Catholic Charities West Michigan·Grand Rapids, Michigan
The teacher is responsible for planning and implementing instructional programs for students in a transitional foster care setting. They must also conduct educational assessments, manage classroom behavior, and maintain accurate progress records while collaborating with the treatment team.
The Transitional Foster Care (TFC) Teacher is primarily responsible for planning, organizing, and implementing the appropriate instructional program in a pre-school, elementary, or secondary learning educational setting that guides and encourages students to develop and fulfill their academic potential. Provides educational services and assessments, including curriculum building that meets the Foundational Rule standards for education requirements. Must provide child-facing services on-site. This position is expected to function effectively with moderate supervision while following the guidelines given on procedures, along with agency, federal, and state regulatory requirements.
49,674.00-$58,440.00 annually Are you passionate about discovering new ways to help empower people and make a difference in their lives? If you’ve got what it takes to support us in our mission to provide help and create hope through innovative, collaborative, and diverse programs within the community, then we’ve got the right opportunity for you. About Catholic Charities West Michigan Catholic Charities West Michigan (CCWM) is a community-based agency providing programs in Western Michigan and offering a variety of services in family preservation, behavioral health, child welfare, and community outreach. CCWM is committed to ensuring a diverse workforce and a work environment whereby all staff are treated with dignity, respect, and fairness. CCWM encourages persons of diverse backgrounds and faiths to apply for employment. Essentials
Prepares classroom for class activities. Provides a variety of learning materials and resources for use in educational activities. Effectively utilizes relevant technology to support and differentiate instruction. Effectively manages student behavior in the classroom by establishing and enforcing rules and procedures. Maintains discipline in accordance with the rules and disciplinary systems of the program. Maintains accurate and complete records of students' progress and development. Observes and evaluates the child's academic performance, English language proficiency, behavior, social development, and physical health. Conducts educational assessments and develops individualized instructional plans based on identified educational needs. Provides students with the appropriate feedback on work. Encourages and monitors the progress of individual students and use information to adjust teaching strategies. Participates in school activities, staff, and treatment team meetings. Effectively communicates the necessary information to the assigned lead case manager, clinician, and foster parents regarding student progress, concerns, or needs on a regular basis. Updates all necessary records accurately and completely in alignment with contractual requirements. Supervises children during field trips and in the classroom. Immediately reports safety concerns, suspected abuse, neglect, trafficking indicators, self-harm concerns, or other mandatory reporting issues in accordance with contractual and applicable federal and state requirements. Establishes and communicates clear objectives for all learning activities. Provides a variety of learning materials and resources for use in educational activities. Attends internal and external trainings and applies newly gained knowledge on the job. May be required or asked to participate in agency sponsored donor engagement events. Drives for Agency business by assisting with offsite field trips as needed. Performs other special assignments at the supervisor’s request. Other Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Excellent oral and written communication skills in both English and Spanish. Demonstrates ability working with students from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds. Demonstrated ability to teach students English and all other basic educational topics. Must be flexible and creative in a diverse work setting. Excellent attention to detail and highly organized. Highly motivated and self-managed. Excellent interpersonal skills. Computer skills sufficient to perform essential functions including knowledge of Microsoft Office suite. This position requires reliable transportation. Must have a valid driver’s license and good driving record with zero work restrictions. Must have personal auto insurance as required by law with minimum bodily injury coverage limits of $250,000 per person/$500,000 per incident or $500,000 combined. Must be willing to work irregular hours including evenings, holidays, and weekends. This is an on-site role that requires regular, full-time attendance at the office; remote or hybrid work is not available, however, there may be times ad hoc or situational telework is needed. Must show documentation proof of immunity to vaccine-preventable diseases transmitted by the respiratory route. Provides child-facing services on-site. Drives for agency business. Must submit to agency approved background checks. 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 job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this position, the staff member is regularly required to talk and/or hear. The staff member is regularly required to sit, walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms. The staff member is occasionally required to stand, climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The staff member on occasion may be asked to move or lift items up to 40 pounds in weight. Work Environment: This position is primarily office based, however, on occasion it may require travel to other agency as required by position responsibilities and/or agency management. The position is on-site — must be willing to work entirely in person, however, there may be times that ad hoc or situational telework is needed. This position will be routinely exposed to typical office noise levels and/or exposure to various weather conditions. The qualifications listed above are guidelines for selection purposes; alternative qualifications may be substituted if sufficient to perform the duties of the job. Recommended Employment Qualifications Education: A bachelor’s degree in education or related field of study from an accredited college is required.
Candidates must hold a bachelor's degree in education or a related field and possess bilingual fluency in Spanish and English. At least one year of experience working with children from diverse cultures and teaching English language learners is required.
Market context
In Michigan, bilingual teacher roles in transitional foster care are often competitive because schools and agencies need educators who can support students with interrupted schooling, family transitions, and language access needs. This role stands out for requiring Spanish-English fluency, relevant teaching certification, and experience with diverse children and families; the job requirements and benefits on this platform are AI-summarized from the original job description, saving candidates research time. Before applying, confirm your certification status and prepare examples of bilingual family engagement and trauma-informed classroom support.