Lead Teacher - Early Childhood Development Center (ONSITE)

University of Michigan; Flint (MI); On-site; USD 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous benefits package

Tuition assistance

Retirement plan with company match

Job summary

University of Michigan—UM-Flint ECDC seeks a Lead Teacher to plan, implement, and evaluate a developmentally appropriate classroom program. The role oversees child assessment, guides staff, ensures safety, and partners with families to deliver high-quality early education onsite at UM-Flint.

Responsibilities include organizing routines, completing assessments and documentation, coordinating staff, and upholding licensing standards.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to provide active supervision and develop developmentally appropriate curriculum.
• Experience planning, implementing, and evaluating learning experiences across age groups.
• Ability to engage families and communicate progress effectively.
• Proven classroom leadership and team coordination skills.
• Strong documentation and regulatory reporting abilities.

Responsibilities

• Plan, implement, and evaluate learning experiences aligned with curriculum and standards.
• Organize daily routines, transitions, centers, meals, and outdoor activities.
• Maintain supervision and ensure staff-child ratio compliance.
• Complete observations, assessments, lesson plans, and reports.
• Provide guidance and coordinate work for associate staff and student workers.
• Partner with families to communicate child development and needs.
• Support inclusive practices and trauma-informed approaches.
• Maintain safe, organized classrooms and report concerns promptly.
• Participate in meetings, professional development, and quality improvement activities.
• Maintain credentials, MiRegistry, health and safety training, CPR/First Aid.

Skills

Active supervision

Curriculum implementation

Family engagement

Classroom-team leadership

Communication with families

Staff coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education or Child Development

CDA credential

Associate's degree in ECE or related field

Job description

Lead Teacher - Early Childhood Development Center (ONSITE)

Job Summary

The ECDC Lead Teacher plans, implements, and evaluates a developmentally appropriate classroom program; oversees child assessment; guides assigned classroom staff; and provides for the overall care, active supervision, safety, and development of children. The position works collaboratively with families, colleagues, the Program Administrator, and program partners to provide a consistent, inclusive, and high-quality early learning experience.

We intend to fill multiple positions with this posting, both GSRP and non-GSRP qualified.

Responsibilities*

95% Plan, implement, and evaluate developmentally appropriate learning experiences aligned with the center's approved curriculum and applicable program standards.

• Organize and guide daily classroom routines, transitions, learning centers, outdoor experiences, meals, rest, and care practices.
• Maintain active supervision and ensure compliance with required staff-to-child ratios and group-size requirements.
• Complete observations, developmental assessments, lesson planning, portfolios, reports, and required child and classroom documentation.
• Provide direction, modeling, feedback, and daily work coordination to associate teachers, temporary staff, and student temporary employees.
• Build respectful partnerships with families and communicate regarding children's experiences, development, needs, and progress.
• Use positive, developmentally appropriate guidance and support inclusion and individual needs.
• Maintain a healthy, safe, organized classroom and promptly report safety, health, licensing, staffing, or child-welfare concerns.
• Follow mandated-reporter and center procedures for incidents, injuries, illness, medication, emergency response, and suspected abuse or neglect.
• Participate in staff meetings, professional learning, coaching, Great Start to Quality activities, GSRP requirements when assigned, and continuous quality improvement.
• Maintain required credentials, MiRegistry records, health and safety training, CPR/first aid, and professional development.

5% Perform other related duties consistent with the Lead Teacher role and applicable licensing requirements.

Required Qualifications*

For Non-GSRP Classrooms:

Must be at least 19 years of age and possess a high school diploma, GED, or equivalent.

Meets at least one of the following qualifying pathways applicable to the assigned age group:

• A current, valid Child Development Associate (CDA) credential appropriate to the assigned age group; or
• An associate's degree or higher in early childhood education, child development, or another qualifying field; or
• The combination of approved early-childhood coursework or training and documented experience required under current Michigan childcare licensing rules.
• Must meet all qualifications for a Lead Teacher under Michigan Child Care Center Licensing Rule R 400.8210 before assignment to the position.
• Must complete and maintain the MiRegistry-approved training required by R 400.8210, including applicable training in program management; observation, documentation, and assessment; teaching and learning; and approved child guidance, challenging behavior, or trauma-informed practices.
• If assigned to an infant or toddler classroom, must complete three semester hours, 4.5 CEUs, or 45 hours of an approved MiRegistry infant-and-toddler development and care track within six months of hire.
• Must satisfy and maintain all applicable comprehensive background-check, MiRegistry, orientation, health and safety, CPR/first aid, mandated-reporter, and ongoing professional-development requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to provide active supervision, implement developmentally appropriate curriculum, guide other classroom staff, maintain required documentation, and communicate effectively with families.
• Consistent and reliable attendance.

For GSRP Classrooms:

• The above required qualifications, with:
• Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education or Child Development, with a specialization or major in preschool teaching; OR
• Valid Michigan teaching certificate with a qualifying early childhood endorsement or approval recognized by GSRP.
• Experience as a Lead Teacher in a licensed early childhood program, GSRP, Head Start, Great Start to Quality program, or comparable regulated early childhood setting.
• Experience with child assessment, curriculum implementation, family engagement, inclusive practices, classroom-team leadership, and regulatory documentation.

GSRP Assignment Requirement

GSRP Lead Teacher qualifications are desired for general recruitment and required before assignment as Lead Teacher of a GSRP-funded classroom. The University is seeking already credentialed candidates for GSRP assignments and will not rely on a future credential-completion or compliance-plan pathway. Otherwise-qualified candidates who lack GSRP credentials may be considered for a non-GSRP Lead Teacher assignment.

Why Work at U-M Flint?

In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, The University of Michigan offers a comprehensive benefits package to help you stay well, protect yourself and your family, and plan for a secure future.

Benefits include:

• Generous time off
• A retirement plan that provides two-for-one matching contributions after 12 months of eligible service with immediate vesting.
• Many choices for comprehensive health insurance
• Life insurance
• Long-term disability coverage
• Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses.

Eligibility for benefits based on your job group, your appointment percentage and the length of your appointment. Learn more about employee benefits and eligibility from the UM Human Resources Benefits and Wellness webpage .

UM-Flint offers tuition support for eligible UM-Flint staff members. In addition, UM-Flint offers dependent tuition support (DTS) for qualified dependents of faculty and staff from all UM campuses. Information can be found at: https://www.umflint.edu/hr/benefits/ .

This position is fully onsite and is currently not eligible for mobile/remote work.

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes .

Work Locations

The primary location of this assignment is the UM-Flint Early Childhood Education Center located at 303 E Kearsley Street; 1313 William S. White Building; Flint, MI 48502-1950

Additional Information

Compensation

Starting salary will be based on relevant education, credentials, directly related experience, role assignment, internal equity, and applicable University policies.

Union Affiliation

This position is included in the bargaining unit represented by the University Staff United (USU), which represents bargaining unit members in all matters with respect to wages, benefits, hours and other terms and conditions of employment.

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks. Background checksare performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days.The review and selection process maybegin as early as the eighth day after posting.Thisopening may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended. This posting is open until filled.

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.