WELCOME TO INDIANAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS
At IPS, we believe in the transformative power of education. We work collectively every day to prepare our students for success in the classroom and in life by providing equitable high-quality educational experiences across our family of schools. IPS is a place to make an impact, grow your career, and ensure every student has access to a high-quality education, all while earning a good living in a district on the move. While the work is challenging, it is deeply meaningful and impactful. We seek innovators and trailblazers who bring varying experiences and expertise and share our belief that every child deserves access to an exceptional education. As part of TeamIPS, youll create lasting connections, find a sense of belonging, and feel supported to make a meaningful difference in students lives.
In return, no matter your role here, we expect a commitment to excellence and accountability. Youll be held to high standards. Resilience and passion are key-you must be adaptable, handling adversity with flexibility, while putting students at the heart of everything you do. Ethical conduct, clear communication, and mutual respect are fundamental. Being a dependable, collaborative team player who builds meaningful relationships is essential.
Together, we are Proving Whats Possible by building a community where everyone belongs and each student has the opportunity to fulfill their potential.
A Career in IPS Offers...
Purpose and Impact
Essential Contributions
In every non-teaching and non-leadership role, your work directly supports the success of IPS students and schools. Whether youre maintaining facilities, providing student services, or managing administrative operations, you play a key part in ensuring an equitable and high-quality educational environment.
Belonging and Community
IPS is a place where every employee is valued. Youll join a supportive community that promotes respect, teamwork, and a shared commitment to serving students and families.
Professional and Personal Growth
Training and Development Opportunities
IPS offers a variety of training programs to help staff build new skills and grow professionally. This includes access to development opportunities for administrative, technical, and operational roles, as well as pathways to becoming a certified teacher.
Skill Enhancement
Whether youre new to your role or seeking to deepen your expertise, IPS provides resources and support for continuous improvement.
Comprehensive Compensation and Benefits
Fair Compensation
IPS ensures competitive wages and regularly reviews pay structures to maintain equity.
Extensive Benefits Package
Employees enjoy comprehensive health coverage, dental and vision plans, life insurance, disability insurance, and retirement plans. Additional financial benefits include flexible spending accounts and eligibility for federal loan forgiveness programs.
Work-Life Balance and Well-being
Generous Leave Policies
IPS offers vacation, personal, and sick leave, along with paid holidays. Twelve-month employees benefit from floating holidays and unused personal leave rolling into the sick leave balance.
Wellness Programs
IPS prioritizes staff well-being with access to wellness initiatives, including health screenings and an employee assistance program for confidential support and counseling.
What We Expect
Professionalism and Reliability
Every role at IPS is vital to the districts success. We expect staff to demonstrate professionalism, dependability, and a commitment to providing excellent service to students, educators, and families.
Collaboration and Communication
IPS values teamwork. Working collaboratively with your colleagues ensures a supportive environment for all. Clear communication and mutual respect are key to maintaining this culture.
Flexibility and Problem-Solving
As a large, dynamic district, IPS needs staff who are adaptable and proactive in solving problems to meet the ever-changing needs of students and schools.
JOIN US
Indianapolis Public Schools is more than a workplace-its a community where purpose, impact, and belonging come together to help Prove Whats Possible-in your career and in your school. If youre ready to embrace challenges, strive for excellence, and make a meaningful impact, IPS is the place for you.
SUMMARY OF OPPORTUNITY
The Employment Training Specialist (ETS) - Job Coach is a 10-month classified position responsible for the overall provision and management of employment training for secondary students with IEPs who will graduate high school with a Certificate of Completion.
WHAT YOULL DO
The following outlines your core duties and responsibilities and provides a sample overview of what your day-to-day may look like:
- Aligns students employment training experiences to result in successful preparation for post-secondary program options, paid employment, and greater independence in community life.
- Develops in-school and community internship opportunities for high school students that offer varied types of work for the purpose of assessing students interests, aptitudes, and skill acquisition.
- Oversees the planning, implementation, and evaluation of in-school and community internships.
- Acts as the liaison between the school employment program and community businesses who host internships.
- Serves as the primary contact among local businesses, students, special education programs, and transportation for student internships.
- Coordinates student work and transportation schedules.
- Provides direct instruction and support to students to utilize public transportation and complete required tasks onsite at their internships.
- Establishes a Job Analysis for each internship that is the basis for the data collection of student interns progress.
- Analyzes student progress data into required reporting formats and utilizes the data for assessment of student interests and assets for employment purposes.
- Trains school staff how to perform job tasks and appropriately support individual students onsite.
- Coaches IAs on proper methods and timing of fading prompts to build student independence.
- Sustains a unified system for data collection and individual student employment-related records.
- Establishes updates and maintains individual students Vocational History throughout the high school years.
- Collaborates with each student and their team to develop a long-term plan toward transition.
- Updates program reports reflecting students status as outlined in the ETS Procedures Manual according to the established schedule.
WHAT YOULL BRING
As an ideal candidate for this role, you will be able to achieve the following:
- Growth Mindset - Continuously seeks to improve individual work, demonstrating candor and ability to identify weaknesses. Finds lessons in failures and successes of others. Proactively seeks and acts on feedback.
- Effective Influencer - Inspires others to work towards common goals to meet the needs of urban school students despite obstacles. Advocates the importance of the districts role in serving schools and communicates with internal and external stakeholders.
- Strong Collaboration & Cross-Functional Skills - Builds rapport and cooperative relationships with others. Establishes and maintains strong relationships with relevant stakeholders. Places high priority on team and organizational goals.
- Confidentiality - Makes effective decisions regarding sensitive and confidential information. Respects the privacy of others and maintains the confidentiality of information to which exposed.
- Communication Skills - Possesses effective verbal and written communication and should be able to adapt communication style to suit different audiences.
- Strategic Thinking - Identifies challenges and guides team toward solutions. Creates space for productive debate and alternative perspectives. Encourages innovation and creativity from team. Identifies risks and ways to mitigate.
- Project Management - Supports staff and schools in managing projects from end to end, identifying and monitoring project milestones, and holding team accountable for achieving results.
EDUCATION, CERTIFICATION, AND LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS
- Certificates, licenses, and registrations upon being hired, IPS ETS is required to successfully complete the Employment Specialist Training offered by the Center on Community Living and Careers (CCLC) of the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community (IIDC) at Indiana University.
- Estimated training completion time is 40 hours with online assignments required to successfully complete the training and receive a competency-based certificate from Indiana University.
- Staff must submit a Driver Record check. You can obtain it for free from www.mybmv.com. ETS should be able to support students transit needs as needed utilizing the Mini Bus. Training is provided by IPS.
- Associates degree and 3 years of experience working with individuals with disabilities, preferably high school-age students or adults.
- Working knowledge of the City of Indianapolis.
- Working knowledge of navigating the IndyGo bus system.
- A track record of developing and maintaining strong working relationships with and among a diverse group of individuals.
- Strong communication skills.
- Close attention to detail coupled with the ability to exercise good judgment.
- Strong organizational, oral, and written communication and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work well independently as well as collaboratively.
- Ability to execute meetings, calls, and emails with professionalism, courtesy, and accuracy.
- Personal qualities of maturity, humility, strong work ethic, sense of humor, and diligence.
- Ability to effectively allocate and prioritize time to several tasks to ensure completion of all.
FLSA CLASSIFICATION
Exempt
ELIGIBILITY FOR REMOTE WORK
Not eligible
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
- 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 essential functions.
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel, talk, or hear.
- The employee frequently is required to stand and walk distances inside and outside in all types of weather.
- The employee is occasionally required to sit, reach with hands and arms, and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
- The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.
- Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
- The employee must be mobile outside of the school building in the community of Indianapolis, be able to move around the city, and ride the IndyGo buses.
EEOC STATEMENT
Indianapolis Public Schools, in accordance with its nondiscrimination policies, will not discriminate in its programs, facilities, or employment or educational opportunities on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, or ancestry, sex, age, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, veteran or military status, genetic information, sexual orientation,