Education Manager, Early Childhood

About the role

The Education Manager provides strategic leadership for the planning, implementation, and continuous improvement of high-quality early childhood education services across Wu Yee Children's Services' Child Development programs. Reporting to the Director of Education and Workforce, this position leads curriculum implementation, school readiness initiatives, instructional coaching, education systems, and program quality efforts that promote positive child outcomes and family engagement.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Educational Leadership
  • Develop and implement educational systems, policies, and procedures that reflect the agency's educational philosophy and best practices.
  • Lead implementation and continuous improvement of curriculum across all Child Development program options.
  • Establish service area plans that support the developmental needs of enrolled children and families.
  • Review and update education systems annually to ensure alignment with organizational priorities and regulatory requirements.
  • Promote innovative instructional practices that strengthen school readiness and child outcomes.
• Curriculum, School Readiness & Program Quality
  • Oversee implementation and evaluation of high-quality curriculum and instructional practices.
  • Lead the implementation and ongoing evaluation of School Readiness Goals and educational outcomes.
  • Chair the School Readiness Committee and facilitate quarterly review of school readiness goals.
  • Agregate, analyze, and communicate DRDP and School Readiness data to leadership, staff, families, and funders.
  • Monitor curriculum implementation using classroom observations, assessment tools, and program monitoring systems.
  • Collaborate with teaching staff to ensure consistent implementation of developmentally appropriate practices.
• Leadership, Coaching & Professional Development
  • Supervise, coach, mentor, and evaluate Mentor Coaches.
  • Build staff capacity through ongoing coaching, reflective supervision, and professional learning.
  • Coordinate and facilitate professional development related to: Early childhood curriculum; Child assessment systems: CLASS, Environmental Rating Scales (ERS), School Readiness, Parent, Family, and Community Engagement (PFCE); Adult learning principles.
  • Partner with Regional Managers to identify individualized coaching and training needs based on classroom observations and monitoring findings.
• Collaboration & Family Partnership
  • Collaborate with Family Services staff to integrate Parent, Family, and Community Engagement (PFCE) goals into educational programming.
  • Partner with Family Services to support successful transitions to kindergarten.
  • Partner with Disabilities and Mental Health staff to ensure implementation of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs).
  • Partner with Content Managers and Center Managers to ensure inclusive practices that meet the individualized needs of every child.
  • Foster interdisciplinary collaboration that supports whole-child development and family engagement.
• Compliance, Monitoring & Continuous Improvement
  • Monitor educational services to ensure compliance with Head Start Performance Standards, CDE requirements, licensing regulations, and agency policies.
  • Conduct program monitoring using ChildPlus/CP.net and established quality assurance systems.
  • Evaluate educational program effectiveness using monitoring results, assessment data, and performance indicators.
  • Implement recommendations from Office of Head Start (OHS), California Department of Education (CDE), and other monitoring agencies.
  • Participate in proposal development, grant writing, and continuous quality improvement initiatives.
• Organizational Leadership
  • Represent Wu Yee Children's Services through participation in professional organizations, conferences, community partnerships, Board meetings, and Policy Council meetings.
  • Collaborate with organizational leadership to strengthen educational systems and organizational priorities.
  • Participate in agency strategic planning and cross-functional initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education required.
• Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education or a related field preferred.
• Valid California Child Development Program Director Permit required.
• Minimum eight (8) years of professional experience in an early childhood education or child development setting.
• Minimum two (2) years of supervisory experience.
• Experience training staff and facilitating professional development.
• Experience implementing curriculum, assessment systems, and school readiness initiatives.
• Experience using data to guide instructional improvement and organizational decision-making.
• Extensive knowledge of: Early childhood curriculum; Child assessment systems: CLASS, Environmental Rating Scales (ERS), School Readiness, Parent, Family, and Community Engagement (PFCE); Adult learning principles; Head Start Performance Standards.
• Strong instructional coaching, facilitation, and leadership skills.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to analyze data, identify trends, and implement system improvements.
• Strong organizational, strategic planning, and project management skills.
• Experience working effectively with culturally and linguistically diverse children, families, and staff.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, ChildPlus/CP.net, and data management systems.

Skills

• Strategic Educational Leadership: Provides leadership that advances educational excellence through curriculum development, instructional systems, school readiness planning, and continuous improvement.
• Instructional Leadership: Builds educator capacity through coaching, professional development, reflective practice, and evidence-based instructional support that improves child outcomes.
• People Leadership: Develops high-performing teams through coaching, mentoring, accountability, collaboration, and professional growth.
• Program Quality & Compliance: Ensures educational services consistently meet Head Start Performance Standards, CDE requirements, licensing regulations, and organizational quality expectations.
• Data-Informed Decision Making: Uses assessment results, DRDP outcomes, school readiness data, classroom observations, and monitoring findings to evaluate effectiveness and strengthen educational practices.
• Collaboration & Family Partnership: Builds collaborative partnerships with educators, families, interdisciplinary teams, and community partners to promote inclusive, family-centered educational services.
• Equity & Cultural Responsiveness: Champions culturally responsive, inclusive, and strengths-based educational practices that support equitable learning opportunities and positive outcomes for all children.