ABOUT US

The Primary School is creating a new school model that brings together all of the adults in a child’s life, including parents, educators, and medical and mental health providers, starting from a very early age. We recognize the entrenched racism that exists within our public systems and the unjust impact this has had on families of color. Our aim is that children and families most impacted by systemic poverty and racism receive the multidisciplinary support they deserve to be well, learn, and thrive. 

Long-term, we hope to create a game-changing model that can be replicated across the country. As we continue to learn and grow, we plan to share what we’ve learned and pursue policy and systems change on a local, state, and national level. We are supported by a growing coalition of philanthropic partners, building on the generous support of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

Our approach has three defining characteristics:

• We start early. We start working with children as young as 12 months and provide full-time school starting at age three to reach them at a critical stage in development. 
• We partner with parents. We believe that when parents thrive, children thrive, so we support the wellness and growth of parents alongside the growth of their children.
• We integrate services. Our unique model unites health care and education, building a multi-disciplinary team and holistic system of care around a child’s full needs.

In 2016, we opened our flagship school in East Palo Alto, California, with our first class of four year olds. We have grown to serve over 400 children and their families through our Early Family Foundations program, parent wellness program, full-day preschool, and elementary/middle school, which will grow through eighth grade. In 2021, we opened our second site in the East Bay.

ABOUT OUR EAST PALO ALTO SITE

We are continuing to grow our East Palo Alto site and are excited to launch 7th grade for our 2024-2025 school year. In our school program, we currently serve over 400 students across two preschool grades (3 and 4 year olds) and kindergarten through sixth grade. Integrated into our program are the other core components of our model including our parent program - partnering closely with parents throughout their child’s development and providing wellness programming for caregivers; our Early Family Foundations program - coordinating early developmental screenings and intervention services; and our medical home partnerships - working with existing health care providers in the community to coordinate care for children.

ABOUT THE ROLE

At The Primary School we are committed to supporting all children in being able to learn and thrive in the classroom. We are looking for someone to join our team who is excited to creatively serve children in achieving goals around sensory and motor development, particularly in the areas of fine and gross motor skills, sensory-motor integration, self- care, and activities of daily living. This includes ongoing collaboration with teachers and families to build environments that cultivate sensory and motor development through learning and play. The occupational therapist will provide small group and individual services both in the classroom and outside the classroom, while also collaborating with teachers on in-class supports.

This role reports to the Dean of Student Services and will be a part of the Direct Services team. This position is temporary (immediate hire through January 2025).

Job Type: Part-time (schedule is flexible)

Work Location: In-person 

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide direct services for students identified with occupational therapy needs.
• Create individualized treatment plans for groups and individual sessions.
• Push-in to classrooms during Unit 0 to conduct observations and consult with teachers to accommodate and modify for student needs.
• Provide observations, formal and informal screenings or assessments of children with specific occupational therapy needs; complete and share written reports with families.
• Attend Ravenswood School District lead IEP meetings for students on occupational therapy caseload
• Participate in COST team meetings to support all staff  in assessing student growth
• Participate as a Point Person to monitor student  interventions for motor or sensory skills
• Collaborate with other Student Services Team members to support  students with learning needs, and provide expertise in accommodations, modifications and flexible seating
• Conduct activity and environmental analysis in order to make recommendations for accommodations and modifications  to improve student fit for greater access, progress and participation
• Provide parent and teacher education by modeling best practices, and creating plans to assist in generalizing the work done in occupational therapy to the classroom and other environments.
• Work with parents to ensure understanding of student’s needs and progress, and provide tools to support children at home 
• Utilize online systems for goal tracking, collaboration and family communication.
• Collaborate with other service providers to create and implement professional development and coaching to support teachers in building environments that are responsive to students. 
• Lead teacher and parent workshops to inform on sensory and motor needs inside and outside the classroom

QUALIFICATIONS

• Registered as an occupational therapist by the National Board for Certification of Occupational Therapy (NBCOT), and at least 3 years working in the field. 
• Current California license as an occupational therapist.
• Ability to develop and implement  treatment plan with students aged preschool through middle school
• Ability to monitor and adapt activities to make sure they achieve intended intervention goals.
• Collaborating and facilitating intervention when needed to address occupational performance deficits in the area of personal care, student role/interactive skills, processing skills, play, community integration, and written communication  
• Ability to adapt school and classroom environments, tools, and materials for the purpose of improving student functioning in these settings
• Ability to synthesize, understand, and utilize information about client needs, strengths, and interests through both screening and evaluation data, as well as through verbal and written communication with other team members
• Skills in effective oral and written communication  
• Ability to maintain student occupational therapy notes by recording client’s progress
• Ability to maintain safe environments, equipment, and materials
• A strong commitment to supporting the highest needs students in succeeding both socially and academically.
• A background working with preschool-elementary aged children  and supporting both teachers and families.

A Plus If

• You are bilingual (Spanish speaking) and have worked with a diverse population of kids and families.
• You have knowledge in Sensory Integration theory and practices.
• A plus if you have experience in providing early intervention services and supports to children under the age of 3.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk, hear, and communicate with both adults and children. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is moderate to high.

COMPENSATION

Pay range begins at $43.17-$49.83/ hour; compensation is commensurate with qualifications and experience. Please note that in order to be considered for this position, you must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. We are unable to offer sponsorship. 

To ensure fair and equitable compensation for all of our employees, The Primary School has a no-negotiation policy on all offers extended. Final offers are determined using role descriptions, job market data, internal parity, and semi-annual benchmarking. Our goal is  that this policy, paired with ongoing transparency in our compensation process, will make TPS a more fair, inclusive, and diverse workplace. 

HOW TO APPLY

TPS values diversity (please see our commitment to DEI); people of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Please complete the online application and submit your most recent resume. These short-answer questions are designed to replace a cover letter, so take your time with them and copy in your answers from a separate document. If you feel that the questions do not accurately capture what you have to offer The Primary School, you are also welcome to attach a cover letter. Applications are being reviewed on a rolling basis so we encourage you to submit yours soon. We look forward to reading your application!

The Primary School provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. The Primary School complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the organization has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.