CENTER DIRECTOR HS

NATURE AND SCOPE OF POSITION

The Center Director serves as the educational lead for one or more centers in the Head Start program. Responsibilities include education, family partnerships, supervision of teacher staff, communication and service coordination, record keeping and reporting, ongoing self-assessment and monitoring of compliance, facilities management and program governance and leadership.

ESSENTIAL-

Education:

• Serve as education leader for the Head Start center, overseeing implementation of all aspects of education services and providing teachers with supervision, training, coaching and monitoring.
• Support the effective implementation of the education content area, implementing all relevant policies and procedures.
• Oversee training of new hires (in conjunction with HR Generalist). Develop, conduct or arrange other training as needed for staff, parents or volunteers.
• Work with teachers to implement program curriculum that incorporates all elements and meets all standards in compliance with Head Start standards and best practices.
• Oversee and approve the preparation of weekly lesson plans, including individualization and all other required elements.
• Ensure that teachers integrate goals from Individual Education Plans (IEPs) for children with disabilities (in consultation with Early Learning and Disabilities Coordinator).
• Ensure the completion of all required child screenings and assessments, including 45 and 90day requirements for new children and quarterly progress assessments for all children.
• Participate in team meetings, home visits, and community events as needed.
• Provide teachers with coaching and support for quality improvement and professional growth through regular observation and formal and informal feedback.
• Use the Center Director Success Rubric (CDELSR) to self-assess and set goals for continual growth.

Family Partnerships:

• Supervise or coordinate with Family Services to ensure full implementation of family services and parent involvement.
• Support Family Advocates to implement all aspects of family services program, including support and monitoring of family initiatives. Coordinate training for parents and community members wanting to volunteer in the classroom.
• Ensure parents are integrally involved in developing the programs curriculum and approach to child development and education through regular meeting with Policy Council members and others.
• Assist teaching staff in developing a system offering parents opportunities for enhancing and increasing their child observation skills.

Supervision of Staff:

• Directly supervise center staff, ensure completion of all human resources activities, and ensure compliance with relevant policies and procedures.
• Conduct monthly meetings with direct reports and provide ongoing verbal and written feedback consistent with their individual development plans for performance improvement, ensure adherence to Head Start performance standards, and to plan and direct work.
• Plan and adjust work operations to meet changing or emergent program requirements within available resources.
• Work with teachers to develop and support their individual development plan, including training plans for each teacher to obtain a bachelors degree or higher in Early Childhood Education or a related field. Individual development plans filed in personnel folder and a training log.
• Assign and review work of direct reports. Instruct, train and work effectively with direct reports from a variety of backgrounds and with differing levels/areas of training. Model best practices within the service area.
• Devise work methods and procedures that support improvements in existing work practices. Support direct reports in developing and setting goals, priorities and timelines.
• Take required disciplinary action, in an objective and fair manner, following Program Policies and Procedures and EEO requirements. Make appropriate personnel decisions as needed and submit the most impactful personnel decisions as a recommendation to supervisor.

Service Coordination

• Ensure families receive monthly newsletter.
• Ensure childrens individual health, nutrition, disabilities or mental health needs are met, through implementation of referral system, coordination with appropriate coordinators/specialists, and participation in case conferences as necessary.
• Develop a working knowledge of local community resources related to education and transition.
• Actively participate in Head Start/Early Head Start community, including staff meetings, mandated trainings, committee meetings, and other program wide functions as needed, including some evening activities.

Record Keeping and Reporting:

• Ensure complete and accurate implementation of all required systems for recordkeeping and reporting, including:
  • Individual child/family files
  • Master binders
  • Education portfolios or other documentation of early childhood education services
  • In-kind contributions from parents or community members
  • Purchasing and tracking of supplies and equipment
  • Employee timekeeping
  • Employee paid time off
  • Attendance and payments (as appropriate) for Full/Extended Day
  • Child, family & program information in Shine Insight
  • Child observations, assessment & planning information in CreativeCurriculum.net

Compliance Management and Self-Assessment:

• Review weekly MBI (managing by information) and monthly MBI reports and ensure all concerns are addressed in a timely fashion.
• Review quarterly MBO (managing by outcomes) report and ensure all concerns are addressed in a timely fashion.
• Review quarterly and annual child outcomes data and oversee teacher planning to help all children make developmental gains.
• Participate in annual program selfassessment.
• Implement all monitoring systems required by Head Start, childcare licensing CACFP or other agencies, including:
  • Daily visual check of indoor & outdoor safety.
  • Monthly or quarterly completion of health & safety monitoring tool.

Program Governance and Leadership:

• Serve on leadership team of the program, attending regular meetings and occasional retreats.
• Participate in annual and quarterly planning to set, plan for, and monitor program goals.
• Contribute to annual review and revision of programs integrated service plan.
• Establish focus for education service area and act to align areas goals with the strategic direction and needs of the center. Ensure that employees in the area understand how their work relates to the center as a whole and the relevant regulations and performance standards.
• Improve quality and effectiveness of education service area and overall organization by initiating, sponsoring and implementing organizational change and by helping others to successfully manage organizational change.
• Ensure teachers and volunteers understand regulations associated with prevention of occupational disease and injury, including the exercise of universal precautions.
• Uphold the shared mission and values of the organization.

Program Operations and Facilities:

• Serves as the facility designated Fire Warden and participates in development, training and implementation of safety and evacuation plans, conducts fire drills and other duties as directed to ensure the safety of all center personnel and children.
• Ensures that facilities, materials, and equipment are safe, appropriate, and conducive to learning and reflective of the different ages and stage of development of each child, including children with disabilities.
• Ensures Center based environments are free of toxins, such as smoke, lead, pesticides, and herbicides.
• Ensures arrangements and space, as well as types and use of materials and equipment, match grantees identified curriculum.
• Conduct and/or supervise regular safety checks of all facilities.

MARGINAL-

• Provide courteous and prompt service to all internal and external clients. Prioritize and address requests and assignments in a professional manner to develop cooperative relationships and to ensure that client confidentiality is assured.
• Identify opportunities and recommend methods to improve service, work processes and financial performance, e.g. expense management. Assists in the implementation of quality improvement initiatives.
• Assist co-workers in the completion of tasks and assignments to ensure continuity of service. Orient new co-workers and actively support teamwork throughout the organization.
• Perform other duties as required.

COMPETENCIES

To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies to perform the essential functions of this job.

Approach to Work - Takes responsibility for own work and for the consequences of own decisions and actions. Identifies what needs to be done and takes action before being asked or before the situation requires it. Challenges the status quo in appropriate ways to make change. Open to new ideas, approaches, and opportunities for learning and growth.

Collaboration - Builds positive relationships with colleagues, families, and community members. Makes positive contributions to team meetings and processes. Supports and collaborates with colleagues. Contributes to positive culture and sense of team.

Communication - Interacts sensitively, effectively and professionally with persons of diverse ages, lifestyles, and backgrounds (cultural, economic, racial, ethnic or professional). Has direct, honest conversations, on difficult topics when necessary and gives feedback with clear conclusions and specific examples. Receives feedback openly. Speaks and writes clearly, with professional tone and correct grammar, punctuation and spelling.

Cost Awareness Demonstrates an ongoing awareness of budget levels and the ramifications of exceeding them. Regularly tracks expenses against budget projections to ensure that spending levels can be adjusted as necessary. Cost-conscious and tends to stay within budget.

Leadership - Creates a vision for program, center or department to inspire others. Drives toward results while maintaining focus on with process and relationships. Shares authority in meaningful ways and builds the leadership capacity of others.

Management - Supports teachers to implement high-quality educational services. Builds a strong team among staff with varying positions and levels of experience. Represents center in the community and with a variety of key stakeholders.

People Management - Distinguishes between what should be done oneself vs. by others and delegates appropriate tasks. Uses consistent approach to performance improvement that includes clear expectations, follow-through, and concrete measures up to & including termination if necessary. Fosters the professional development of others through individualized support.

Quality of Work - Uses a clear, thorough planning process that incorporates relevant data or requirements, focusing on goals and includes advance preparation. Does what s/he says she will and follows through on obligations and meets deadlines. Good attendance and follows nstructions. Uses established procedures and systems effectively and understands the importance of recordkeeping.

PRIMARY QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

• One of the following is required:
  • Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education, or
  • Bachelors degree in related field with at least six (6) courses in early childhood education
• Masters Degree is preferred.
• Infant/toddler education/training is preferred.
• Directors academy preferred for district collaborated centers.

Certifications:

• State awarded preschool training certification beyond education requirements is preferred.
• First Aid and CPR certifications required or to be obtained.

Work Experience:

• Experience managing an infant/toddler or preschool program is required.
• Experience in fiscal management/budget preparations is required.
• Experience with supervision, management or coaching is required.
• Prior experience with inclusion of children with disabilities is preferred.

Special Skills:

• Advanced knowledge of infant/toddler health and safety license requirements.
• Experience with collaborations and community partnerships.
• Bilingual in Spanish and English is preferred.
• Strong organization and time management skills with ability to meet tight deadlines.
• Ability to work independently and implement complex policies and regulations.
• Ability to communicate effectively in written or verbal format to groups of all sizes and individuals.
• Experience executing strategies to engage families to support their childrens healthy development and school readiness.
• Excellent decision-making and communications skills.
• High degree of tact and professionalism.
• Strong positive attitude.
• Effective leadership and delegation skills.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITY SPECIFICATIONS

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, sit, use hands to finger motions, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl, talk or hear, taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 40 pounds, 20 times per day with or without assistance. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to focus.

Work Environment: Work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to weather and internal climate conditions prevalent at the time. The work environment is considered to be that of a normal primary educational institution. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Exposure to blood, saliva and bodily fluids is common. Proper training and protective equipment are required to avoid direct contact from blood, saliva and bodily fluids is required.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities/PRIME TIME Family, Inc is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, creed, ancestry, marital status or sexual orientation, gender identification, genetic information, atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait, marital status, citizenship status, victims of domestic violence, or any other protected category.