Educational Director - Children's Corner - Head Start (51901)

University Settlement is one of New York City's most dynamic social justice institutions, with an impressive legacy as the first settlement house in the nation. For 135 years, University Settlement has been an anchor in the low-income and immigrant communities where we work, offering pioneering programs in early childhood care and education, youth development, eviction prevention, literacy, theater and visual arts, senior services, and mental health. Each year, we engage over 40,000 New Yorkers through our network of 30 sites in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Our mission is to empower residents by building on their strengths through comprehensive, quality services that meet the current needs of the community; innovation that anticipates future needs; and advocacy to improve the community as a whole. 

We are looking for an enthusiastic and energetic individual to join our team. Your primary focus will be in the development and implementation of curriculum as well as on boarding and helping to develop and support the teaching staff within the center. A successful Education Director must be an excellence champion, a parent-interaction leader, and be community connected. The Education Director has strong leadership skills, is an excellent communicator, and can motivate and inspire others. The Education Director will be able to provide comprehensive supervision to Early Childhood Teachers and supervises paraprofessionals and support staff. 

Responsibilities: 

• Oversee classroom staffing, paperwork, and curriculum to ensure proper coverage and compliance with Department of Health, ACS, and Head Start regulations  

• Oversee and maintain the implementation of high-quality programming with evidence-based curricular and child outcomes, including lesson planning, observations, portfolios and Parent/Teacher conferences 

• Provide guidance, training and coaching to teaching staff on implementing lesson plans and responding to the social-emotional needs of children  

• Provide strengths-based coaching and mentorship to teaching staff to meet professional development goals 

• Develop and implement weekly staff meetings  

• Responsible for coordinating yearly in-service training and biannual staff evaluations  

• Provide any necessary reporting to Directors to meet Administration for Children Services requirements and attend required ACS training for Educational Coordinators/Directors 

• Support staff in meeting the individual needs of children through individualized planning, within the context of their families and communities 

• Support teachers to collaborate with other support services such as Mental Health and Special Needs to support the needs of children and families  

• Support the Program Director in recruitment, enrollment, and administrative tasks  

• Assist with the review of program practices and update program plans, policies, and procedures  

• Responsible for upholding the program’s play-based, developmentally, and culturally relevant philosophy  

Qualifications:  

• Master’s degree in ECE, and/or related major with NYS Teacher Certification (Birth – 2nd grade) required  

• Three to five years of combined experience as a teacher, and/or early childhood administrator/supervisor 

• Must be fun and high energy with the ability to stay calm in high-stress environments   

• Ability to multi-task and be solutions-based 

• Must have good computer skills with knowledge of Microsoft Excel   

• Knowledge of Teaching Strategies Gold Online Child Tracking System preferred 

Work Schedule: Full time, Monday - Wednesday, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, Thursday & Friday, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, 35 hours a week

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive community. We support a broadly diverse team who will contribute to our organization. We are an equal employment opportunity for all regardless of race, color, citizenship, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran or reservist status, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.