youth on Aftercare in various Illinois’ communities.