Position: Lead Educator
Location: School of Imagination & Happy Talkers, onsite in Dublin, CA
Hours: Full-time, hourly
Availability: Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm
Are you passionate about providing excellent early childhood education?
Do you seek a consistent, positive, supportive culture that values you as an educator and puts the children first?
The School of Imagination is one of a kind!-
A nonprofit, mission-driven team committed to bringing out the extraordinary in every child.
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Work from a beautiful, custom-designed center in the Dublin Hills
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Tailored roadmap to success for every student
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Highly trained & passionate educators and staff
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Award-winning 'Happy Talkers' program onsite providing support
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Continuous skill development
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Amazingly small class sizes and low student-to-teacher ratios ensure each child’s needs and potential are met.
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Our highly trained staff and cutting-edge curriculum make SOI a premier preschool program.
Benefits:-
Competitive salary ($23.28 - $26.78 per hour) plus bonuses.
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Opportunities for professional growth in a supportive environment.
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Premium health, dental and vision plans beginning your first day with 100 percent employer-paid options available
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PTO accrual and paid holidays beginning your first day
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401k, FSA, life insurance, and college savings plan, among other benefits
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Reimbursement for CEUs, license fees, professional dues, CPR/first aid certification
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Low classroom ratios, with multiple educators to each classroom
Our Mission
The School of Imagination and Happy Talkers is committed to bringing out the extraordinary in every child. We offer groundbreaking early-childhood education programs, cutting-edge intervention services, and a full-inclusion preschool that empowers special-needs children to excel along with their typical peers, giving all children the foundation for success in learning and life. We truly do appreciate your interest in helping us accomplish this mission in serving more than 350 children each week at our beautiful Schaefer Ranch campus high atop the Dublin hillside in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information about the School of Imagination, please visit www.soi4kids.org or follow along on Twitter and Facebook @soi4kids.
The Lead Educator is the primary educator responsible for the overall management and leadership of the classroom. They oversee the development and implementation of a curriculum that promotes comprehensive development across social, emotional, cognitive, and physical domains. The Lead Educator also ensures robust communication with their team, parents, and guardians, providing updates and addressing concerns to foster a supportive community.
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Greet parents and children warmly during drop-off and pick-up times, ensuring a smooth and efficient sign-in/out process.
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Provide daily updates to parents regarding their child's activities, learning progress, and any noteworthy moments or concerns.
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Respond promptly to parental and team communications, including emails and messages, addressing any inquiries or concerns with attention and care.
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Create and distribute engaging newsletters to keep parents informed about upcoming events, classroom news, and important announcements.
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Organize and host parent meetings and conferences to discuss each child's developmental progress, educational challenges, and milestones.
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Prepare and lead dynamic classroom activities that engage children and stimulate learning in line with the curriculum.
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Work flexible hours as needed for Early Birds and Late Birds programs, adapting to the varying needs of children and parents.
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Oversee the classroom team which includes an Associate Educator and Assistant Educator, ensuring effective teamwork and high-quality educational delivery.
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Supervise and mentor classroom staff, observing interactions, providing coaching, and delivering constructive feedback to enhance educational practices.
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Conduct performance evaluations for team members, setting objectives, providing feedback, and recognizing achievements to promote professional development.
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Lead training sessions for new hires and provide continuous professional development for existing staff to ensure consistency and excellence in educational standards.
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Manage staff time and attendance, ensuring adherence to schedules and addressing any issues related to punctuality and attendance.
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Facilitate regular team meetings to discuss classroom strategies, challenges, and achievements, promoting an environment of open communication and continuous improvement.
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Collaborate with preschool leadership and other departments to discuss team performance, implement educational strategies, and address any operational needs.
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Ensure the classroom is well-organized and prepared for daily activities, meeting all curriculum deadlines and State Licensing compliance with safety and educational standards.
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Complete the cleaning tasks and weekly duties that have been assigned.
Reporting Structure:
The Lead Educator reports directly to the Site Supervisor. They oversee the Associate and Assistant Educators, maintaining a cohesive and supportive educational team.
Qualifications:-
A minimum of 12 ECE (Early Childhood Education) units and three years of classroom experience is required.
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Two years experience working with neurodiverse children in a classroom setting.
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Strong organizational, problem-solving, and analytical skills able to manage competing priorities and workflow.
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Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build positive relationships with children and their families.
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Ability to work collaboratively with other educators and staff members.
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Good judgment with the ability to make timely and sound decisions
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Demonstrated ability to plan and organize projects independently.
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Excellent written and verbal communication and problem-solving skills.
Work Requirements-
Coordinate multiple tasks simultaneously
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Bend, reach, and lift up to or above the head
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May be required to lift up to 40 pounds
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Kneel or sit on the floor for up to thirty minutes at a time while working with children
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Climb and descent stairways
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Ability to work in a moderate to loud environment
For more details and to apply, please visit our website https://schoolofimagination.org/.
School of Imagination is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
School of Imagination believes that diversity and inclusion among our employees are critical to our success, and we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. Employment at the School of Imagination is based on merit, competence, and qualifications, and we are committed to providing equal opportunities for training and advancement for all employees. School of Imagination is also committed to making our application process accessible to individuals with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodations upon request.