STATEMENT OF WORK

Pennsylvania Troops to TeachersProgram Coordinator

OVERVIEW

Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) applied for and received a federal grant to support eligible veterans interested in becoming classroom teachers in Pennsylvania and other states. The Troops to Teachers grant program is managed by the Defense Activity for Nontraditional Education Support (DANTES). The goal of the Pennsylvania Troops to Teachers (TTT) isto implement a statewide network of multiple teacher preparation institutions partnered with multiple local education agencies (LEAs) that will implement one or more alternative pathways to Pennsylvania’s instructional certification that enables veterans to complete specially-designed courses as part of the alternative pathway to Pennsylvania teacher certification. Regions for partnerships are currently being formed by competitive applications. In addition to providing leadership to partnerships once they are established, the Program Coordinator will be responsible for outreach, support, and referral to all other parts of the state.

Pennsylvania TTT faces a unique opportunity and challenge in terms of both its veteran and education climates. Pennsylvania has the nation’s fourth-highest veteran population with 700,000+ veterans and service members, including 350,000+ veterans age 20-54 (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs). Despite not having a military base, Pennsylvania has a sizeable veteran population. According to Pennsylvania's Troops to Teachers grant application it is anticipated at least 50 veterans will be recruited to complete an instructional certificate, and be placed in a year-long residency program. This will serve as the framework for all outreach to veterans either via the partnerships or the PA Troops to Teachers office. It is anticipated that some training and certifying will begin prior to May 14, 2018, while placement in the year-long residency might occur after May 14, 2018.

Pennsylvania TTT will assist transitioning service members and veterans in beginning new careers as K-12 school teachers. The program will provide counseling and referral services for participants to help them meet education and licensing requirements necessary to enter the teaching profession in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania TTT will assist eligible candidates in securing teaching positions. The development and implementation of a statewide network of multiple teacher preparation programsand LEAs will position Pennsylvania TTT to address barriers that confront veterans as they earn their instructional certificate and are hired by LEAs to teach.

The goal of Pennsylvania TTT is to attract veterans to the teaching profession in high-poverty/minority schools and in subjects identified as critical shortage areas by implementing one or more alternative pathways to Pennsylvania certification that enables veterans to complete critical, specially-designed courses and be hired as a classroom teacher.

The Bureau is seeking a Program Coordinator todevelop a framework for recruitingveterans into the teaching profession and to establish important tools to track the veterans recruited and their status across each calendar quarter to complete federal reporting requirements. A strategy for recruitment, follow-up, support,and mentoring will need to be established to ease the transition into the classroom. The Program Coordinator will recruit mentors for veterans, develop agreements with LEAs, collaborate with grantees’ regional coordinators, and hire and manage an administrative assistant. Mentors can be current or former effective classroom teachers or principal leaders; their role can be as an instructional coach, cooperating teacher, and/or veterans who have exited the military and been successful in returning to life outside of the military to serve as excellent role models and mentors for other veterans;

Program Coordinator will receive training at the Department of Education office in Harrisburg, PA. One day of training will include:an overview of educator certification in Pennsylvania, process for certification in the Teacher Information Management System (TIMS), introduction to theBSLTQ designee who will be assigned to assist veterans apply for certification, and administrative processes for travel and reimbursement. Additional mandatory training is required, but this training can be completed on-line at a location other than Harrisburg, PA.

TRAVEL

  • The Program Coordinatorwill travel that could require overnight stays.
  • The Program Coordinator will travel to Harrisburg to participate in monthly meetings with PDE leadership.
  • All travel related costs shall be at state rates, as per Management Directive 230.10 for all supplier staff and subcontractors, unless the Department approves a Business Case justification for a higher rate and incorporates it into its agreement with the consultant; the administrative assistant does not require travel.

TASKS

The Program Coordinatorwill work a maximum of 37.5 hours per week and will be required to:

  • Develop aframework for recruiting, developing outreach, mentoring and other comprehensive services veterans mayneed;
  • Participate directly in outreach and recruitment of veterans to support outcomes indicated in proposed project activities associated with the grant; Pennsylvania’s TTT office receives data bases from the TTT National Office that includes contact information for veterans who are interested in teaching positions in Pennsylvania;
  • Collaborate with BSLTQ designee who will be assisting veterans as they apply for Pennsylvania instructional certification;
  • Collaborate with regional coordinators who will be hired by grantees to assist them in recruitingat least 50 veterans to participate in Pennsylvania TTT alternative certification pathways;
  • Provide outreach and one-on-one support to veterans;
  • Develop an intensive support program for veterans during their first year of teaching, including the involvement of mentors (in addition to cooperating teachers at school); mentors can be current or former effective classroom teachers or principal leaders; their role can be as an instructional coach, cooperating teacher, and/or veterans who have exited the military and been successful in returning to life outside of the military to serve as excellent role models and mentors for other veterans;
  • Conduct travel associated with Pennsylvania TTT initiative;
  • Collaborate with and coordinate work with statewide network of grantees as they implement innovative, alternative pathways for eligible veterans to become certified Pennsylvania teachers;
  • Assist grantees’ staff, including regional coordinators, as they work with Pennsylvania’s high poverty/minority schools to establish year-long residency programs and to find employment for veterans;
  • Develop agreements to secureteaching employment for participants, particularly in high-need schools and in critical-need shortage areas;
  • Hire and manage the work of an administrative assistant, who will perform clerical and administrative duties identified below;

The TTT’s administrative assistant will work a maximum of 37.5 per week and shall be able to perform the following tasks:

  • Understands and follows oral and written instructions which explain work objectives;
  • Assembles, organizes, and presents status information from multiple sources;
  • Answers written inquiries, proofreads materials to insure information is grammatically correct, complete, consistent, and adheres to agency protocols;
  • Prepares agenda for meetings, disseminates agenda and information to meeting participants in advance of meeting;
  • Schedules, reschedules, and cancels appointments, arrangements and meetings;
  • Provides administrative and communication support for Pennsylvania TTT office and program coordinator via the use of Microsoft Office software and Outlook;
  • Maintains email addresses of each partnership director, each area regional coordinator, each mentor, and updates them on a regular basis, etc.
  • Responds to basic requests for TTT information via telephone, email, letter, etc.
  • Maintains comprehensive, confidential participant data base.
  • Provide basic TTT information to program candidates, participants, and partnering organizations.
  • Maintains sufficient supply of appropriately branded TTT recruiting materials and office supplies.
  • Maintains files containing documents and evidence related to the accomplishments of Pennsylvania TTT, including, but not limited to, written agreements for teaching employment for participants, copies of correspondence related to acceptance into or dismissal from teacher preparation programs, etc.
  • Takes notes to document accomplishments of each partnership grantee, barriers that have arisen, solutions to barriers, program strengths that can benefit other partnerships, etc.
  • All work must be completed by May 14, 2018.

EXPERIENCE

Program Coordinator: Minimum of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited postsecondary institution and at least three (3) years of experience independently managing one or more projects.

Administrative Assistant: At least a high school diploma or equivalent and three (3) years of progressively complex, independent secretarial/administrative work experience in an office setting.

DELIVERABLES

The program coordinator and administrative assistant will:

  • Produce quarterly technical reportsrelating to the progress of the grant.
  • Monitor the status of any veteran recruited to become certified and to teach in Pennsylvania.
  • Produce quarterly financial reports.
  • Communicate with regional coordinators, National TTT office, veterans, PDE leadership, and others as needed.
  • Develop presentation materials.
  • Recruit volunteer mentors for veterans; mentors can be current or former effective classroom teachers or principal leaders; their role can be as an instructional coach, cooperating teacher, and/or veterans who have exited the military and been successful in returning to life outside of the military to serve as excellent role models and mentors for other veterans;
  • Collaborate with grantees’ regional coordinators to assist with outreach to recruit veterans.
  • Conduct additional outreach on behalf of the National TTT office.
  • Assist veterans in obtaining (1) stipend from the National TTT office that can be applied toward their tuition and (2) hiring bonus when they are hired by an LEA.
  • Hire and manage the work of an administrative assistant, who will provide clerical and administrative support to Pennsylvania’s TTT office.
  • Maintain electronic and/or paper files that document progress of Pennsylvania’s TTT initiative, this includes copies of final program report, final financial report, employment agreements, correspondence with TTT participants, notes from quarterly check-in meetings with partnership grantees, etc.
  • Maintain a log of hours worked that includes a broad description of work performed.
  • Maintain up-to-date email distribution lists for partnership grant directors, regional area coordinators, mentors, etc.
  • Schedule meetings, including quarterly check-in calls with each grantee to monitor progress, identify problems, and recommend solutions.
  • Files maintained in accordance with commonwealth’s Right to Know law.
  • Correspondence, agendas, emails, recruitment materials, and documents routed for approval in accordance with PDE’s protocols.
  • Priority items are completed on schedule.

The administrative assistance under the direction and supervision of the Program Coordinator will be asked to develop/design Troops to Teachers communication materials; this may also be done in collaboration with Pennsylvania’s partnerships once they are operational. There is an official Troops to Teachers logo that is required in all communications and recruiting materials; there are also promotional/branded items available from the National TTT Office.

TIMELINE

September2017–Statement of Work approved and contractor sought

September2017 - Contract signed; administrative assistant hired; and training provided

September 2017 – May 14, 2018 – Implementation of tasks and deliverables outlined above.

REIMBURSEMENT

Not to exceed payment of $65,000.00 compensation; $2,500 travel expenses at commonwealth rates; and administrative assistant at $22,500.

SUBMISSION OF BID

Submit the following documents:

  • Introductory letter;
  • Resumes;
  • Examples of similar types of work performed in the past; and
  • An itemized budget in either a Word or Excel format that includes the expenditures listed in the budget section below.

BUDGET

Projected costs as part of the proposal should include the following for both Program Coordinator and Administrative Assistant:

  • Hourly rates;
  • Office supplies, not to exceed $1,500 through May 14, 2018
  • Communications/Marketing & Advertising, not to exceed $5,000 through May 14, 2018
  • Daily parking when attending meetings and/or trainings at PDE in downtown Harrisburg, Pa.
  • Travel expenses for Program Coordinator, not to exceed $2,500through May 14, 2018.

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