Early Childhood Lead Teacher

Eastside Community School; Issaquah (WA); On-site; USD 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a passionate Early Childhood Lead Teacher for the upcoming school year. This role offers the opportunity to foster a nurturing environment where children can thrive in their cognitive, physical, and social development. You will collaborate with a dedicated faculty and engaged parents, bringing your warmth and enthusiasm to the classroom. The position requires a commitment to the Waldorf methodology, ensuring that each child's unique needs are met. Join a vibrant community committed to providing exemplary education and make a meaningful impact on young lives.

Benefits

Dental Insurance

Health Insurance

Partial Tuition Remission

Professional Development Support

Qualifications

• 1 year teaching experience required, preferably in early childhood education.
• Waldorf Teaching Certificate or enrollment in Waldorf Teacher Training required.

Responsibilities

• Create a warm and welcoming environment for students.
• Plan and lead classroom activities, ensuring safety and inclusivity.
• Document student observations and communicate with families.

Skills

Effective Communication

Organization

Child Guidance

Inclusivity

Education

BA or BS

Waldorf Teaching Certificate

Job description

Eastside Community School is nestled on five acres in the Sammamish Plateau area of Issaquah, Washington. We serve students from Parent-and-Child through Grade 8. As a WECAN Associate Member and Washington State licensed Early Childhood Center, we are seeking a passionate and dedicated Early Childhood Lead Teacher for the 2025-26 school year. Join our growing program and joyous school community!

Share your warmth, enthusiasm, and love for educating children by helping build their strengths in cognitive, physical, and social development skills. Bring your positivity, organization, and effective communication skills to work in partnership with a thriving faculty and a highly engaged parent body. Collaborate supportively and flexibly with colleagues.

At ECS, our faculty circle engages deeply with how to keep our teaching alive and dynamic, encouraging to inspire new ideas in our students, faculty, and community. With the stability of an established community and the pioneering spirit of a relatively new Board and identity, we are uniquely positioned to draw on the strength of the past while exploring what it truly means to be a Waldorf-inspired school in today's world. We aim to go beyond labels or dogma to meet the lived experiences of our students each day.

Grade levels: Early Childhood

Schedule: Monday to Friday

School type: Private school

Experience Teaching: 1 year (Required)

Ability to Commute: Issaquah, WA 98029 (Required)

Work Location: In person

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Warm Environment: The ideal candidate exudes warmth and fosters a positive and caring environment in the classroom, ensuring all students feel welcome.
• Class Leadership: Plan, lead, and supervise a class group, whether kindergarten, preschool, or mixed age.
• Schedule: Full-time, 7:30 am-3:30 pm, on-site daily with typical expectations of a school program outside of those hours, including occasional evening and weekend work for events such as festivals, parent evenings, parent communications, open houses, faculty meetings, summer home visits for students, etc.
• Child Guidance: Lead children by example and with positive guidance, while kindly maintaining strong boundaries.
• Safety: Care for and protect the safety of students. Follow program health, safety, and emergency procedures.
• Creative Planning: Work collaboratively and creatively to create a daily schedule, keeping in mind the importance of outdoor time, a breathing rhythm, changes in the seasons, the mission of the school, and various practical considerations.
• Licensing Requirements: Complete state licensing pre-service teacher requirements. Work closely with the Director of Licensing, ensuring classroom setup, rhythms, and classroom practices are approved prior to implementation.
• Inclusivity: Foster healthy working relationships with coworkers and practice inclusion and empowerment for all members of the early childhood faculty team.
• Waldorf Methodology: Follow WECAN (Waldorf) suggestions around class rhythms and teaching methods. Work collaboratively with Program Lead to maintain WECAN membership.
• Flexible Resource Sharing: Coordinate the fluid sharing of resources, such as the outdoor play spaces, kitchen facilities, or a visiting Eurythmist.
• Special Events: Exhibit flexibility, preparation, and participation around festival days and other special occasions.
• Child Observations & Parent Communications: Regularly document observations of students and communicate effectively with families about their child’s development, progress in the program, and program activities.
• Admissions Support: Support admissions by assessing student fit and speaking with prospective families about the beneficial attributes of the program and our space.
• Guidance Acceptance: Accept guidance and supervision.

Qualifications

• BA or BS required.
• Waldorf Teaching Certificate or currently enrolled in Waldorf Teacher Training and Teaching Experience required.
• Ability to meet Washington State Requirements for a Licensed Program.

Compensation

This is an exempt salary position based on years of teaching experience and level of education/certification.

Annual salary range: $50,000 - $75,000. Benefits include dental and health insurance, partial tuition remission, and the possibility for professional development support and mentoring.

Recruitment and screening of applications are ongoing until the position is filled. To ensure full consideration, we encourage candidates to complete and submit applications promptly. Please note that ECS reserves the right—and may exercise the option—to make a hiring decision prior to the conclusion of the recruitment process. Full job descriptions are available upon request.

Our intentional and cohesive faculty and administration are deeply committed to providing our students with an exemplary Waldorf-inspired education. We look forward to hearing from you and welcoming you to Eastside Community School.

For more information, please visit http://www.EastsideCommunitySchool.org.