Preschool Head Teacher, Alpha - $120,000/year USD

About the Role

The best preschool teachers don't need a script. They need a school that trusts their expertise. If you're the kind of educator who believes play is serious work, relationships come before academics, and every interaction is an opportunity for growth, you'll feel at home at Alpha. This is a full-time, on-site role leading a Pre-K classroom where emotional safety, curiosity, and measurable developmental growth are equally important. You'll design rich, play-based experiences that help children build confidence, resilience, early literacy, numeracy, and a genuine love of learning. We hire educators who know great preschool isn't childcare—it's the foundation for everything that comes next.

Alpha is reimagining education by helping students master academics faster, creating more time to develop the life skills that matter just as much. That vision begins in Pre-K with exceptional teachers who know how to turn play into purposeful learning. We're currently hiring in Manhattan, New York City and in Chicago, Illinois. We expect to hire from across each metro area, and if you're an outstanding educator who wants to move closer to either city, we'll provide relocation assistance.

As a Preschool Head Teacher, your charge is to create a Pre-K classroom where every child develops a lasting love of learning while making exceptional progress across the developmental foundations that shape lifelong success.

Responsibilities

• Design joyful, sensory-rich learning experiences that intentionally build early literacy, numeracy, self-regulation, and social development.
• Create a classroom where every child feels emotionally safe, deeply known, and excited to come to school every day.
• Observe children's development in real time, document meaningful progress, and use those insights to personalize learning.
• Adjust activities around each child's interests and developmental needs, helping every learner make measurable progress.
• Partner closely with families to share growth, celebrate milestones, and support each child's development beyond the classroom.

What You Won't Be Doing

• Supervising children without a clear developmental purpose behind every activity.
• Following scripted lessons, relying on worksheets, or teaching to compliance instead of curiosity.
• Spending your day managing behavior rather than helping children develop emotional regulation.
• Sitting children in front of academic software while you monitor from the sidelines.

Requirements

• Able to work full-time, on-site at one of our campuses: Manhattan, New York, or Chicago, Illinois (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.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a Reggio Emilia, Montessori, Bank Street, or other inquiry-based early childhood program.
• Experience in an independent school or an academically ambitious preschool.
• Familiarity with child-development frameworks, observation tools, or portfolio-based assessment.
• Experience adapting play-based activities to individual interests, needs, and developmental goals.

About Alpha

Alpha reimagines the school day around faster learning, stronger mentorship, and more time for students to build real-world skills. Roles with real student impact: Alpha hires teachers (guides), operators, admissions experts, school & curriculum leaders, and remote team members. Education work that pays like it matters: Alpha offers six-figure roles for people ready to help build a radically better school experience. A culture built for builders: Alpha is fast-moving, ambitious, and student focused. It's for people who want to improve the system, not maintain it. Alpha is where you can do the most meaningful work of your career.

Pay

$120,000 USD/year, paid weekly.

Schedule

Full-time, on-site, year-long position.

Benefits

Immediate access to benefits (see benefits details).