The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) is the state agency that advances public education and libraries in Wisconsin. Our mission is to advance equitable, transformative, and sustainable educational experiences that develop learners, schools, libraries, and communities in Wisconsin. Working at DPI offers you the opportunity to build on our long-standing commitment to public education so that students are learning the skills and knowledge necessary to become contributing members of our communities.

At DPI, we are committed to creating an environment where everyone feels safe, supported, and valued. Equity and inclusion are at the core of our organizational values, which include belonging, integrity, love, humility, and honor. These values guide how we build our teams, develop our leaders, and create a culture that empowers everyone to be their authentic selves. When employees are respected and valued for who they are and staff are held accountable for demonstrating that respect to others, we believe it drives greater engagement and collaboration, ignites creativity and innovation, and fosters connection between teams and those we serve. 

Our employees enjoy an exceptional employee assistance program that offers a variety of programs and tools to help promote wellness. We have a team-oriented atmosphere where we focus on work-life balance.

The DPI Wisconsin School for the Deaf (WSD) in the Division of Learning Support is currently seeking applicants for full-time school year Child Care Counselor. WSD is a residential school that has the responsibility of providing a variety of educational services to children who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, and deafblind, their families, and the local education agencies (LEAs) and programs that serve them. 

Current Child Care Counselors find mentoring students to reach their full potential to be fun and enriching. This a full-time school-year position, and we are seeking applicants to work in the boys' or girls' dorm. If this sounds like work you would like to do, then please apply!

Under the Student Life program, the Child Care Counselor plans and conducts recreational, academic support, and social activities. Child Care Counselors supervise students in the dormitories and/or designated area on the residential floor, plan activities on or off campus, provide recreational and academic support, engage in social activities, and provide coaching on independent living skills to meet the identified individual and group needs of the students in an assigned dormitory.

This position will assist in planning and implementing individual and group behavior management programs, maintain accurate records of student behavior, communicate with parents, participate in various meetings, and maintain and produce documentation/records pertaining to students (e.g., permission slips, incident/injury reports, Student Life report cards, transportation lists, logbooks, etc.). 

A day in the life of a Child Care Counselor may include:

• Supervising students in dormitories, dining room, and off-campus trips
• Supervising student housekeeping activities and inspecting dorms and living areas for safety and cleanliness
• Supporting discipline policies of the residential program and assisting in monitoring behavior plans
• Assisting residential supervisors in activities outside the dormitories
• Ensuring that student hygiene, toileting, and safety needs are met
• Participating in appropriate professional development
• Reinforcing and enhancing individual student development
• Managing dormitories by providing a clean, organized, and safe living/learning environment
• Performing a variety of duties providing for the guidance, care, training, development, and socialization of deaf and physically handicapped or developmentally delayed students
• Interacting with parents, teachers, and other agency personnel to ensure program continuity

Starting salary will be $18.42 per hour (approximately $30,650 per year). For current and eligible former State employees, compensation will be set in accordance with the State Compensation Plan effective at time of hire. This position is in pay schedule 06, range 10. A one-year probationary period will be required.

This position is eligible for an additional $1.00 per hour add-on for fluency in American Sign Language (ASL).  

Required weekend hours worked (i.e., work hours on Saturday and Sunday) qualify for an additional eighty cents ($0.80) per hour.  Required night hours worked (i.e., work hours between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.) qualify for an additional eighty cents ($0.80) per hour.

This position offers excellent benefits. The State of Wisconsin is a qualifying employer for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

This position is located at WI School for the Deaf at 309 W. Walworth in Delavan, WI.

A criminal background check will be conducted prior to an offer of hire.

Applicants must be legally entitled to work in the United States (i.e., a citizen or national of the U.S., without DPI sponsorship). The Department of Public Instruction does not sponsor visas, either at time of hire or at any later time.

Shift hours are: Sunday 7 p.m. - 11 p.m.; Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 3:15 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.; and Tuesday 2:15 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.

Candidate must be fluent in ASL upon hire and receive an ASLPI rating of 2+ by the end of probation.

A valid driver’s license is required upon appointment.

A TB screen will be required prior to start.

This announcement may be used to fill multiple full-time and part-time school year Child Care Counselor vacancies.

Please address the following in your resume.

A minimally qualified applicant must have:

• Willingness and ability to work in a bilingual/bicultural environment, which includes deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing individuals; and
• Experience working with children.

Applying is easy! Click “Apply for Job” to start your application process.  Sign into your account or click “Register Now” to create an account before applying for the job. Follow the steps outlined in the application process and submit your application.

Helpful Tips:

• Current state employees must apply through the STAR “Careers” tile. Do not create an external applicant account. 
• There will be no opportunity to change your application materials once you have clicked “Submit”.
• The system will automatically log you off after 30 minutes of inactivity, so click “Save as a Draft” often. 
• Please visit the Frequently Asked Questions section for general Wisc.Jobs user information and technical assistance. 
• Candidates may need to check their spam or junk email folders for correspondence about this position.

Each time you apply for a state job; you should update and tailor your resume. You should clearly describe your education, training, and experience related to the items listed in the “Qualifications” section of the job announcement. These qualifications should be addressed in your resume. This will allow a fuller assessment regarding your qualifications and those required for the job applying for. 

Your resume should include the following:

• Your educational background including any course work that relates to the position in which you are applying. 
• Your employment history, including experiences and/or duties and a summary of accomplishments and skills learned or used. 
• Any training or experience, including volunteer work or internships, you have related specifically to the “Qualifications” section of the assessment. 
• Spell out any acronyms and/or abbreviations the first time used. 

What not to include in your resume:

Your application materials should not include any information that is not job-related, such as race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, creed, disability, or genetic information. Further, do not include any self-identifying information such as photos, social security numbers, political affiliation, citizen status or conviction records. This document is not a letter of recommendation that someone else wrote about you.

Application materials will be evaluated, and the most qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the next step of the process. References will be requested from top candidates once interviews have taken place. 

If you are a veteran with a 30% or greater service-related disability and are not currently employed in a permanent position with Wisconsin State Government, please send a letter of qualifications, resume, DD-214 and documentation of your service-connected disability rating (dated within 12 months) to the contact listed below.

The State of Wisconsin is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer seeking a diverse and talented workforce. Veterans, women, people of color, LGBTQIA+, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. We provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities.

Questions? Please contact the recruiter at:
Jamie Smith 
Human Resources Specialist 
Department of Public Instruction 
Phone: (608) 267-9119 
Email: jamie.smith@dpi.wi.gov 

Applications will be accepted until the needs of the Department are met.  Applications will next be reviewed after Monday, December 2, 2024.