Job Description
Lead Teacher - Urgent hire
Full-time, contract (January 2023 - May 2023)
City of Charlottesville or Albemarle, VA
$19 - $22 per hour ($1,000 signing bonus!)
Must have : Associates degree or higher in early childhood education or related field (preference for bachelor's degree).
About the job
We’re searching for a passionate pre-k educator to fill the role of Lead Teacher in our Louisa County Head Start center. This is an on-site (in-person) teaching position, and candidates must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. This teaching contract will be January 2023 through May 2023 and may be eligible for renewal.
Our Early Head Start and Head Start programs deliver comprehensive early childhood education and services for income-eligible children ages birth to five and their families. Head Start teachers provide pre-K students with high quality early learning opportunities that promote school readiness and will collaborate with our education, health/nutrition, family service, and early intervention teams, in addition to community partners to ensure the needs of the child and family are met. Our program places a high priority on supporting the role of the parent/guardian as the child’s first and most important teacher. In this role, you’ll collaborate with families to provide resources and model positive interactions, developmentally appropriate expectations, and activities for children. This position reports to the Head Start Coordinator.
Monticello Area Community Action Agency (MACAA) partners with individuals and families experiencing low income to eliminate the condition of poverty by promoting economic empowerment, equitable access to healthcare and nutritional support, and the education and development of the whole family. We work alongside local leaders and community partners in our service area to leverage our collective resources and experiences and create sustainable solutions that connect more families to opportunity – and make our region a better place to live for everyone.
Who will love this job
- Driven—You proactively set and achieve goals and objectives with minimal oversight, while remaining conscious of deadlines.
- Passionate—You care deeply about the children you work with and are invested in their success in and out of the classroom.
- Empathetic – You have a nurturing personality and demonstrate high emotional intelligence.
- Detail oriented and thorough— Your natural tendency to follow up on tasks and see them through to completion will ensure loops are always closed.
- An optimist—You see problems as opportunities and have a positive, growth-minded attitude.
- Adaptable—You cope well with sudden changes in circumstances and enjoy thinking about challenges and tasks in new ways.
- Patient—You understand the needs and challenges facing 3–4-year-old students and work to adapt your strategies and plans to best suit and support them.
- An innovative thinker—Your creativity helps you consider different approaches and ways to improve existing practices.
Your Impact
- Work collaboratively with the Assistant Teacher to co-teach in your classroom to provide high quality care and education that promotes the development of early literacy and language, fine and gross motor, cognition, social, and emotional skills, early math, approaches to learning, and health/nutrition through activities that encourage curiosity and problem-solving.
- Use space, relationships, materials, and routines as resources for construction of an interesting, secure, nurturing, and enjoyable environment that encourages play, exploration, and learning.
- Implement the Creative Curriculum for Preschool and practices outlined in the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS).
- Conduct various child assessments (PALS, EMAS, CBRS) twice each year.
- Ensure the safety and well-being of children by maintaining federal child-staff ratio, meeting classroom safety and cleanliness standards, implementing active supervision monitoring practices, conducting monthly emergency drills, following mandated reporter procedures for any suspected or disclosed signs of child abuse or child neglect, and reporting all child injuries, unusual incidents, and inappropriate behavior of staff, parents, volunteers, and on-site consultants.
- Support potty training as needed.
- Conduct two home visits per year for all children in the class.
- Hold parent/teacher conferences to share each child’s development, develop goals, and action steps for home and school.
- Engage families as a participant in their child’s learning and development, recognizing the role of the parent/guardian as the child’s first teacher.
- Model positive teacher/child and teacher/parent interactions and encourage family involvement in the program.
- Participate in child-specific meetings (IEP, social services, etc.) as the classroom and education representative.
- Utilize our database system, ChildPlus, to maintain child and family records and analyze data to inform continuous program improvement.
- Submit monthly reports as requested.
We’d love to hear from you if you have
- Associates degree or higher in early childhood education or related field (preference for bachelor's degree).
- 1+ years of experience with preschool aged children in a center-based education environment, and a desire to learn and grow in the profession.
- Effective communication skills – You can clearly convey information and ideas verbally and through a variety of media to individuals and groups in a manner that promotes engagement, understanding, and retainment of the message.
- Collaboration skills—You work well in a team setting and with a partner to collectively solve a problem or make progress toward objectives.
- Multitasking skills—You excel at managing multiple responsibilities/priorities at once and managing your time efficiently.
- Relationship building skills—You connect with individuals from diverse backgrounds in a way that establishes trust and mutual respect.
- Technological skills–You use software platforms to communicate effectively with others and manage child and classroom data.
- Nice-to-have: Experience working with vulnerable populations (children and families facing adverse conditions including homelessness, food instability, incarceration, foster/kinship care, substance abuse, etc.).
- Nice-to-have: Experience with VA childcare licensing.
- Nice-to-have: Experience with GOLD standard practices
- Nice-to-have: First Aid and CPR and/or MAT certification.
- Nice-to-have: Bilingual (English and Spanish).
Special requirements
- Must be at least 18 years old.
- Must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Medical and religious exemptions will be considered.
- Must be able to complete health assessments including a physical exam and TB screen.
- Must pass background searches including criminal, sex offender, and child abuse/neglect.
- Must have reliable home internet.
Why you should join us
At MACAA, we believe that when we work together, we’re able to create opportunities for all people to thrive, build strong, resilient communities, and ensure a more equitable society. We strive to form and cultivate teams with diverse backgrounds, skills, and perspectives that reflect the diversity of those we serve and enable us to live out our mission. We’re committed to creating an inclusive environment in which each team member can be the best version of themselves.
For this position, we offer a full benefits package, with:
- Competitive pay
- $1,000 signing bonus
- Flexible PTO
- Generous paid holidays
- Medical, dental, vision, life, and disability coverage options
- Retirement and health savings plan options
- Learning and development opportunities
How to apply
Please submit your application through our career center at macaa.org/careers. Internal applicants must apply through their ADP profile. Candidates must include a resume and cover letter with their application. In your cover letter, tell us about your unique experiences and talents and how they make you a good fit for this role. Your cover letter will give us insight into your personality, writing style, and communication skills. Plus, it’s a chance for you to sell yourself! Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please do not submit your application by email. Qualified candidates will be contacted for interviews. Preference will be given to applications received by January 27. Target start date for this role is February 1, 2023.
MACAA is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We encourage people from underrepresented backgrounds and all walks of life to apply. If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or hiring process, please call (434) 987-2236 and provide the nature of your request and your contact information. TTY/TDD users please dial 866-480-8821.
Hiring process
Candidates for this position can expect the hiring process to follow the order below. Please keep in mind that candidates can be declined from the position at any stage of the process. We will share interview questions and/or topics with candidates prior to each interview. We hope that this transparency allows candidates to think ahead and be ready to present their strengths and experience. This doesn’t mean that candidates should come with a script in hand! Rather, it’s our hope that candidates will come to these conversations with the confidence and desire to engage with interviewers.
To learn more about someone who may be conducting the interview, find their job title on our team page.
- Qualified candidates will be invited to schedule a 20-minute screening call with the hiring manager, our Head Start Coordinator.
- Next, candidates will be invited to schedule a 45-minute panel interview with members of the Head Start team and other stakeholders.
Onboarding process
In the first week, expect to:
- Begin basic orientation and training, to include VA childcare licensing and Head Start requirements.
- Tour classroom/program space.
In the first month, expect to:
- Begin cultivating relationships with your co-teacher, Family Support Coordinator, supervisor, and other program staff.
- Collaborate with your co-teacher to understand job responsibilities, expectations, and plan how you will work together.
- Become familiar with the students and families in the classroom.
- Complete trainings on a range of early child education topics to prepare you for success in the classroom.
- Set up and prepare your classroom according to guidelines. Conduct home visits and orientations with enrolled children and families.
- Review your 90-day goals.
In the first three months, expect to:
- Continue to develop relationships across the program.
- Practice most day-to-day job responsibilities independently.
- Provide children with individualized care, interactions, and learning experiences throughout the day.
- Develop and implement group and individual lesson plans using the Creative Curriculum for Preschool.
- Share information regarding learning experiences and assessments with families.
- Enter assessment observations in Teaching Strategies GOLD.
- Ensure program compliance with all local, state, and federal standards.
- Set your six-month goals.
In the first six months, expect to:
- Confidently know and work within Head Start program standards.
- Complete parent/teacher conferences.
- Provide opportunities for family engagement in the classroom.
- Set your annual goals.
In the first year, expect to:
- Actively engage in conversations with the education team to continually strive towards best practice.
- Know what the primary tasks are during different periods of the year and be able to do each of those things independently.
- Make progress towards child outcomes.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $19.00 - $22.00 per hour
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
- Vision insurance
Schedule:
COVID-19 considerations:
This is an on-site (in-person) teaching position, and candidates must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Charlottesville, VA 22911: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)
Application Question(s):
- Are you fully vaccinated against Covid-19? Boosters are not currently required.
Education:
Experience:
- Childcare: 1 year (Required)
Work Location: In person
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