Program Director - Preschool

Job Title: AGENCY PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Reports to: Administrator

FLSA Status: EXEMPT

General Job Description Summary

Reporting to the Administrator, the Program Director, following all agency and applicable State and local government laws and guidelines (Title V & Title XXII), will be responsible for the operational success of all agency school sites under her/his operation ensuring seamless team management and development, on-time program and project delivery, consistent demonstration of a high level of effective planning and organizational skills and quality control and evaluation. In this role, the Program Director will be the key external face of the organization in the community.

Must demonstrate a passion and enthusiasm for providing a high quality education, developmentally appropriate and diverse program for the children and families served. She/he must hold a firm belief and understanding that the purpose of a child development program is to make a positive and transformational impact on children and families as a primary focus and that this service is mainly accomplished in the classroom. Thus, meeting the needs of the staff, families and developmental needs of children are of highest priority.

A program director is a dedicated and hard working individual who understands and supports the needs of children and families, and holds the core values, beliefs, tents and vision of the agency at heart and mind – every day. She/he understands that delivering educational and developmental services to children and families based on these core values, beliefs and to a greater extent, philosophies, methodologies, goals and objectives for children and families lies at the very foundation of this job.

They are leaders that help to set a strong standard and work ethic for their all of their managing campuses and programs and one which their staff can proudly follow.

Responsibilities

Leadership: For all agency sites

• Cultivate existing relationships with vendors with the goal of ensuring sufficient space and resources, and access to services

• Maintain staff ratios under both Title V and XXII as necessary to maintain compliance and prescribed budgets.

• Maintain budgets as prescribed by agency at all times, especially during periods of low enrollment.

• Consistently maintain high standards of operation set by agency and those required by law (Title V & XXII).

• Provide on-going training as needed to meet training needs in the classroom environment which would require working directly with children to demonstrate teaching methods to staff and to monitor the developmental progress of children.

• Observe sites regularly and consistently based on the agency schedule to monitor the developmental progress of all children, the training needs of staff, site safety evaluation, classroom layout/design and materials, equipment and furniture. Ensure thorough and complete documentation of visits with follow-up notes and expectations.

• Monitor organization and administration of sites. Ensure thorough and complete documentation of visits with follow-up notes and expectations.

• Observe classrooms regularly and consistently based on the agency schedule and often work with children in a group or one-on-one basis to document developmental progress in the classroom and gain insight into children’s individual needs and ensure program quality and high standards are met. Ensure thorough and complete documentation of visits with follow-up notes and expectations.

• Must demonstrate thorough planning and organizational skills to accomplish tasks and responsibilities timely, efficiently, and resourcefully.

• Must develop or demonstrate competence in Networking with key individuals in the community, local educational agencies, both private and non-profits, local colleges and universities, businesses and service providers, local governments and child care providers to gain access to resources to support the needs of children, families and staff, and to maintain a high level of service that efficiently meets or exceeds all needs of the child development program and all requirements by law or otherwise and to maintain a strong standing in the community.

• Email messages by the Administrator must be responded to promptly and in a timely manner.

• Be willing and capable of efficiently planning and organizing schedule to accomplish all agency projects, tasks and responsibilities as identified in agency vision for future progress and as outlined in planning meetings with the administrator, consistently.

• Management of the agency food program administered by USDA and CDE for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) as described in the application.

• Management of operations of all other funded and private fee-paying programs under the agency.

• Processing of future grant applications for program expansion and timely submission.

• Timely completion and delivery of new site licensing applications in the licensing of new facilities.

People Leadership

· Establish, articulate and teach the vision, mission and values of the organization and the school site

· Establish a positive, professional, student-focused and achievement-oriented school culture.

· Set clear expectations for roles, accountability, decision making and collaboration among team members

· Model and encourage others to proactively solve problems and manage conflict openly and productively

· Prioritize team morale and productivity and celebrate team accomplishments

· Select and retain a highly effective staff

Organizational Management – All sites

• Coordinate and manage effective and efficient student recruitment, enrollment, and retention using all resources available including networking.

· Coordinate effective and efficient teacher and staff recruitment and selection procedures using all resources available including networking.

· Coordinate family engagement and development.

· Hire, train, develop, support and evaluate school staff, ensuring that all staff set high expectations for student social and academic performance.

· Build a professional work environment that is typified by passion, dedication, hard work, respect and collaboration and includes a system of constant feedback, reflection and action.

· Work with the Administrator and site supervisors to set goals and implement strategic plans to achieve them.

· Ensure all program requirements as identified by the agency and those identified in the annual calendar of events are planned and executed timely and effectively. Some of these include the following:

Qualifications/Education/Training/Skills

The successful candidate will lead programs, partner with other agencies, local Resource & Referral agencies and other resource providers and work collaboratively with a high-performance management team in mind to achieve goals and objectives for children and families at all agency sites. Specific requirements include:

• Minimum of a BA

• Minimum 2-3 years’ experience as a program director preferable, or minimum 3-5 years’ experience as a site supervisor and demonstrate skills, knowledge and experience which matches the job description of a site supervisor.

• Ensure Site Supervisors meet all expectations of their job requirements.

• Program Director permit or possess education & experience to submit application.

• Montessori Diploma from an accredited Montessori training institution or willingness to take training. Montessori training at the agency level or other is insufficient.

• Demonstrated leadership, organizational and communication skills.

• Have the proven ability to nurture respectful relationships with children and their families and show sensitivity to the families’ cultural, socioeconomic and linguistic backgrounds.

• Must have a minimum of 4 years’ experience working with children age 2-5 in a preschool classroom as a lead teacher in a child care setting.

• Minimum 4 years’ experience with the use of the Desired Results Developmental monitoring system and the annual assessment process.

• Experience as a Montessori teacher in a preschool classroom a plus, or be willing to attend an accredited program to obtain a valid Montessori Diploma.

• Demonstrated results in managing through proven experience negotiating win-win agreements both internally with staff and externally with outside agencies

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with exceptional attention to detail

• Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, commitment to and passion for working with children and families to achieve their developmental goals and the agency’s mission.

· Ability to set high expectations for child and staff behavior and create a positive school culture that is welcoming, fun and conducive to learning

· ATTENDANCE IS AN ESSENTIAL FUNCTION OF THIS JOB. Our programs are on a yearly contract basis, open year-round (52 weeks).

Physical Requirement:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to:

• Frequently walk, sits and occasionally kneels/sits on classroom floor for training and observation purposes, uses hands, handle tools for basic repairs, manipulate controls, talks, instructs, advises, resolves often difficult situations or potential incidents when school must be represented in a favorable manner.

• In an emergency may require to work in the kitchen to prepare meals or work with infants, toddlers, preschool aged children during staff absences.

• May require to work in a preschool or infant classroom as lead teacher during staff shortages which would require bending, sitting on floor, standing, kneeling, carrying children, etc.

• Ability to lift and carry up to 25 pounds and in case of emergency a 40-pound child.

• May be required to drive a motor vehicle and or travel to other sites or within the State of California for meetings and workshops.

LOCATION: Various (San Gabriel Valley and greater Los Angeles, Compton areas)

SALARY: See below

SCHEDULE: Year-round. Full-Time, Mon-Fri, 8 hrs./day, 40hrs/wk, or as required.

BENEFITS:

• Paid Holidays

• Generous Paid vacation & sick leave

• Group health plan/Dental/Vision

• Life insurance coverage

• Staff training and development opportunities

• 401K