Early Head Start Lead Teacher

Overview

Waldo Community Action Partners (WCAP) is seeking a Lead Teacher
. Openings are currently available in Belfast.

Starting wage: $18.86/hr – $21.14/hr.

Hours: 40 hours/week, 50 weeks/year

Sign on Incentive of $3,000 Available – $500 payable after successful completion of 90 days, $1,000 payable after successful completion of 6 months, and $1,500 after successful completion of one year.

Monthly Early Childhood Educator Workforce Salary Supplement is Available for all active full and part time employees in our Early Child Program and ranges from $240 up to $540, dependent on current Maine Roads to Quality tier.

WCAP is a charitable, educational, 501(c)(3) private non-profit organization. It is designed to utilize and mobilize public and private resources to assist low-income Waldo County residents in the alleviation of poverty and address its underlying causes.

The Lead Teacher provides developmentally appropriate preschool education that advances the cognitive, language, physical, social and emotional growth for a classroom of up to 8 children. Responsibilities include ensuring compliance with all existing state child care licensing regulations and federal Head Start Program Performance Standards.

Classroom Management

• Provides oversight of center in absence of Site Manager.
• Supervise Assistant Teacher and Program Aide.
• Establishes and maintains a safe and healthy environment.
• Plans and implements developmentally appropriate educational activities. Ensures compliance with Head Start Performance Standards related to Education & Child Development.
• Facilitates compliance with all other Head Start Performance Standards.
• Follows chosen curricula.
• Provides oversight of children’s development in the classroom: conducts observations of each child’s developmental progress and incorporates into curriculum plans, utilizing Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment System.
• Completes developmental assessments for each child quarterly each program year, utilizing Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment System.
• Completes behavioral/social-emotional assessments for each child twice in the program year (once by the 45th enrollment day) using the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) tool.
• Recommends referral for special services as indicated by observations and assessments.
• Works collaboratively with Child Development Services (CDS) to incorporate the delivery of special services into the classroom, including assisting with the scheduling of services and the provision of appropriate space.
• Conducts two family conferences with each child’s family during the program year to discuss child outcomes data and to incorporate parent input into individualization/curriculum planning.
• Conducts two home visits with each child’s family during the program year. One will be held to introduce parents to the program prior to child’s enrollment and the second will be done to discuss child outcomes data, as well as to incorporate parent input into individualization/curriculum planning and to prepare the child and parent’s transition to Pre-k or Kindergarten.
• Provides daily supervision of volunteers and visitors.

• Reports all suspected cases of child/adult abuse and neglect to the Department of Health & Human Services and Head Start administration as required by law and WCAP policy.
• Establishes and maintains children’s records to meet all required standards and regulations.
• Submits weekly lesson plans and monthly individual child plans and child observations to the Head Start Education Manager.
• Submits reports of developmental assessments to the Head Start Education Manager.
• Submits reports of behavioral/social-emotional assessments to Mental Health & Prevention Manager.
• Maintains documentation of parent/staff conferences and home visits.

• Works with the Head Start Family Advocate to support and encourage family participation.
• Prepares monthly curriculum information for the Family Advocate to share at Parent Group meetings and newsletters.
• Attends Parent Meetings to encourage parent engagement in their child’s development and learning.
• Prepares weekly newsletters, and “Family Packs”…