Education Specialist III - Kindergarten Inventory Specialist

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

KINDERGARTEN INVENTORY SPECIALIST

Telework Available Upon Management Approval

Opening Date: June 27, 2025

Closing Date:  July 14, 2025

Job Class Code: 3060
Grade: 26
Salary: $56,264.00 - $83,761.60/Annually
Position Number: 014001155

Purpose:

Are you interested in early childhood assessment systems that inform whole child development? Do you have expertise related to early childhood assessment designs that capture young children’s development across domains?  Are you interested in working collaboratively with Maine educators to pilot an early childhood assessment system?  If so, this position will be of interest. 

The Kindergarten Inventory Specialist position is professional services work to develop and pilot a kindergarten entry inventory for use by Maine schools.  Responsibilities include facilitation of a stakeholder work group to inform the inventory tool development/selection and pilot design, pilot planning and implementation management, provision of technical assistance to pilot sites, and pilot data collection and evaluation.  This pilot project is a Maine DOE activity in Maine’s approved Preschool Development B-5 Renewal Grant. Work is performed under limited supervision.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

• Knowledge of early childhood (birth-8) development and pedagogy


• Knowledge of state systems that impact children birth-5 and their families
  


• Knowledge of high-quality preschool and kindergarten programming
  


• Experience with the early childhood general education and special education communities and with public school education in Maine.
  


• Knowledge of current learning research and exemplary learner-centered early childhood educational instructional strategies across all early learning domains.
  


• Knowledge of evidence-based, developmentally appropriate, and culturally-responsive early childhood assessment, including observation and screening measures
  


• Knowledge of validity and reliability concepts related to assessment
  


• Knowledge of the relationship between early childhood instruction and assessment practices.
  


• Knowledge of and experience with Maine’s Early Learning and Development Standards and Maine Learning Results.
  


• Knowledge of current and emerging state and federal legislation, rules and regulations impacting early childhood education including the Department of Education and Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) child care licensing.
  


• Ability to interpret and explain statutory and regulatory provisions to childcare providers, local school authorities, stakeholders and the public
  


• Knowledge of community involvement issues in education policy decisions and operations.
  


• Ability to plan, organize, implement, evaluate and document the impact of activities and meetings
  


• Knowledge of technical assistance/professional learning design and delivery, particularly with respect to early childhood assessment
  


• Ability to gather, analyze and disseminate data that assist decision-making at the state and local level related to project implementation
  


• Ability to assist in developing and managing Requests for Proposals, contracts, budgets and invoices
  


• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing
  


• Ability to successfully facilitate groups and assist with systemic change models/organizational development
  


• Ability to use exemplary interpersonal skills
  


• Ability to coordinate and manage multiple tasks
  


• Ability to identify solutions to address identified needs using a variety of tools and resources
  


• Ability to professionally represent the Maine Department of Education and State of Maine
  


• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with partners and target audiences
  


• Working knowledge and skills of current technologies including computer programs and applications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• A Bachelors Degree in Education or required specialty/substance area and four (4) years professional level experience in required specialty/subject area.


• A Masters Degree in Education or required specialty/subject area may be substituted for experience on a year-for-year basis.

Preference will be given to candidates that have obtained a Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Family Studies, or a related field and experience with community schools, family engagement and community outreach coordination and project management, implementation, and evaluation.

Benefits of working for the State of Maine:

No matter where you work across Maine state government, you find employees who embody our state motto—"Dirigo" or "I lead"—as they provide essential services to Mainers every day. We believe in supporting our workforce's health and wellbeing with a valuable total compensation package, including:

• Work-Life Fit – Rest is essential. Take time for yourself using 13 paid holidays, 12 days of sick leave, and 3+ weeks of vacation leave annually. Vacation leave accrual increases with years of service, and overtime-exempt employees receive personal leave.


• Health Insurance Coverage – The State of Maine pays 85%-95% of employee-only premiums ($11,196.96 - $12,514.32 annual value), depending on salary. Use this chart to find the premium costs for you and your family, including the percentage of dependent coverage paid by the State. 


• Dental Insurance – The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($387.92 annual value).


• Retirement Plan – The State contributes the equivalent of 13.29% of the employee's pay towards the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS). 

State employees are eligible for an extensive and highly competitive benefits package, covering many aspects of wellness. Learn about additional wellness benefits for State employees from the Office of Employee Health and Wellness.

Note: Benefits may vary somewhat according to specific collective bargaining agreements and are prorated for anything less than full-time.

There's a job and then there's purposeful, transformative work. Our aim is to create a workplace where you can learn, grow, and continuously refine your skills. Applicants demonstrate job requirements in differing ways, and we appreciate that many skills and backgrounds can make people successful in this role. 

As an Equal Opportunity employer, Maine State Government embraces a culture of respect and awareness. We are committed to creating a strong sense of belonging for all team members, and our process ensures an inclusive environment to applicants of all backgrounds including diverse race, color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, religion, age, ancestry, national origin, familial status or genetics. 

If you’re looking for a great next step, and want to feel good about what you do, we’d love to hear from you. Please note reasonable accommodations are provided to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.

Thinking about applying?

Research shows that people from historically excluded communities tend to apply to jobs only when they check every box in the posting. If you’re currently reading this and hesitating to apply for that reason, we encourage you to go for it! Let us know how your lived experience and passion set you apart.