Program Lead (Teacher)

Livingston Street Early Childhood Community operates as a non-profit, New York State licensed daycare center in Kingston, NY. Since its founding in 2010, Livingston Street has been a beacon for high-quality early childhood care practices utilizing research based on human development and relationship building. 

Mission Statement

At Livingston Street Early Childhood Community, emotional well-being and social competence are nourished in young children through the creation of meaningful relationships with a diverse group of people, the development of early literacy and communication skills, and school wide participation in the process of community service.

The Program Lead creates a vision within the mission and goals for Livingston Street and sets the tone of the classrooms, inspiring the staff and community.  He/She/They will be responsible for  providing compassionate and responsive care for children, and effectively communicating/educating staff and families best practices in child caregiving and development. The Program Lead also works closely with the Business Development Executive to maintain the business, supporting and communicating about the needs of the classroom where appropriate, helping to develop schedules and contracts, hiring and firing, and meeting and maintaining NYS Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) regulations.

Responsibilities: 

1. Classroom Management: Provide leadership in the classroom by managing both classes. Spending most of the time in the classroom and stepping in to support children and teachers, modeling and educating appropriate communication and childcare practice, being present, guiding thoughtful conversation about human development while building experiential learning opportunities for children, maintaining a routine, and following NYS OCFS regulations.
2. Staff Development: Support staff to develop their childcare practice by scheduling regular monthly staff meetings, providing quarterly workshops about educational philosophy, child psychology and development, etc., planning team building activities, conducting annual performance reviews, and communicating clearly and with respect given to understanding workplace development and positive relationship building among staff.
3. Community Involvement: Create opportunities to engage with the families regularly and be the liaison between Livingston Street and home, communicate with affection and intention with families, be prepared to have difficult conversations that require tact and empathy, maintain different forms of communication with the Livingston Street families and board thru email, social media, newsletters, etc., attend monthly board meetings providing classroom reports, family/staff concerns, etc., be present and available to all families at pick-up or drop-off each day.
4. Work in Partnership: With Business Development Executive, provide information about needs of classroom, updates of equipment, maintenance, etc., help create schedules, forms, contracts as needed, support enrollment efforts by introducing Livingston Street to prospective families, and generally supporting BDE to run the business and maintain NYS regulations.
5. Prioritize organizational efforts and communication to support a commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion within our community.
6. May require occasionally interfacing with regulators from OCFS on an as needed basis. 

Qualifications:

i) a Bachelor’s degree, including or in addition to 12 credits in Early Childhood, Child Development or a related field; one year of full-time teaching experience in a child care center, family or group family day care home or other early childhood program; and one year of experience supervising staff in a child care program or a related field of work; or 

(ii) a New York State Children’s Program Administrator Credential; one year of full-time teaching experience in a child care center, family or group family day care home or other early childhood program; and one year of experience supervising staff in a child care program or a related field of work; or

(iii) an Associate’s degree in Early Childhood or related field, with a plan of study leading to a Bachelor’s degree or a New York State Children’s Program Administrator Credential; two years of full-time teaching experience in a child care center, family or group family day care home or other early childhood program; and two years of experience supervising staff in a child care program or a related field of work; or

(iv) a Child Development Associate Credential or other Office-recognized credential, with a plan of study leading to a Bachelor’s degree or a New York State Children’s Program Administrator Credential; two years of full-time teaching experience in a child care center, family or group family day care home or other early childhood program; and two years of experience.

Compensation:

This position is salaried at $42,000-46,000/year