Lead Infant Teacher - Orono Schools Discovery Kids

Orono Public Schools; Maple Plain (MN); On-site; USD 30,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

NAEYC Accredited

4-star Parent Aware

No weekend shifts

PLC time

Vacation 10 days

Job summary

Orono Public Schools' Discovery Kids Childcare is seeking a Lead Infant Teacher to guide the infant classroom and partner with families to support early development in a joyful, nurturing setting.

This full-time role (40 hours/week, Monday–Friday) offers an accredited program with 4-star Parent Aware and NAEYC standards, a competitive hourly pay range, and benefits; weekends are free, with PLC time to support professional growth.

Qualifications

• Strong background in early childhood education and experience leading a classroom with infants.
• Experience using authentic assessment tools (Teaching Strategies GOLD) and infant curricula.
• Proven ability to guide and mentor assistant teachers and classroom aides.
• High standards for confidentiality, organization, and respecting diverse parenting styles.
• Full-time availability Monday through Friday (40 hours per week).

Responsibilities

• Plan and implement developmentally appropriate daily activities for infants.
• Incorporate authentic assessments into weekly lesson plans and provide progress reports.
• Conduct parent-teacher conferences with written progress reports twice per year.
• Post and follow daily classroom schedules and prepare lesson plans for substitutes.

Skills

Early childhood expertise

Assessment knowledge

Leadership skills

Professional standards

Reliability

Tools

Teaching Strategies GOLD

Seesaw

Google Workspace tools

Job description

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Frontline Applicant Tracking - Orono Public Schools

Lead Infant Teacher - Orono Schools Discovery Kids JobID: 2454

• Position Type:
  Community Education/ Discovery Kids Childcare
  
• Date Posted:
  10/19/2026
  

Lead Infant Teacher - Orono Schools Discovery Kids

Schedule: Full-Time (40 hours per week, Monday - Friday)

Program Status: 4-Star Parent Aware & NAEYC Accredited

Do you love cuddle time, milestone celebrations, and making a genuine difference in a child's foundational early months? At Discovery Kids Childcare, part of Orono Public Schools, we believe early education should be joyful, nurturing, and collaborative. As a Lead Infant Teacher, you are the heart of our infant classroom - creating a safe, responsive environment where our youngest learners thrive. If you are passionate about early childhood development and want to lead a classroom in a supportive, NAEYC-accredited, 4-star Parent Aware program with a dependable Monday-through-Friday schedule (hello, free weekends!), we would love to have you on our team.

The Opportunity: What You'll Do

You will lead your classroom team in providing a nurturing, high-quality learning environment while guiding infant development and partnering closely with families.

• Developmental Activity Planning: Plan and implement developmentally appropriate daily activities tailored to infant growth based on program guidelines.
• Authentic Assessment: Incorporate authentic assessments into weekly lesson plans to differentiate instruction for each child's individual needs.
• Progress Checkpoints & Conferences: Complete Teaching Strategies GOLD checkpoint assessments and conduct parent-teacher conferences with written progress reports twice per year.
• Classroom Schedules & Sub Plans: Post and follow the daily classroom schedule consistently, draft detailed routines for substitute folders, and prepare lesson plans and staged materials in advance for seamless transitions.

Infant Health, Care & Environment

• Safe & Clean Space: Keep the physical classroom environment clean, orderly, and conducive to optimal infant development, picking up at the end of the day for custodial staff.
• Sanitation Standards: Sanitize mouthed toys daily and wash/sanitize classroom toys on a rotating basis.
• Ratio & Safety: Maintain required staff-to-child ratios while offering support to neighboring classrooms when ratios permit. Limit screen time strictly to age-appropriate and developmentally necessary content.

Team Leadership & Family Connections

• Classroom Leadership: Guide, mentor, and supervise Assistant Teachers and Aides assigned to your classroom team.
• Family Engagement: Send a monthly newsletter covering upcoming learning goals and post daily photo updates on Seesaw.
• Respectful Partnerships: Build warm, collaborative relationships with families while honoring diverse parenting styles and maintaining strict confidentiality.
• Holistic Support: Collaborate constructively with office staff, Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) staff, and the Early Learning Student Support Specialist.

Operations & Professional Conduct

• Communication: Regularly check your Orono email, connect to the Early Learning Staff Google Calendar, and promptly notify office staff of student absences via Google Chat.
• Professional Growth: Attend all scheduled staff meetings, Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), and Professional Development Days.
• Core Values & Organization: Model character traits of trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship while keeping shared storage spaces clean and organized.

What You Bring (Qualifications)

• Early Childhood Expertise: Strong background in early childhood education, with experience leading a classroom and caring for infants.
• Assessment Knowledge: Experience using authentic assessment tools (such as Teaching Strategies GOLD) and implementing developmentally appropriate infant curricula.
• Leadership Skills: Proven ability to guide, mentor, and collaborate effectively with assistant teachers and classroom aides.
• Professional Standards: High standards for confidentiality, organizational skills, and a commitment to honoring diverse parenting styles.
• Reliability: Full-time availability Monday through Friday (40 hours per week).

What We Offer

• Work-Life Balance: A consistent full-time schedule with no weekend shifts.
• Professional Pride: The opportunity to lead a classroom in a top-tier, NAEYC-accredited, 4-star Parent Aware program within Orono Public Schools.
• Collaborative Community: A supportive, team-oriented culture with built-in PLC time, dedicated support staff, and continuous professional development.

Compensation: $21.62 - $23.84 per hour DOQ

Insurance

Single Health: 90% Covered by District

Employee + 1 Health: 75% Covered by District

Family Health: 75% Covered by District

Dental: 100% covered by District

Life insurance equal to annual wages: 100% Covered by District

LTD insurance: 100% Covered by District

Employee Assistance Plan (EAP)

VACATION AND HOLIDAYS
Vacation: 10 Days.
Holidays: 11 Paid Holiday/Year

OTHER BENEFITS
Incentive Pay: 1%

RETIREMENT/PENSION
Positions covered by Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA)

Need Help?

We're here to help! For questions regarding position qualifications or application procedures, please contact Orono Public Schools directly. For technical questions regarding the Applicant Tracking system, please contact the Applicant Tracking help desk using the Request Technical Help link below.