Description

A.        GENERAL SUMMARY OF WHAT THE POSITION

This position serves as the lead worker in a classroom of Head Start children by planning, implementing, and supervising all classroom activities. This position works with typically developing children and children with disabilities.  Because this position is one part of a large system of services provided to children and families this position also serves as a social service referral person and shares responsibility for parent involvement in the program. The position of Teacher works in tandem with the rest of the parts of the system as an integrated team to support the goals of the program. The position may be reassigned to various classrooms/centers as deemed necessary for program operations. 

B.        DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POSITION

 Duties of the position are described in major functional areas listed below.  Additional  duties may be assigned.

 EXAMPLES OF SPECIFIC JOB DUTIES

a.   Program Development

1. Attends all required training and workshops to include but not limited to 21 hours of classroom focused professional development and methods that comply with applicable State and local laws for identifying and reporting child abuse and neglect.

2. Remains up-to-date on information that pertains to the needs of the children in the program including Head Start Performance Standards, child care licensing regulations and other applicable regulations and practices.

3. Works as a team member with the other education staff, parents and Parent Committee members to develop a curriculum that is meaningful and meets the individual and program needs.

4. Responsible for the weekly preparation of daily lesson plans, which includes objectives to be posted for parents, volunteers and visitors in the classroom.

5. Develops an individual plan for each child to include goal setting based on identified needs and prescriptions for objectives and activities to meet established goals (outcomes).

6. Schedules home visits and parent-teacher conferences with families as required and on an as-needed basis and documents these events.

7. Maintains strict confidentiality with respect to Head Start children, families and staff in accordance with established policies and procedures.

8. Prepares and maintains a safe, healthy learning environment for children that is positive, developmentally appropriate and experientially-based.

9. Develops individual training plans for all staff supervised making it clear what is expected and what the time frame is for completion of short and long term goals.

 b.   Preschool Program Implementation

1. Supervises all classroom activities, field trips and outdoor activities.

2. Plans and provides a developmentally and linguistically appropriate curriculum and experiences in a manner appropriate to the ages, languages and cultures of children served.

3. Directs any special needs problems to the appropriate manager/specialist/coordinator or supervisor.

4. Plans and implements learning experiences that advance the intellectual and physical development of children including improving the readiness of children for school by developing their literacy and phonemic, print and numeracy awareness, their understanding of the use of language, their understanding and use of increasingly complex and varied vocabulary, their appreciation of books, their understanding of early math and early science,  their problem solving abilities and their approaches to learning.

5. Implements education lesson plans and daily programs for children in accordance with each child's need, based on a method of observing and recording children’s interests and current levels of functioning.  

6. Supports social and emotional development and provides positive guidance and discipline.

7. Maintains a commitment to professionalism and continues own professional development so that decisions are based on knowledge of early childhood theories and practices. 

8. Shares pertinent information with family services/case management staff to ensure coordinated services that meet the needs of individual children and families.

9. Supervises and eats nutritionally prepared meals with the children as a curriculum activity, to model good nutrition and proper social skills. 

10. Provides a stable classroom routine and environment.

11. Ensures a well-run, purposeful program responsive to participant needs.

12. Screens, observes and documents children as required.

 c.   Record keeping

1. Submits monthly progress reports to the supervisor as scheduled.

2. Supervises or orders supplies as needed and takes inventory as requested.

3. Submits monthly bills and reports to the central office in a timely manner.

4. Maintains child records in cooperation with the family services/case management staff. 

5. Gathers and maintains individual, family and classroom data for documentation, on-going assessment, evaluation and record keeping for successful individual and program planning.

d.   Parent Involvement and Community Relations

1. Sets up system to assure program's needs for parent involvement in each classroom are met.

2. Establishes positive and productive relationships with families focusing on a relationship of trust and rapport with the parents of the children.

3. Participates in the orientation of parents to Head Start throughout the year.

4. Facilitates and supports monthly Parent Committee meetings at the center.

5. Schedules and arranges meetings, and documents parent-teacher conferences and home visits as required.

6. Participates in the training of parents as requested.

• Involves parents in the educational activities of the program. 
• Emphasizes their role as the principal influence on the child's education and development; and
• Assists parents to increase their knowledge, understanding, skills and experience in basic child development.

7. Identifies and arranges for parents to participate as volunteers in the classroom and work as substitutes as well as other volunteer activities.

8. Collects monthly in-kind records from parents participating and submits to local Head Start administrative office.

9. Writes a classroom newsletter once every other month beginning in October and provides center news for the program newsletter as requested.

10. Directly orients, trains and supervises all classroom volunteers assigned in cooperation with the position with the responsibility for program volunteers.

11. Works closely with local school system(s), as appropriate, for shared activities, registration and smooth transition.

12. Encourages the involvement of the families of the children in a Head Start program and supports the development of relationships between children and their families.

e. Supervision

1. Makes daily job assignments within the classroom, provides instruction in performing job duties and models appropriate classroom practices.

2. Sets the standards of the classroom and goals for staff members supervised and other classroom staff, monitors progress toward goals, provides regular feedback and submits performance appraisals in a timely manner.

3. Provides daily supervision of all classroom staff, monitors employee performance and classroom activities. Conducts competency assessments and performance evaluation of assigned staff and volunteers.

EXAMPLES OF GENERAL JOB DUTIES

1. Understands, generates and documents in-kind and other allowable costs applied toward the non-federal share requirement.

2. Attends all workshops and meetings as deemed necessary by the immediate supervisor.

3. Attends all required staff and parent meetings and activities.

4. Responsible for understanding Head Start Performance Standards and local child care licensing regulations.

5. Expected to be knowledgeable of the regulations associated with prevention of occupational disease and injury, including the exercise of universal precautions and the prevention of contamination.  

6. Positively promotes Head Start in the community.

7. Models and exercises supervisory authority to support other employees in the execution of work duties in a manner consistent with Meriden YMCA standards for compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations, including Meriden YMCA policies and procedures reflecting best practices.  Adherence to the procedure for Policy Council approval or disapproval of hiring and termination decisions made by Meriden YMCA as described in the Head Start Performance Standards (Section 1304.50) is required.  In addition, supervisors are expected to model exemplary standards of ethical behavior and exercise careful stewardship of program funds, and support those they supervise in adhering to those standards.

8. Becomes thoroughly familiar with Meriden YMCA Employee Handbook, Meriden YMCA Head Start Operations Manual and all other Meriden YMCA handbooks, manuals and resources and adheres to them.

9. Plans and directs the work of the staff supervised.  Observes and gives feedback to staff or volunteers supervised where applicable and other staff as assigned on at least a weekly basis.

10. Makes appropriate personnel decisions that do not require higher approval and submits others as a recommendation to the supervisor.

11. Determines appropriate training needs to meet the program goals and objectives and makes the necessary recommendations.

12. Develops and supports the professional development plan for staff supervised.

13. Maintains strict confidentiality with respect to Head Start children, families and staff in accordance with established policies and procedures.

14. Monitors compliance with the content area work plans.

15. Develops and implements a plan and system of continuous ongoing monitoring and evaluation of activities within the program.

 PERFORMS OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED.

 

Qualifications

  H.        EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Current minimum qualification is one of the following:

1. An associate, baccalaureate or advanced degree in Early Childhood Education;
2. An associate degree in a field related to Early Childhood Education and coursework* equivalent to a major relating to Early Childhood Education with at least 1080 clock hours of experience in an early childhood setting teaching preschool-age children;
3. A baccalaureate or advanced degree in any field and coursework*  equivalent to a major relating to Early Childhood Education with at least 500 clock hours of experience in an early childhood setting teaching preschool-age children; or
4. A baccalaureate degree in any field and has been admitted into the Teach For America program, passed a rigorous early childhood content exam, such as the Praxis II, participated in a Teach For America summer training institute that includes teaching preschool children, and is receiving ongoing professional development and support from Teach For America’s professional staff.
5. By September 30, 2013, the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007 mandates that at least 50% of Head Start teachers nation-wide must have a baccalaureate or advanced degree in Early Childhood Education; or a baccalaureate or  advanced degree in any subject, and coursework* equivalent to a major relating to Early Childhood Education with experience teaching preschool-age children.

*Coursework equivalent to a major related to Early Childhood Education includes but is not limited to the following:

1. Teaching Credentials: licensure or certification by the state for Pre-K teachers recognized by the local school district or state education agency as qualifying teachers to teach pre-school children in that school district or state if the individual has at least 500 clock hours of experience in an early childhood setting teaching pre-school aged children.

OR

1. *Coursework:  No less than 30 credits for the associates degree or 60 credits for the bachelors degree in courses that focus on child development, early childhood education and curriculum, early childhood teaching and assessment, psychology, family development, health and physical development, mathematics, science, and children’s literature.  Such courses may have been taken in various departments, such as Education, Home Economics, Music, Art, Library Sciences, Physical Education and Recreation, Psychology, Family Studies, and others. For the associates degree no less than 15 credits of the total 30 credits required must be specifically in early childhood education or child development; for the bachelors degree no less than 30 credits of the 60 credits required must be specifically in early childhood education or child development.

  It is up to each employee to provide to their immediate supervisor, and/or the staff person responsible for human resources, information on the college credit courses taken (e.g., transcripts) and to demonstrate that the courses not specifically in the areas of early childhood education or child development address early childhood education or child development with a focus on children ages three to five (may require a copy of the course syllabus). 

If applicable federal, state or local Head Start or child care regulations, now or as amended in the future, contain additional requirements or qualifications for this position which are not specifically stated in this Job Description, the requirements and qualifications will apply, even if not specifically set forth in this Job Description.

 Bilingual preferred (English/Spanish or English and other languages present in the  local area).  Within 90 days of employment, must obtain and continually maintain basic first aid and pediatric CPR certification (or sooner if required by local/state regulations).  Acceptable tuberculosis screening results, a clear criminal records check (including child abuse registry check if required by state regulations) and an  initial health exam are required post job offer and prior to employment.  Current and former Head Start parents will receive preference for employment vacancies for which they are qualified.

Must have reliable transportation and if/when using own vehicle must have minimum automobile coverage required by state of employment.

 I.          PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING CONDITIONS

• Occasional need to provide gentle physical restraint to children.
• Must be able to lift up to 45 pounds.
• Some exposure to communicable diseases.
• Noise level in work environment may be moderate to loud.
• Travel by car, bus, airplane or train may also be required associated with attendance at conferences, meetings and other duties carried out at distant locations in and out of state and in some cases where some overnight travel may be required. 
• Work is typically performed in a classroom setting and some office work required.
• Some evenings and weekend work may occasionally be required for events such as home visits, parent-teacher conferences, Parent Committee meetings, social and community events.