Lead Teacher

Company Overview

Family Services of Westchester (FSW) provides mental health and social services that strengthen and support families, children and individuals at every stage of their lives. With 50 innovative programs, FSW serves 30,000 individuals annually in Westchester County, New York, here to create hope, restore dignity and connect families with the resources to get back on track.

Founded in 1954, Family Services of Westchester is a private, nonprofit, non-sectarian social services agency. FSW’s Head Start/Early Head Start is a federal government program that was created in 1965 to give preschool children from low-income families a “head start” on their readiness for elementary school.

JOB SUMMARY

Family Services of Westchester is looking for a Full-Time Lead Teacher for our Head Start Program in Port Chester, NY.

This position ensures our youngest children have a solid foundation for life. Encourage the social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development of Head Start children and attend to their safety and welfare. Promote family engagement in all aspects of the program. Meet requirements of federal Head Start Program Performance Standards and local, state, and agency policies and procedures. Abide by the Head Start of Family Services of Westchester Inc. code of conduct and ethics statement written within the employee handbook.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Scope of Influence

• Lead teaching team in documentation, reflection and planning process to devise curriculum informed by children’s interests, questions, theories, and prior knowledge.
• Work with a diverse community
• Build relationships with families and communicate about children’s learning and development in person and through documentation.
• Partner with the teaching staff and administration in the overall philosophy and direction of the Head Start Program.

Planning

• Classroom Environment and School Readiness
• Establish a positive classroom climate.
• Creating a warm and inclusive environment where children and families feel welcome.
• Organizing physical space and selection of materials in a way that is inviting and accessible to children.
• Creating visual evidence of the narratives and curriculum occurring in your classroom.
• Supervise and monitor children at all times and respond appropriately to crisis or emergency situations that may occur.
• Guide the behavior of children in positive, effective ways.
• Encourage experimentation, exploration, problem-solving, cooperation, socialization, and choice-making; Ask open-ended questions and follow-up questions to promote further learning and thinking.
• Promote English-language acquisition of children who are English- and dual-language learners.
• Release children only to individuals with appropriate signed consent.

Individualize, Planning, Preparation + Curriculum , and Assessment

• Follow agency-adopted curricula using effective strategies to guide learning.
• Prepare the classroom environment and materials to support developmentally appropriate curriculum plans and learning experiences.
• Assess individual and group needs, attending to specific interests, strengths, and concerns.
• Work with appropriate agencies to develop specialized planning for children and families as needed.
• Coordinate with support staff when indicated, developing a collaborative approach that benefits all children in the classroom.
• Adapt curriculum to address and meet individual goals for children as identified in their individualized family service plans.
• Develop and use integrated curriculum plans that reflect mandated elements, components, and familial and cultural influences and promote the social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development of children in Head Start.
• Establish weekly goals that promote individual and group educational plans and include other Head start components.
• Participate in integrated services meetings to plan for and deliver collaborative services across all components.

Documentation

• Use agency-adopted tools for ongoing assessment and documentation.
• Ensure all federal, local, state, and agency documentation is completed accurately.
• Document all family contacts and home visits.
• Monitor and report child abuse.

Professional Development

• Attend and participate in training and appropriate professional development activities.
• Attend and participate in meetings.
• Engage in ongoing self-assessment about job performance.

Communication

• Relationships with Teaching Team
• Develop schedules and processes to ensure that work is complete in a timely fashion by teaching team.
• Lead regular documentation, reflection, and planning meetings with teaching team.
• Provide feedback, coaching and support to teaching assistants as necessary.

Family Engagement and Community Partnerships

• Provide an atmosphere that promotes and reinforces family and volunteer engagement.
• Support the role of families as the first and primary teachers of their children.
• Support families’ safety, health, financial stability, life goals, and aspirations.
• Maintain regular communication with families based on their individual needs.
• Conduct the required parent-teacher conferences and home visits for the purposes of assessment and support and to share information on classroom progress and educational strategies at school and at home. Provide additional home visits if needed.
• Help plan and participate in family activity events. Coordinate with the Family Advocates as needed to help the family’s complete follow-up activities (i.e., dental, medical, physical, and mental health needs of families, etc.).
• Coordinate with the Early Childhood Education Manager/Specialists and Family Advocates to provide families with timely information and referrals appropriate to their needs.
• Monitor and document attendance concerns. Provide learning opportunities for dual-language learners in the home.

Compliance Management

• Keep a weekly documentation portfolio for each child using Teaching Strategies Gold and complete assessment checkpoints throughout the year.
• Record meal information at the point of service and enter meal counts in the appropriate forms.
• Maintain strict confidentiality regarding Head Start/Early Head Start children, families, and staff.
• Familiarize yourself with the FSW Head Start Employee Handbook and follow all policies and procedures.
• Understands and implements all required policies and procedures related to the active supervision of children at all times, including:
• Ensure children are in a safe and observable environment.
• Continuously count and monitor the children under your care.
• Listen for potential dangers and be proactive in anticipating children's behavior to keep them safe.
• 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.

Additional Job Responsibilities

• Assist with breaks, food service, and bus monitoring as needed for the program and other classroom needs as requested.
• Work with other staff to ensure general maintenance and security of facility.
• Assist with inventory of equipment and supplies.
• Assist with task as assigned

REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATION

• Associate degree in early childhood education or a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or a related bachelor’s degree or higher that includes coursework equivalent to a major in early childhood education. Transcripts are required to validate educational requirements.

SKILLS

• English fluency
• Proficient in using Microsoft Word, Excel, and office equipment
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Extensive knowledge of early childhood development and community resources
• Understanding of state and federal child abuse and neglect regulations
• Ability to work well with staff, children, and families
• Organizational and leadership skills for directing classroom activities
• Maintaining accurate records of children's progress
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality
• Patience and professionalism in all interactions
• Experience working with both typically developing children and those with disabilities

EXPERIENCE

• 2+ years of experience working with young children and families in an early childhood program such as Head Start/Early Head Start, implementing comprehensive family services for young children and families from diverse backgrounds. 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA:

Performance will be evaluated based on the following

• Continuing to pursue education in Early Childhood;
• Performance vs. Goals;
• Seniority

There are a variety of benefits to joining Family Services of Westchester, an organization with over 65 years of history impacting vulnerable communities. In addition to the opportunity to connect with and help thousands of residents in Westchester County, FSW offers its employees an inspiring, diverse and team-based work environment with comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, life insurance, flexible spending accounts, and 403(b).

At FSW, we enjoy working in a collaborative, mission-driven environment and value the benefits of a diversified workplace that prioritizes our clients and the communities we serve. If you want to make a difference in the lives of thousands of people across the communities of Westchester, and if the position of Head Start Teacher speaks to your capabilities, experience and commitment to social service, please complete the online application on Indeed.com and upload your resume. Qualified candidates will be contacted by phone and/or email.

FSW is an equal opportunity employer.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $40,040.00 - $57,596.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person