Department of Education

Address:  Migrant Education Unit
Phoenix, AZ 85007

Salary: $67,000 - $71,400 

Grade: 21

Closing Date: 11/26/24

• The state Migrant Education Program (MEP) specialist is responsible for understanding the federal and state requirements of the Migrant Education Program and ensuring that Arizona is in compliance with state and federal laws and regulations.
• The MEP Specialist is responsible for supporting the development of strategies and projects to improve the outcomes of Priority for Service students and Out of School Youth.
• This role will work to improve overall program effectiveness and strengthen supplementary support to Local Education Agencies (LEAs) with eligible migrant students.
• Occasional in-state and rare out-of-state travel is required for this position.

The Arizona Department of Education currently utilizes a hybrid work environment, with up to two days of remote work (contingent upon business needs). Candidates should apply with an ability and willingness to work in-office up to five days per week as business needs necessitate.

• Lead in the efforts for the Certificate of Eligibility approvals and re-interviews for state of Arizona.
• Conduct quality assurance to audit, inspect, and propose measures to correct or improve the measurable program outcomes via quality audits and generating reports.
• Provide management and control of the quality assurance processes.
• Support the Comprehensive Needs Assessment process and implementation of the Service Delivery Plan through evaluation of program compliance and performance.
• Support with the development of appropriate training for state and local Migrant staff on the following topics; Identification and Recruitment of Migrant students using the training materials from the Office of Migrant Education (OME), completion and implementation of the National Certificate of Eligibility and Arizona Attachment, use of Migrant data, parent engagement, grants, and instructional and support services for students, including Priority for Service.
• Support the monitoring of MEP subgrantees
• Consult with other states, Office of Migrant Education, Identification & Recruitment Consortium (IDRC), Innovative Strategies for OSY and Secondary Youth (ISOSY), and other partners to inform state determinations and interpretations of the federal guidance.
• Represent the Arizona State Migrant Program locally and nationally when necessary
• Responsible for other duties that may arise in order to support overall program to include services to Out of School Youth and supporting School Readiness initiatives.
• Other duties as assigned as related to the position.

Knowledge in:
• Instructional programs and requirements for diverse student populations
• State and federal education laws
• General federal funding regulations and requirements for Title I, Part C.
• Instructional and support services for migratory and English Learner (EL) students
• Local, state or federal program oversight
• General Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulations
• Experience working in quality control
• Effective meeting and program facilitation
• A Bachelor’s degree in Education, a related field, or equivalent experience to substitute for the degree, is required.
• Bilingual - Fluent in English and Spanish (read and write)

Skills in:
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written (English & Spanish)
• Computer skills and competencies using Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in the performance of day-to-day activities
• Experience using on-line platforms (i.e., zoom, teams, google meets, etc.,)
• Analytical skills for compliance monitoring, needs assessments and program evaluations
• Excellent team building and leadership skills
• Effective technical and report writing skills
• Excellent presentation skills, including presenting to large groups
• Assessment and evaluation skills

Ability to:
• Work independently and/or collaboratively in large or small groups as necessary
• Communicate clearly and concisely to audiences with differing levels of knowledge and expertise when conveying ideas, suggestions and proposals
• Analyze and resolve routine problems
• Develop and deliver effective professional learning
• Understand/comply with deadlines
• Process new information rapidly and apply learned knowledge
• Interpret and summarize complex written and oral information
• Organize, prioritize, and perform multiple tasks
• Ability to work well in a team environment

Preference will be given to those applicants with:
• Masters degree
• Teaching certificate

Offers are contingent upon successful completion of all background and reference checks, required documents and, if applicable, a post-offer medical/physical evaluation.

If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply: Driver’s License Requirements.

All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).

The State of Arizona provides an excellent comprehensive benefits package including:

• Affordable medical, dental, life, and short-term disability insurance plans
• Top-ranked retirement and long-term disability plans
• Ten paid holidays per year
• Vacation time accrued at 4.00 hours bi-weekly for the first 3 years
• Sick time accrued at 3.70 hours bi-weekly
• Paid Parental Leave-Up to 12 weeks per year paid leave for newborn or newly-placed foster/adopted child (pilot program).
• Deferred compensation plan
• Wellness plans

Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave pilot program here. For a complete list of benefits provided by The State of Arizona, please visit our benefits page

You will be required to participate in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) upon your 27th week of employment, subject to waiting period. On or shortly after, your first day of employment you will be provided with enrollment instructions and effective date.

The State of Arizona is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation such as a sign language interpreter or an alternative format by calling (602) 542-3186 or emailing Human.Resources@azed.gov. Requests should be made as early as possible to allow sufficient time to arrange the accommodation.