Summary of Duties:

This position creates, maintains and manages a safe, warm, and challenging learning environment for young children incorporating developmentally appropriate learning activities which meet the needs of all children. Implements the program curriculum to fidelity and achieves progress toward established school readiness goals. Responsible for management of the local program site; hiring, training and supervision/support of classroom and auxiliary staff; record keeping; on-going development of individually tailored programs for children, and participation in a plan for continuous professional development. Safety of children is always the top priority for this position.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:     Other duties may be assigned.

Child Growth and Development

Manage the delivery of a quality program to provide a positive healthy and safe learning environment to meet the educational and developmental needs of young children by focusing on learning styles and temperament;

Support and enhance children’s growth and development through observation and high quality teaching practices;

Demonstrate continuous improvement based on information derived from CLASS in the areas of emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support emphasizing teacher-child interactions through coaching and professional learning communities;

Develop social competencies by utilizing positive behavior management techniques with particular focus on developing social/emotional skills at program start-up;

Use the CSEFEL framework to guide program practices to meet the needs of all children enrolled in the program;

As needed, ensure Positive Behavior Support Plans and Special Services Goals & Transition Plans are implemented to fidelity for children who need additional support to be successful in the classroom.

Learning Environment and Curriculum;

Plan and implement outcome-based activities in cognitive, social-emotional, physical domains with an emphasis in language, literacy, math, and science; establish a learning environment that supports positive growth and development;

Develop lesson plans allowing input from program team and parents;

Provide a consistent daily routine which supports a balance between adult and child directed activities;

Builds children’s pride in their cultures, families, and communities by ensuring that classroom learning centers and materials reflect children’s cultures and communities.

Child Observation, Record-Keeping, and Assessment

Monitor completion and timely submission of all required records and forms. Ensure file order is maintained;

Maintain all required child and administrative records and prepare necessary reports, files or submit as directed;

Demonstrate ability to collect and utilize data gained from on-going observation and assessment of all children and My Teaching Strategies reports to plan and implement large group, skill building and individualization activities;

Document case notes and other data in ChildPlus as needed.

Child Health, Safety, and Nutrition

Build children’s awareness of and ability to follow basic health and safety rules by providing opportunities for learning about health and safety, by ensuring SUPERVISION OF CHILDREN AT ALL TIMES and positively redirecting them from potentially harmful activities;

Promote an awareness and development of healthy lifestyles in children and families through physical activity, healthy food choices and positive eating habits;

Responsible for the management/maintenance of the program site as directed to provide a safe, clean and healthy effective learning/working environment for children, parents and staff (including playground and parking area).

Family and Community Relationships

Assist parents in planning and implementing home activities appropriate for the individual child’s specific developmental needs as reflecting in My Teaching Strategies reports;

Ensure parents are guided through the process of accessing the parent side of My Teaching Strategies as needed for independent use; post materials to the family site (lesson plan, photos, newsletter, etc.)in a timely manner;

Participate in on-going communication with families including the development of communication tools in coordination with local staff – i.e. newsletters, notes, etc;

Act as a program/child advocate by maintaining a positive image of Head Start/GSRP at all times and places; seek out and use all opportunities to promote Head Start/GSRP in the local community;

Represent Head Start/GSRP by participating with other team members in program and community activities;

Maintain ongoing cooperation with agencies and local school districts providing services to Head Start/GSRP families;

Work in cooperation with parents and other program staff to meet all program requirements;

Prepare and implement at least two (2) home visits and two (2) parent/teacher conferences for each family;

Support and encourage parents through attendance at parent meetings, conferences/home visits, as volunteers in the classroom, and participation in program activities. Include parent participation in the planning of program experiences and center lesson plans that integrate the child’s level of ability and interests;

Maintain verbal and written school to home communication;

Actively participate in Resource Staffing, reflective supervision/mental health consultation; completing team assignments and necessary referrals as needed to ensure services to all children and families.

Leadership

Serve as immediate supervisor of the teaching assistant(s) and classroom support personnel (including classroom aide, bus aide, bus driver, janitorial staff and volunteers) providing supervision, support, open communication, direction and training as needed;

Assist in the selection of additional personnel in the program as needed (and approved) to include assistants, bus drivers, and service aides. Ensure, completion of HR/licensing requirements;

Provide training and on-going supervision for staff and volunteers;

Maintain confidentiality and code of ethics at all times;

Assure parent/community participation in an effort to obtain and document in-kind to reach non-federal share target;

Attend all local and area staff meetings/trainings, orientation, pre-service, in-service, and other required training arranged for staff;

Pursue goals through an individually designed professional development plan;

Participate in Practice Based Coaching, working with the Instructional Coach, to ensure continued program quality;

Assist staff in meeting the goals on their professional development plan; support assistant in planning and implementing of at least four (4) days of programming per month; ensure all staff complete training hours for child daycare licensing and HS/GSRP requirements;

Facilitate transitions to or from Head Start/GSRP by engaging families, program staff (including EHS, HS Home Base), and members of the community/local education agencies in planning and implementing strategies that ensure successful transitions, including the transfer of child records;

Attend IEP/PBS planning meetings as needed;

For GSRP or GSRP blended programs) Meet goals outlined on the GSRP Feedback Form (Improvement Plan) based off the PQA observation tool and agreed upon with the ECS serving the program.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.