Day Care Center Teacher II

Located at the Head Start Gum Springs Children’s Center in Alexandria, VA, this position is under the supervision of the Early Childhood Education Administrator.

About the Role

Responsible for the daily operations of the Head Start classroom, providing routine care for children 3 to 5 years of age. Ensures developmentally appropriate practices and curriculum are implemented and creates a play-based learning environment to meet children’s individual needs. Serves as classroom manager and supervisor for Teacher I and classroom aides. Adheres to all policies and procedures regulated by Virginia State Licensing and the Head Start Federal Standards to prevent health hazards and ensure the safety of children. Completes and reports on developmental screenings/assessments through family conferences, home visits, and staff meetings. Assists in the preparation of documentation for local agency, state licensing, and federal Head Start Performance Standards, and collaborates with county staff, citizens, and members of the childcare community. Note: This is a grant-funded position.

Responsibilities

• Assists the Day Care Center Supervisor by coordinating activity plans, staff assignments, and schedules.
• Oversees program plans of subordinates.
• Supervises the work of Day Care Center Teacher I’s, Aides, substitutes, and volunteers.
• Plans and implements a daily program of developmental experiences for preschool children, and a remedial and enrichment program for school-age children.
• Provides care and protection for the children, helping them learn to adapt to and cope with real-life situations and to develop appropriate habits in activities such as eating and dressing.
• From daily observation, notes the physical condition of each child, reports conditions needing attention, and administers first aid treatment when needed.
• Maintains progress records on the emotional, physical, social, and intellectual development of the children.
• Holds regular individual parent-teacher conferences and participates in parent group meetings and activities.
• Through individual conferences, supervises assistant teachers and aides in daily contact with children.
• Maintains attractive, healthful surroundings and assures that equipment and materials are kept accessible to the children and in good condition.
• Attends and participates in conferences and workshops related to group day care and other pertinent fields.
• Performs center administrative duties, including liaison with school officials, personnel, payroll, record keeping, cash handling, and snack purchasing.
• Responsible for center newsletter.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university in a child-related field such as, but not limited to, early childhood or elementary education, nursing, recreation, or a related field.
• Driver’s License.
• CPR/First Aid certification (required within 60 days of hire).
• AED certification (required within 60 days of hire).
• Completion of a criminal background check, a Child Protective Services Registry check, and a driving record check to the satisfaction of the employer.
• Tuberculosis (TB) screening upon hire.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education.
• Child Development Associate (CDA) in Preschool.
• Knowledge of Head Start Standards and Creative Curriculum/TS Gold Assessment Tools.
• Three or more years of experience in a classroom setting.
• Experience working with school-age children.
• Experience working in an early childhood classroom setting within the past two years.
• Supervisory experience and/or experience reviewing the work of staff.

Skills

• Considerable knowledge of individual behavior and the growth and development of children, and the impact of group relationships.
• Knowledge of health, safety, and first aid methods.
• Knowledge of the factors that cause problems in children.
• Ability to establish warm and supportive relationships with children, on a group and individual basis, gaining confidence and trust and imparting a sense of security.
• Ability to assume administrative responsibility for the assigned center’s overall health and safety program.
• Ability to provide a wide variety of stimulating experiences for children to meet individual intellectual and emotional needs.
• Ability to recognize problems of both a physical and psychological nature as exhibited by children.
• Ability to organize and plan the activities of subordinate day care personnel.
• Ability to develop and maintain a working relationship with parents and staff.

Physical Requirements

Position is active in nature. Must be able to monitor and observe the activities of program participants. Regularly moves about or positions self to supervise and interact with participants at their level. Occasionally lifts, transports, positions, pushes/pulls, or moves up to 50 pounds. Must be sufficiently mobile and possess a range of motion to perform repetitive standing, walking, balancing, stooping, bending, crouching, crawling, sitting on the floor, reaching, squatting, kneeling, and twisting. Ability to react quickly to the physical actions of program participants. Requires the ability to apply CPR and First Aid skills as needed and respond to emergency situations. Administrative and supervisory activities will require the ability to operate keyboard-driven equipment. Ability to communicate verbally and in writing. Sufficiently mobile to attend meetings at various locations and make presentations to county staff and the community. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

Fairfax County encourages candidates who are bilingual in English and another language to apply for this opportunity.