Administrative Assistant - Special Education School

The Foundation Schools, which has provided special education services to students with emotional and other disabilities since 1975, is seeking an Administrative Assistant to work  in our Gaithersburg, Maryland school.

QUALIFICATIONS

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Maintain front desk operations in a friendly and professional manner; greet all students, parents, guardians, and visitors; document arrivals and departures of students, parents, guardians, and other visitors
• Answer in-coming phone calls and direct callers to the appropriate staff; monitor the front desk voice mail
• Maintain student attendance records in all required databases and spreadsheets on a daily basis; act as a liaison with LEA representatives regarding attendance tracking and or adjustments needed to attendance entries; provide the LEA representatives attendance reports as required
• Maintain data on students’ absences and complete internal notifications to staff; coordinate with therapists about students’ absences; file annual student attendance reports
• Manage students’ breakfast and lunch programs by monitoring attendance and notifying county of meals needed based on school calendar, student attendance, scheduled activities and dietary restrictions; track, record, and report which students accepted or declined meals on a daily basis; act as the liaison with county representatives for meal deliveries; ensure appropriate notifications are posted
• Monitor access of the students’ files and ensure files are secure and locked when not in use and a signature record is kept regarding every time a student’s file is accessed
• Create all student files, update and organize the students’ academic files; conduct audits to ensure accuracy and compliance of academic files
• Prepare, copy, and distribute student/parent handbooks, enrollment packets and lunch applications to parents or guardians at the beginning of each school year and as students enroll during the year; track returned documents and follow up on missing or incomplete documents as needed
• Complete immunization record checks on new students and conduct annual audits to ensure the school is in compliance; send letters to parents about immunization records’ status and other documentation required annually by the state
• Manage all in-coming and out-going mail and faxes; ensure all documents are distributed to the appropriate people in a timely manner; ensure critical reports and suspension letters are mailed within established guidelines and timeframes
• Provide general clerical support to the school to include but not limited to filing paperwork, distributing student and employee communications or mailings, managing school supplies, and updating and maintaining calendar of events
• Manage and reconcile the petty cash system and submit documentation to accounts payable for reimbursement as required to maintain appropriate balance; complete all payment requests, obtain required documentation and signatures, and submit requests in accordance with company procedures and due dates; act as a point of contact for the Finance Department
• Maintain emergency call logs by documenting who was contacted, type of emergency, student information and follow up actions related to the emergency incident
• Maintain list of staff contact data to include phone and room assignments; ensure staff mailboxes are updated as staff changes; assist staff with changes to phone extension and voice mail system
• Assist with the new hire interview process; provide appropriate applications to candidates, collect completed applications and resumes for interviewer, complete references as necessary and forward documentation to human resources upon hiring decision
• Record and document student information in databases to ensure the correct contact and medical information is entered
• Oversee copy equipment and supplies; ensure copier is in good repair and call for service as needed; maintain adequate supplies for the copy equipment
• Coordinate building maintenance work with the appropriate vendors and the Director of Operations; review and submit work orders
• Maintain property damage logs, prepare property damage letters to send to parents or guardians and record any payments received
• Demonstrate knowledge of special education laws and regulations regarding confidential student information and ensure information is shared only when appropriate and in accordance with company policies and procedures, as well as with all federal, state and local laws
• Proactively provide supervision of students to ensure the safety and security of the school program at all times
• Maintain student confidentiality in accordance with The Foundation Schools Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest Statement and student record confidentiality procedures
• Manage staff training information; prepare sign-in sheets, notify staff of training dates and times, collect completed training documents, scan training documents to the Human Resources Department, maintain tracking, and copies of documents on site for future reference; notify the Principal or other members of the management team of any outstanding issues regarding training documentation
• Demonstrate an awareness of how our students’ disabilities impact their behavior and ability to learn; model appropriate behavior for the students during the school day
• Identify red flag behaviors or situations and communicate to the appropriate staff
• Actively participate in committees, meetings, supervision, and professional development activities
• Consistently model and implement the organization’s core values to drive actions and to guide our students to incorporate Teamwork, Work Ethic, Integrity, Respect, and Leadership into positive behaviors
• Comply with all of The Foundation Schools’ policies, rules, protocols, and procedures

Education, Experience and Certification

• High school diploma, G.E.D., or equivalent is required
• Related course work, Associates or Bachelor’s degree is preferred
• Two or more years of experience in the areas of clerical, administrative, and bookkeeping functions are preferred
• Excellent typing, written, and oral communications skills required
• Prior experience with face to face, and telephone client or customer service preferred
• Experience with a variety of computer software applications in word processing, spreadsheets, databases and presentation software
• Prior experience in a school setting is a plus
• Bilingual (Spanish/English) abilities are preferred