Preschool Teacher

JOB TITLE   Preschool teacher

REPORTS TO   Executive Director and Program Director

Overview of the Position

The Preschool Teacher is responsible for collaborating with classroom staff and children in developing and implementing programs and activities that reflect the children’s interests.  The primary focus is providing a safe, nurturing environment where children and their families feel welcomed, accepted and encouraged to explore.  The Preschool teacher will provide a quality early learning experience following the framework provided by the Creative Curriculum.  The Preschool Teacher will investigate, explore and question alongside the child and assist the child as s/he makes sense of the world in which they live.

Responsibilities/Duties

Support a classroom climate/community that will benefit the overall healthy growth and development of the child.

Create an enriching environment for young children to explore, investigate and play.

Co-plan and share activities that are developmentally appropriate for young children utilizing the Creative Curriculum framework and the IL Early Leaning and Development Standards.

Support open communication and professional relationships with co-teachers and staff

Collect documentation to showcase children’s continued growth and development

Comply with regulation and quality requirements.

Assess classroom effectiveness

Ensure the safety of the children at all times

Cultivate positive relationships with parents and families

Educational/Preparation Qualifications

1. Meet DCFS teacher requirements; bachelor’s degree in ECE preferred
2. Extra consideration given to bi-lingual Spanish speaker
3. Knowledge of child development
4. Familiarity of ELDS, Ages & Stages, and Creative Curriculum preferred
5. Complete all DCFS requirements for employment
6. Knowledge of basic computer skills and applications
7. Excellent interpersonal, organizational and written communication skills
8. Skills in listening, engaging and building rapport with others
9. Appreciation for details and follow through

Terms of Employment

Competitive salary and benefits reviewed annually by the Executive Director.

HPC Employee Benefits Summary

Updated 1/5/2021

Health Benefits

• HP Community provides:
  • 80% of the employee’s individual medical premium through the Exchange
  • 50% of Individual United Healthcare Term Life Insurance premium
  • 50% of Individual Delta Dental Insurance premium

Sick/Personal Day Benefits

• Each employee receives 10 sick days (two weeks) and 5 personal days (1 week). Time off is accrued throughout the year starting after the employee has completed the probationary period.
• In addition to the aforementioned time off, employees are paid when the center is closed for:
  • Summer Break – 1 week
  • Winter Break – 1 week
    • 2 weeks for employees with 5 years of tenure at the center
  • Spring Break – 1 week
    • Scheduled to coincide with North Shore School District 112’s calendar and/or between February 1^st and April 30^th of each year.
  • Paid Holidays
    • New Year’s Day
    • Memorial Day
    • 4^th of July
    • Labor Day
    • Thanksgiving (Thursday AND Friday)
    • Christmas

Retirement Benefits

• HP Community will match the first 3 – 5% (depending on the fiscal stability of the center) of employee contributions to their retirement plan through AIG (formerly VALIC).
• After three years, each employee receives 1% of salary towards retirement automatically.

Professional Development Benefits

• Professional development funds are available to all employees at a minimum of $200 per person but often much higher than that. We work with our CCR&R to cover the cost of higher caliber trainings that better meet the needs of our more experienced staff.
• On-site Training
  • Beginning of the school year in-service training day
  • Mid-year in-service training day – usually includes CPR/First Aid training

Other Benefits

New State-of-the-Art Facility – Gold Circle of Quality with ExceleRate IL for 5 years

• HP Community moved into its new construction facility in November, 2019
• 8 acres for natural exploration around the center
• Fenced in playground area
• Private meeting space with phone and internet available
• On-site parking with surveillance

Programming

• Screening tools – Ages & Stages and/or DIAL 3, and Ages & Stages Social-Emotional
• Researched based curriculum – Creative Curriculum
• Teaching Strategies GOLD assessment tool
• Paid planning time away from children (when fully staffed)
• Professional library on site
• Access to computer, tablet, printer, and internet (WiFi) throughout center

Support Services

• Curriculum Coordinator/Instructional Coach – 15 hours per week
• Mental Health Consultant – 10 hours per month
• Behavioral Specialist – 20 hours per week
• Art Studio Coordinator – 10 hours per week
• Music Teacher – 30-minute class one time per week per classroom
• Observation windows and cameras throughout facility

Staff

• Highly trained/educated – 30% – Masters
  • 8% – BA with some graduate level courses
  • 30% – BA
  • 22% – Some college level courses
  • 10% – High school diploma with additional training in ECE
• Average tenure – 8 years
• Evaluations – mid-year, peer-to-peer, and annual reviews
• Opportunities for special projects and outings (staff oriented and child focused experiences)
• Promotional products provided – t-shirts, fleeces, water bottles, class photos, etc.
• Staff Appreciation and Recognition

COVID Precautions and Safety

• Families/individuals have limited access to facility
• New facility with high quality ventilation system
• PPE provided – lab coats, masks, shields, gloves
• Sanitizing routine with additional cleaning of the facility (after hours)
• Smaller group sizes in individual classrooms
• Paid COVID quarantine time off
• Paid COVID testing – as requested by program