Early Childhood Lead Teacher, Alpha - $120,000/year USD

About the role

Exceptional preschool teachers don't require scripted lessons. They require a school that values their professional judgment. If you are an educator who views play as meaningful work, prioritizes relationships over rote academics, and sees every moment as a chance to support growth, Alpha will align with your philosophy. This is a full-time, on-site position in Manhattan, where you will lead a Pre-K classroom focused equally on emotional security, curiosity, and measurable developmental progress.

Responsibilities

• Develop engaging, sensory-focused learning activities that deliberately foster early literacy, numeracy, self-regulation, and social-emotional growth.
• Establish a classroom environment where each child feels emotionally secure, genuinely understood, and eager to attend school daily.
• Monitor children's developmental progress in the moment, record significant growth, and apply these observations to individualize instruction.
• Modify learning experiences based on individual interests and developmental readiness, ensuring every child advances at a measurable rate.
• Collaborate actively with families to communicate progress, acknowledge achievements, and reinforce each child's development at home.

What You Won’t Be Doing

• Overseeing children without intentional developmental goals guiding each activity.
• Implementing prescriptive curriculum, depending on worksheets, or prioritizing compliance over intellectual curiosity.
• Dedicating your time to behavior management instead of supporting children's emotional self-regulation skills.
• Placing children in front of educational technology while you observe passively from a distance.

Requirements

Able to work full-time, on-site in Manhattan, New York City (relocation assistance is available). An associate's degree or higher, or any U.S. state teaching license or certification. At least 2 years of experience working with children ages 3-5 in a structured, play-based classroom or group setting. Experience documenting developmental milestones using a structured framework or assessment tool (Teaching Strategies GOLD, ASQ, HighScope COR, etc.). Authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship.

Nice-to-have requirements include background in a Reggio Emilia, Montessori, Bank Street, or other inquiry-driven early childhood program, experience working in an independent school or an academically rigorous preschool setting, knowledge of child-development frameworks, observation protocols, or portfolio-based assessment methods, and experience modifying play-based learning activities to align with individual interests, needs, and developmental objectives.

Pay

The compensation level for this role is $60 USD/hour, which equates to $120,000 USD/year assuming 40 hours per week and 50 weeks per year. The payment period is weekly.

Schedule

This is a full-time (40 hours per week), long-term position. The position is immediately available.