Description

Position Overview:

The School Director/Lead Teacher is responsible for coordinating the services and personnel of an innovative, outcome based, child development center/school. The School Director/Lead Teacher provides care to children in a Head Start / Early Head Start (HS/EHS) classroom using appropriate child guidance techniques and building responsive relationships with classroom teachers, staff, children and families. This position requires expertise in relationship-based partnership building and working closely with multiple entities to support at-risk children and families.

All employees and volunteers are expected to be sensitive to our clients’ cultural and socioeconomic characteristics, reflect Sunbeam Family Services core values and to perform at Sunbeam’s standards of excellence at all times.

Essential Functions:

• Promote, encourage and display examples of leadership for the agency in accordance with the agency mission driven.
• Ensure overall compliance of all programmatic functions related to the Early Childhood Services (ECS) program.
• Support and individualize the physical, social-emotional, and cognitive development of each child.
• Demonstrate capacity for providing developmentally appropriate and evidence-based practice, for exemplifying the values expected within the program, and for promoting the mission of the organization.
• Serves as a leader of the Early Childhood Services program and effective role model for developmentally appropriate practice, for the values expected within the program, and for the mission of the organization.
• Perform the functions of this position with a strong understanding of the Head Start Performance Standards.
• Responsible for the operation and maintenance of a safe, clean, healthy, and productive work environment, including both indoor and outdoor facility.
• Ensure compliance with Head Start Performance Standards, National Accreditations, federal and state regulation, and DHS Licensing requirements.
• Supervise center staff and ensuring the completion of performance evaluations, goal setting and professional development.
• Maintain record keeping and reporting systems to ensure accurate information, with timely completion and follow-up.
• Actively participate in parent or group meetings, community collaborations and affiliations in order to advocate for Early Head Start/Head Start children and families.
• Oversee, plan and implement developmentally appropriate curriculum and assessment for the classroom, including implementation of EHS/HS curriculum and Head Start /Early Head Start Program Performance Standards.
• Order supplies and materials as needed for effective service delivery.
• Oversee supervision and management of children in the classroom in order to ensure a safe, clean and healthy learning environment.
• Conduct home visits and parent-teacher conferences in accordance with Head Start Program Performance standards to share each child’s progress with parents.
• Work cooperatively with staff assigned to school as a team to involve all parents with the children and to encourage the active participation of all parents in the program.
• Observe children to detect signs of illness, injury, emotional disturbances, learning disorders, speech problems, or other special needs and reports those signs immediately to staff assigned to school.
• Ensure child-staff ratio is maintained at all times.
• Collaborating with state and community partners as needed to enhance ECS child development services, and to ensure effective transition planning for children and their families.
• Serve as a leader of the Early Childhood Services (ECS) program and effective role model for developmentally-appropriate practice, for the values expected within the program, and for the mission of the organization.
• Travel locally as required in the performance of responsibilities.
• Perform other appropriate and related responsibilities as assigned by supervisor, Center of Excellence Director, Senior Program Officer, Chief Program Officer, or Chief Executive Officer

Requirements

Qualifications:

Education

(Required)

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Early Childhood Education/Administration

(Preferred)

• Master’s degree in ECE or a related field

Credential (Required)

• Child Care Director’s Credential

Experience

(Required)

•  Minimum of three (3) years related experience in an early childhood or educational setting.

(Preferred)

• Effective experience in early childhood as well as training and supervising teacher assistants

Skills/Knowledge/Abilities

(Required)

• Caring and compassionate attitude when interacting with and caring for children and families.
• Accepting interpersonal approach that reflects cultural sensitivity to the unique and diverse experiences of families served
• Knowledge and understanding of state and local child care licensing requirements.
• Excellent command of the English language and grammar both written and verbal
• Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft applications and the ability to master other software as needed.
• Demonstrated, well-developed leadership abilities of problem solving, communications, adaptability, good judgment; works well under pressure.
• Good organizational and time management skills.
• Must work independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
• Exercise independent judgement
• Communicate in a professional manner, demonstrating dignity and respect for our internal, external, and community members.
• Process, protect and exercise discretion in handling confidential information and materials.
• Sustained concentration to detail and accuracy, along with the ability to prioritize workload.
• Willingness to work with high-risk, low-income communities.
• Must be able to travel and work some evenings and weekends as required by the position.
• Local travel required and must have a valid Oklahoma driver’s license and insurance as required by the position

(Preferred)

• Knowledge and understanding of Head Start Performance Standards
• Knowledge and understanding of ChildPlus
• Knowledge and understanding of TS Gold assessment system
• Knowledge and understanding of NAEYC
• Bilingual Spanish/English speaking – ability to interact with children and families from multilingual homes.

Working Conditions:

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to frequently communicate with staff and others, and must be able to exchange accurate information when doing so. The employee must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time and occasionally move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office equipment, attend meetings, etc. Must be able to operate and use a computer. Must be able to detect, discern, distinguish, observe, inspect and compare. Must have excellent command of English language and grammar, both verbal and written. Occasionally must be able to move needed materials weighing up to 50 pounds. The qualifications, physical demands, and work environment described are representative of those an employee will 
encounter and must meet to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. 

Work Environment

The employee will work in an office environment, may work in close quarters with other staff and small children. The noise level in the work environment varies from moderate to loud; frequent chaotic situations will occur, characteristic to working with children ages 0 – 5 years. Employee must expect exposure to strong odors such as soiled diapers and clothes, and poor hygiene. May come into contact with childhood diseases and blood on occasion.

Other

The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. 
The qualifications, physical demands, and work environment described herein are representative of those an employee will encounter and must meet to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. These statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this position. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel or candidate and may be subject to change at any time. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential functions. 

Sunbeam Family Services is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We are committed to fair and equal in all its employment practices for persons without regard to race, ethnicity, color, creed, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, religion, disability or degree thereof, national origin, domestic/marital status, political affiliation or opinion, veteran status, HIV status, AIDS status, genetic information, and any characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.