Infant & Toddler - Head Teacher

POSITION SUMMARY:The teacher is responsible for putting into practice the curricular goals and benchmarks in the classroom. The teacher is in charge of ensuring the safety of children entrusted to her/him and of ensuring the development and school readiness of each individual child and of the group. The teacher is supervised by the director or assistant director. GENERAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:Provide supervision, technical assistance, guidance and support to children and assistant teachers.Coordinate and engage in the planning and implementation of experiences for young children using the CT Early Learning and Development Standards and other standards or frameworks applicable to funding such as school readiness.Complete weekly observations and assessments on children’s progress and development.Partner with families in meaningful ways to support the development of relationships between children and their families and share and gain information pertaining to each child’s approach to learning, progress, and general health and well-being.   Maintain regular communication with parents including drafting of letters and reports and giving written information to parents as needed.Prepare children’s daily reports to parents and referral forms and plans for children with special needs as needed.Prepare weekly learning experience plans.Complete weekly and routine observations on classroom environment, implementation checklists, and adjustments to learning experience plans.Coordinate assistant teacher’s tasks and activities modeling best practices.Keep records of children’s observations, performance and development.Ensure compliance with NAEYC, state, local, and agency policies, regulations and procedures.Ensure that records and documentation are up to date and secure to assure client’s right to privacy.Coordinate with instructional leader, supervisor and teaching team, where applicable, schedule meetings and conferences with parents regarding children’s progress and individual development plans.Work with a team of professionals, such as assistant teachers, administrators, public school personnel (e.g., special education teachers, therapists, etc.) to coordinate information about children’s progress and adjust teaching practices to meet the needs of all children.Participate in training, planning and evaluation activities and meetings with staff and parents as needed.Provide assistance to director to cover other classrooms’ children and activities when needed.Engage in on-going professional learning opportunities to remain current with early childhood research and best practices.Ensure health, safety, cleanliness and well-being of students through consistent schedule and appropriate supervision at all times.Ensure classroom ratios at all times.Provide oversight and assistance to teaching team with support from the instructional leader.Other duties as assigned.PQI Functions:Ensure the consistent accurate collection of the data.Identify patterns and trends of administrative services.Use results of data to inform supervisor of trends that may impact services.QUALIFICATIONS:Hold a current CDA credential plus 12 ECE credits and be enrolled in a higher education program with supervised experience working with unrelated pre-school aged children and demonstrating continuous progress towards an Associate Degree, which will be required for continued employment by 2025. ORHold an AA in Early Childhood Education or Child Development and be enrolled in a higher education program with supervised experience working with unrelated pre-school aged children and at least one semester of student teaching with pre-school aged children and demonstrating continuous progress towards a Bachelor’s Degree, which will be required for continued employment by 2029.Must possess the personal qualities necessary to care for and work with children, relate to other adults, including staff and parents.Possess the management competencies and criteria established by Catholic Charities for a supervisory role specifically:Proficiency of oral and written communication skills.Ability to manage multiple tasks and meets timelines.Excellent planning skills and ability to manage details.Skill and experience in motivating and managing personnel.Ability to work well with individuals at all levels, both internally or externally and works to create a team environment.Monitoring and supervising job performance of direct reports.Scheduling and managing employee schedules to effectively meet program requirements.Child CPR/First Aid certification.REQUIRED:A pre-employment health certification, including a documented, negative tuberculin test or normal chest x-ray is required as well as a criminal background checkEMPLOYEE BENEFITS:Catholic Charities offers access to a comprehensive array of benefits, including:For Good Health: Medical, Prescription, Dental and Vision insurance.For a Secure Future: Life, AD&D and Long-term disability insurance.For Retirement: 403(b) Plan, with employer matching contributions for eligible employees.For Career Advancement: Training and development opportunities and for Licensed Clinicians ability to apply for the education Loan Forgiveness Program under The National Services Health Corp.For Work Life Balance: Generous paid time off; including vacation and sick time.Employee Assistance Program (EAP) - Free and confidential counseling.EEO Statement:At Catholic Charities - Archdiocese of Hartford, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other legally protected status. All employment decisions are made based on qualifications, merit, and business needs.