Interim Lead Early Childhood Education Teacher, UPK

Position Overview

The Interim Lead Teacher, UPK, is a full-time position that will start May 18, 2026 to June 26, 2026, and then resume on August 24, 2026, ending on February 26, 2027.

The lead teacher understands the importance of modeling contemporary developmentally appropriate practices throughout the day. You will be responsible for the whole classroom environment and creating positive, supportive relationships with the community, overseeing the overall well-being of the children, and managing the flow and supervision of the classroom.

Core Responsibilities

Working with young children

• Welcome each child and family with warmth and seek to develop a strong bond with each child, respectful of their temperament.
• Understand and implement developmentally appropriate practices and create a written individual learning plan for each child.
• Keep weekly written records monitoring growth, balance teaching to the individual with the whole group, and be committed to inclusion-based practices.
• Seek to understand the child's perspective during conflicts and articulate the appropriate next step for their development.

Curriculum and Program

• Oversee, prepare and implement an innovative early childhood curriculum, utilizing NYS pre-kindergarten standards as strong guidelines.
• Understand the foundation of an integrated curriculum and oversee all adults in the classroom regarding curriculum implementation.
• Support conversation and the development of independence skills during meal times.

Routines and Supervision

• Supervise a classroom with confidence and ease, demonstrating care, compassion, professionalism, and leadership.
• Respond flexibly to periods of limited staffing and adapt practices to individual needs.
• Supervise and direct substitute teachers, and provide warm mentorship to student teachers and apprentices.

Parents and Caregivers

• Interact with parents daily in a warm, professional manner, practice active listening, and build partnerships to meet developmental needs.
• Answer specific and general questions, seek to understand cultural/family identity, and respect parents' desires for different levels of involvement.
• Actively seek to take the parent's perspective and empathize with the challenges of parenting young children.

Administrative

• Keep accurate licensing and attendance records, and implement health and safety regulations at all times.
• Keep detailed notes, create ongoing learning portfolios, and write the majority of the bi-annual developmental profiles for the children.
• Lead or co-lead parent-teacher conferences and complete incident reports in a timely manner.

Qualifications & Requirements

• A teaching license or certificate valid for the early childhood grades, or be in compliance with the NYSED section 151-1.3 regulation.
• Documentation or completion of the following workshops before August 24, 2026: Child Abuse Identification and Reporting, Project SAVE, and DASA Training.
• Strong background in early child development, with completion of the Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway (TAP) strongly encouraged.
• Positive attitude, punctual, reliable, and equipped with maturity and ease for interpersonal relationships and utilizing constructive criticism.

The position includes a comprehensive benefits package including 401(k), health, dental & vision insurance, health savings account, and paid time off.