TITLE:  Head Start Teacher

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

   1) U. S. Citizen or authorized alien.

   2) Must pass a criminal background investigation.

   3) Must have one of the following:

       a.  an associate degree in early childhood education; or

       b.  a baccalaureate or advanced degree in early childhood education; or

       c.  a baccalaureate or advanced degree and coursework equivalent to a major relating to early childhood education.

    4) Must have experience teaching preschool-age children.

    5) Must have computer database skills for assigned data entry.

REPORTS TO:   School Principal or Supervisor in Charge

JOB SUMMARY:

The Head Start Teacher shall have full responsibility for the daily safety and education of all Head Start children enrolled in the assigned classroom. Work involves ensuring that the Head Start classroom provides learning experiences that advance the intellectual and physical development of children, including improving the readiness of children for school by developing their literacy, phonemic, and print awareness, their understanding and use of language, their understanding and use of increasingly complex and varied vocabulary, their appreciation of books, their understanding of early math and early science, their problem-solving abilities, and their approaches to learning; their social and emotional development; including children with disabilities.  In addition the Head Start Teacher shall have the following performance responsibilities and essential job functions:

PERFORMANCE RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Establishes and consistently maintains a safe, healthy learning environment for assigned children.
2. Learns the Head Start Program Performance Standards in Subpart C – Education and Child   Development Program Services, and ensure that they are fully implemented in the classroom.
3. Learns the Creative Curriculum® for Preschool, and implements all elements of the curriculum in lesson plans submitted weekly.
4. Receives training and certification in the following: Pediatric First Aid and CPR, student transportation policies, child abuse and neglect reporting policies, health and safety policies and procedures, in-charge training, state ethics, and universal precautions.
5. Supervises and collaborates with the assigned Teacher Assistant (Paraprofessional) on class activities.
6. Assures that children are supervised at all times during the day and never left unattended by an adult.
7. Participates in monthly staffing meetings to ensure collaboration and coordination among staff to address specific child, family, or center issues.
8. Attends all training and professional development activities as provided.
9. Maintains student and family confidentiality.
10. Reflects professionalism in speech and manner.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

1. Conducts a developmental screening using the school district’s selected screening instrument within 45 days of each child’s enrollment date, and utilizes data to refer children needing additional evaluation.
2. Learns the Teaching Strategies Gold® observation-based ongoing assessment system, and implements it to develop individual program pans to assure children’s success in school.
3. Learns and implements the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework: Ages Birth to Five.
4. Supports family engagement in children’s learning and development.
5. Utilizes the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) in everyday lessons and conversations with students to the extent that measures at least at the national median through formal and informal observations done by CLASS reliable observers.
6. Conducts two home visits and two parent-teacher conferences for each enrolled child and family.
7. Encourages the involvement of families, and supports the development of relationships between education staff, children, and their families.
8. Enters child data into school district selected databases, as required.

ADDITIONAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Perform any other duties as assigned by the Head Start Supervisor in charge or Principal.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

1. Possess physical skills and stamina to perform job responsibilities
2. Work requires sitting or kneeling at preschool child’s eye level
3. Must on occasions lift and carry classroom materials/equipment, file boxes, books, manuals, catalogues, files, records, etc.
4. Must be able to bend and stoop in performing job duties

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT:

 9 months per year; salary in accordance with current salary schedule.

ACCOUNTABILITY:

Performance of this job will be evaluated in accordance with provisions of the Board’s policy on Evaluation of Personnel.

The Superintendent reserves the right to review, revise, update or change the job and any/all duties due to changes in job content, organizational structure, or state or federal laws.