Infant Toddler Lead Teacher

Metropolitan Family Services; Illinois; On-site; USD 55,000 - 57,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

HSA contributions: $2,000 employee / $

Teladoc services

401(k) with 4% employer match

Job summary

Metropolitan Family Services in DuPage County is hiring a full-time Teacher 0-3 for Addison Children's Center. Lead Teachers with Head Start duties implement individualized curricula, ensure safety and proper supervision, and collaborate with family support staff to promote school readiness.

The role requires a Bachelor’s in ECE or Education with a Master’s preferred, with Gateways credentials or PEL/IT levels as applicable.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education or Education is required.
• Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education is preferred.
• Lead Teacher with 3–5 age group: PEL or Gateways ECE Level 5 Credential while working toward PEL.
• Lead Teacher with 0–3 age group: Bachelor’s with Gateways IT Level 5 Credential.

Responsibilities

• Plan and implement an individualized curriculum and activities.
• Maintain proper staff ratios and active supervision.
• Collaborate with Family Support Workers and site staff for classroom improvements.
• Use Teaching Strategies Gold for documentation and family communication.
• Prepare weekly lesson plans including accommodations listed in IEPs/IFSPs.

Skills

Collaboration

Communication

Classroom management

Adaptability

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education

Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education

Tools

Teaching Strategies Gold

Gateways ECE Credential

Pel Credential

Job description

Job Category: Early Childhood Education/Head Start

Requisition Number: INFAN005223

• Posted : May 27, 2026
• Full-Time
• On-site

Locations

Showing 1 location

DuPage
Wheaton, IL 60187, USA

Description

Metropolitan Family Services empowers families to learn, to earn, to heal, to thrive. Part mentor, part motivator, part advocate, since 1857, Metropolitan Family Services has been the engine of change that empowers families to reach their greatest potential and positively impact their communities. Are you looking to have an impact on more than just a company’s bottom line? Then we’d love to hear from you!
If asked to describe the culture at Metropolitan Family Services, we could do that in one word. COMMUNITY! Reflected in both our internal culture as well as through the services we provide, community is at the heart of all we do.

We are now hiring for a full-time Teacher 0-3 to join our Addison Children's Center!

SALARY:

• The average starting salary for this position will fall in the range of $55,000 and $57,000 annually. Where candidates fall in this range will be based on skill and experience level. Salary for 43-week programs will be pro-rated.

$3,000 Sign-on Bonus for first-time employees with MFS! ( $750 on the first paycheck and $1,250 after 6 months of employment and $1,000 after a year).

JOB SUMMARY: Responsible for planning and implementing individualized curriculum. Facilitate teaching methods and activities for children that appropriately address the social, emotional, physical, and cognitive needs of the children. Ensure staff adherence to the Head Start Standards. Work with diverse staff and service population. Under the general supervision of the Site Supervisor. DuPage Lead Teachers (working with children ages 3-5) work a 43-week schedule.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Ensures timely completion of monthly job targets.
• Responsible for supporting a team approach to planning and implementing program activities. Collaborates with Family Support Workers, Teacher’s Assistant, Program Aide, site partners, and site supervisor for the betterment of the classroom and families.
• Participates in ongoing CLASS implementation and monitoring.
• Guide and facilitate activities of the children. Ensures appropriate child guidance and discipline, proper ratios, and use of active supervision.
• Attend all mandated trainings. Set and achieve professional development goals. Share resources with other staff members as appropriate. All professional development to be tracked in Gateways.
• Use Teaching Strategies Gold to maintain ongoing, high- quality documentation of school readiness skills. Maintain Interrater Reliability.
• Responsible for the implementation of the program’s Planned Language Approach, which is specifically designed to support dual language learners.
• Use Teaching Strategies Gold to communication with families through monthly newsletters and family conference forms.
• Schedule and conduct education home visits with teaching staff to discuss individual development and progress, assist parents in developing educational goals for their child.
• Maintain accurate teacher and child files.
• Ensure all transportation safety procedures are followed including utilization of the bus attendance log.
• Ensure accurate completion CACFP documents in conjunction with the teaching staff.
• Builds and ensures positive and on-going relationships with parents, volunteers, and other staff members.
• Tracks and provides support to teaching staff for ongoing observation and documentation process by teaching staff of the Teaching Strategies Gold portfolios.
• Works effectively with diverse staff and service population. Works with site supervisor and family support worker to exchange information pertinent to the identification and services of children with disabilities.
• Ensures the submission of weekly lesson plans including individualization for all children, including: monitoring and facilitating accommodations listed in IEPs and IFSPs.
• Uses the playground as an extension of the classroom; assures that the playground is safe.
• Provides active supervision to ensure the safety of Head Start children while in the classroom, during transitions, at time of transportation, and while on the playground. Ensures that no child shall be left alone or unsupervised.
• Provide site management in the absence of site supervisor.
• Serve as agency representative during DCFS visits in the absence of site supervisor.
• Ensures the usage of agency technology equipment and time are utilized for agency business.
• Ensures compliance with the agency’s code of conduct.
• Ensures agency’s Head Start fiscal integrity by adhering to purchase approval requirements and procedures.
• Assists in the development of the agency’s annual Head Start self-assessment.
• Ensures all content area data is accurately reflected in the agency’s PIR within set time frames.
• Participate in program recruitment efforts to maintain full enrollment.
• Other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED EDUCATION, CERTIFICATIONS, CREDENTIALS and/or EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education or Education from an accredited college or university required.
• Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in Early Childhood Education preferred.
• Lead Teacher working with children ages 3-5: PEL or a Gateways ECE level 5 Credential while working towards receiving PEL.
• Lead Teacher working with children ages 0-3: Bachelor’s with a Gateways IT Level 5 Credential.

TRAVEL/MOBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Driving for work required with a personally owned vehicle

TRAVEL BETWEEN SITES:

Yes

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• While performing the essential duties of this job, the employee is required to sit and stand for sustained periods of time, frequently talk, hear, use hands and fingers to feel, handle and operate objects or controls, and occasionally stand, bend, stretch, stoop, kneel and crouch. The employee is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as preparing and analyzing data and figures, transcribing and viewing a computer terminal.

Metropolitan Family Services puts our people first with a top-of-the-line benefits package.

Some highlights include:

• Medical Coverage, Dental Coverage, and Vision Coverage.
• Metropolitan Family Services contributions of $2,000 to individual, and $4,000 to family, HSA accounts, pro-rated to your benefits start date.
• FREE General Medicine and Behavioral Health Teladoc services provided to all team members.
• Ascensus 401K plan services with a 4% employer match, vested at 100% on day one of eligibility.

Some of the above benefits are available for part-time and temporary workers, but not all. Be sure to inquire upon your hire as to which benefits apply to you.

MORE ABOUT US:

Metropolitan is Illinois' first comprehensive human services agency and reaches more than 122,970 individuals and families in Chicago, Evanston/Skokie, the southwest suburbs, and DuPage County with services promoting education, economic stability, emotional wellness, and empowerment.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.