Early Head Start Education Manager

Join a mission-driven organization dedicated to providing high-quality early childhood education and family support services in Orange and Sullivan Counties.

This position supports the leadership activities related to the educational plans for RECAP Head Start program in all Early Head Start classrooms. This position is chiefly responsible for the following core functions and performs other tasks as needed:

• Planning

• Program Implementation

• Family Partnerships

• Communication and Service Coordination

• Record Keeping and Recording

• On-going Monitoring and Self-assessment

• Human Resources and Supervision

• Program Governance and Leadership

Essential Job Responsibilities

Planning

• Aggregate and analyze educational data for use in program planning, monitoring, and continuous quality improvement.

• Plan and prepare child outcome data for stakeholders and for use in the program’s self-assessment.

• Engage in planning and tracking of program goals.

• Work with the leadership team to develop, conduct or arrange training as needed, including pre-service training, on-going training, and additional training for parents, volunteers, and others.

• Coordinate with Coaches to determine relevant training and plan for classroom support.

• Work with teachers to ensure implementation of the Creative Curriculum includes:

  • goals for children’s development and learning;

  • the experiences through which children will achieve these goals;

  • what staff and parents can do to help children achieve these goals;

  • the materials needed to support the implementation of the curriculum toward achieving the stated goals.

• Oversee and approve the preparation of weekly lesson plans, including individual plans for each child including goal setting based on identified needs.

Program Implementation

• Supervise curriculum implementation ensuring that teachers:

  • Provide developmentally and linguistically appropriate experiences appropriate to age, language, and culture of children served.

  • Provide active learning experiences advancing the intellectual and emotional competence of children.

  • Provide a print-rich environment in which children develop literacy, numeracy, and social skills using increasingly complex language and problem-solving abilities.

  • Provide positive guidance and discipline supporting children as they acquire readiness skills for kindergarten and beyond.

  • Provide children with a consistent classroom routine.

  • Implement weekly lesson plans in response to children’s needs and interests incorporating observations, anecdotal record keeping, knowledge of early childhood development and the key experiences.

  • Assess children on an on-going basis and assist with assessment when needed.

  • Gather and organize anecdotal notes into the required domains and enter into the assessment software.

• Assist teaching staff in understanding and interpreting child observation data and establishing appropriate individual child goals based on knowledge of child development.

• Ensure the completion of screening on each child by 45 days after enrollment.

• Ensure that classrooms and outdoor areas are supplied with developmentally appropriate materials and promote high quality learning environments.

• Participate in team meetings, home visits, and community events as needed.

• Manage the program’s education databases and apps.

Family Partnerships

• Assist teaching staff in developing a system offering parents opportunities for enhancing and increasing their child observation skills.

• Share assessment results with staff to help plan home learning activities, family nights, educational activities and provide opportunities for families to volunteer and attend trainings.

• Coordinate training for parents wanting to volunteer in the classroom.

• Provide parents with information and assistance in understanding and advocating for services and support needed to address their child’s special needs.

Communication and Service Coordination

• Participate actively in regular leadership team meetings and case conferences, as necessary, to ensure service coordination across Head Start program.

• Ensure teachers send home weekly communication that promotes family engagement in children's outcomes and the program.

• Assist family and community partnership manager as needed with producing at least eight center-wide newsletters.

• Attend local, state and regional initiatives to represent the center and to develop professionally.

• Direct any developmental concerns to appropriate specialist.

• Work closely with Health and Disabilities Manager to support arrangements for identification, referral, and evaluation of children with suspected disabilities. Upon classification, share responsibility with Transition/Disabilities Manager to ensure that goals of IEP are embedded in the classroom lesson plan.

Record Keeping and Recording

• Maintain filing, tracking and documentation systems for the early childhood education service area and ensure confidentiality of child records.

• Ensure that child and classroom data is maintained for individual and program planning.

• Maintain a tracking system for program materials and supplies that is updated annually.

• Ensure teachers understand, generate and document in-kind from parents and others and other allowable costs applied toward the non-federal share requirement.

• Understand, generate and document in-kind and other allowable costs applied toward the non-federal share requirement.

On-going Monitoring and Self-Assessment

• Track child outcomes and program quality assessment results on a center-wide, classroom, and individual basis.

• Ensure compliance with Head Start program standards relating to area of responsibility.

• Complete monthly report on area activities and progress toward goals with recommended modifications to plans, submit to director by the fifth of the month.

• Collaborate on strategies for on-going monitoring and annual self-assessment for the health, safety, education and security of children and families and to oversee ongoing implementation of the Performance Standards and other federal regulations.

Supervision and Human Resources

• Work with teachers to develop and support their individual development plan, including training plans for each teacher to obtain a bachelor’s degree or higher in Early Childhood Education or a related field.

• Know the personnel policies and procedures, ensure that the people you supervise are aware of these and any changes to them that occur.

• Assign and review work of the people you supervise. Instruct, train and work effectively with the people you supervise from a variety of backgrounds and with differing levels/areas of training. Model best practice within the service area.

• Orient new staff to roles in the program.

• Devise work methods and procedures that support improvements in existing work practices; supporting the people you supervise in developing and setting goals, priorities and timelines.

• Meet at least once per month with the people you supervise to monitor and provide on-going verbal and written feedback and adherence to Head Start performance standards as well as to plan and direct work. Practice reflective supervision to support individual growth of education staff.

• Plan and adjust work operations to meet changing or emergent program requirements within available resources and with minimum sacrifice to quantity or quality of work.

• Submit performance appraisals in a timely manner (at least once per year).

• Conduct strategic recruitment and selection processes ensuring a pool of qualified and diverse applicants for open positions. Comply with the agency employee recruitment and selection procedures to ensure consistency and compliance with RECAP, legal hiring practices and internal policies and procedures.

• Take required disciplinary action, in an objective and fair manner, following Program Policies and Procedures and RECAP requirements. This includes requirements involving the Head Start Policy Council in hiring and firing as outlined in Performance Standards.

• Make appropriate personnel decisions not requiring higher approval as needed and submit others as a recommendation to the supervisor.

Program Governance and Leadership

• Work to ensure appropriate policy council involvement in curriculum and assessment decisions.

• Lead for the good of the entire organization, understand the big picture and use it as framework to make decisions.

• Make decisions in an ethical, timely and efficient manner in consideration of the center’s mission, understand what information is needed to make high quality decisions, engage stakeholders, and ensure decisions are made that support program quality and maintain program accountability.

• Manage change effectively by demonstrating support for innovation and for organizational changes needed to improve quality and effectiveness, by initiating, sponsoring and implementing organizational change and by helping others to successfully manage organizational change.

• Attend local, state and regional initiatives to represent the center and to develop professionally.

• Promote consistent exchange of information and a cooperative environment within the leadership of the center.

• Attend parent committees, policy council and board of director meetings as requested.

Additional Expectations

• Ensure EHS teachers and other education volunteers understand regulations associated with prevention of child accidents and injuries, child abuse and maltreatment preventions, reporting incidents, occupational disease and injury, including the exercise of universal precautions.

• Attend local, state and regional/national initiatives related to best practice and development of early childhood education programs.

• Ability and willingness to communicate effectively to large groups.

• Develop a working knowledge of local community resources related to education and transition.

Head Start Employee Expectations

• Uphold the shared values of the center.

• Cooperate with co-workers, provide assistance, information or other support as it is needed to ensure quality service to children and families and to build and maintain positive staff relationships.

• Actively participate in Head Start community, including staff meetings, mandated trainings, committee meetings, and other program-wide functions as needed, including some evening activities.

• Recognize that your job description is service area specific and that a successful employee upholds the overall employment standards outlined in the Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual and specifically, but not limited to: confidentiality, child abuse reporting, attendance and dependability, appropriate dress, customer service and support to all families, prudent use of program resources, and promoting and maintaining safe work environment.

• Demonstrate integrity and responsibility by always doing one’s personal best, being honest and ethical, following through on commitments.

• Maintain a commitment to professionalism, continue own professional development and manage performance by taking responsibility for one’s own performance, setting goals, eliciting feedback, tracking progress and addressing performance issues promptly. Attend local, state and regional initiatives to represent the center and to develop professionally.

• Exhibit flexibility by showing an openness to different and new ways of doing things, and changing strategy when an initial strategy is unsuccessful.

• Show initiative by identifying what needs to be done and doing it before being asked or before the situation requires it.

• Familiarize self with Head Start Performance Standards and any State regulations pertaining to Head Start.

• Stay up to date on changing community needs, services, and agency resources to support families in attaining self-sufficiency and assuring program resources are up to date and relevant.

Qualifications

• A Baccalaureate or advanced degree in early childhood education; OR a baccalaureate or advanced degree and coursework equivalent to a major in early childhood education with infant toddler teaching experience.

• Knowledge and experience in infant/toddler development.

• Pass physical examination, background check, and fingerprinting screen.

• Able to tolerate lifting children weighing 40 - 50 pounds in an emergency.

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

• Current driver’s license.

• Computer literacy in email, word processing and internet navigation, virtual meetings, and internet navigation.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Regional Economic Community Action Program, Inc. (RECAP) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and respectful workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.