Assistant Director

Overview

Assistant Director, Head Start

The Assistant Director will assist and support the Head Start with the overall operation of an inclusive Head Start. This includes maintaining high quality early care and education program quality standards based on licensing standards, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) standards and criteria and Easter Seals policies and procedures. The Assistant Director will facilitate positive professional relationships and internal and external customer service with staff and parents.

The Assistant Director is an ambassador for Easter Seals that will promote the organization’s culture, goals, mission, vision and core values.

The Assistant Director will assume the Director responsibilities to include supervisory responsibilities for staff in the Director’s absence. Together this Leadership Team will ensure that staff provides a safe and nurturing environment for all children that encourages social, emotional, physical and cognitive development on each child’s level. It is the role of the Assistant Director to model exemplary performance in all areas of responsibility outlined in this position description.

The Assistant Director I is budgeted to perform the supervisory and professional responsibilities of the Assistant Director position description described below 50% or more of the time with the other 50% of the time being in ratio in the classroom.

Specific responsibilities will be assigned to balance the skills of the specific Head Start as well as the scope of work based on each child development center. The Director will play a critical role in the support, guidance and mentoring of the Assistant Director in their professional development to meet the center’s needs and for succession planning. An Assistant Director may be assigned full-time or part-time, splitting classroom responsibilities and leadership duties depending on capacity, occupancy and budget of the center.

Program Management

• Ensure staff understand the mission, vision, core values and Easter Seals Child Development Center policies and procedures, NAEYC Accreditation Standards and Criteria and licensing standards. (AD should be developing in this responsibility)
• Ensure that all staff interact and communicate respectfully with children in an inclusive environment.
• Under the guidance of the Director, evaluates classroom lesson plans, curriculum and environment. Develops action plans with the classroom teaching team and monitor progress toward program goals.
• Provide support and resources for staff on Creative Curriculum and Teaching Strategies Gold.
• Recognize progress/variables in child's development, inform parents/guardians and make appropriate referrals, as needed in collaboration with the parents, teachers and Director. (AD should be developing this role)

Hiring

• Participate in recruiting staff and substitutes through outreach to community, colleges, high schools, minority organizations, local resource and referral agencies, etc.
• Participate in the process of screening, interviewing, hiring, and reference checking of teachers in collaboration with Lead Teacher and classroom team and the Leadership Team interview.
• Serve as a center resource for benefits; implementation of Easter Seal personnel policies and the process new hire paperwork. (AD should be developing in this responsibility)
• Conducts New Employee Orientation to Easter Seal staff using the child development center specific orientation. A regional orientation will also be coordinated with the HR department. (AD should be developing in this responsibility)
• Ensures that regular written observations and feedback sessions are conducted in the assessment process.
• Ensures implementation of all staff duties as described in their position descriptions.
• Conducts timely evaluation of performance of staff in collaboration with Lead Teachers/Program Coordinators; guide staff in development of individual goals for professional growth, and monitor staff's progress towards achieving these goals.
• Utilize progressive counseling, document disciplinary action and if necessary, terminate staff in accordance…