Preschool Head Teacher

Kinsley Power Systems; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Cambridge is seeking a Lead Teacher to guide play-based curriculum and supervise staff for preschool in the Department of Human Service Programs. The role ensures high-quality learning aligned with EEC and NAEYC standards and involves collaboration with families and specialists.

The position emphasizes developing a safe and stimulating classroom, coordinating lessons across daily sessions, and supporting staff in reflecting on practice and outcomes.

Qualifications

• Must have qualifications for Lead Teacher certification.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Three years’ experience working as a teacher with curriculum development and staff supervision.
• Must have good writing and computer skills.
• Familiar with EEC, QRIS, and NAEYC standards, guidelines, and other requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead staff in designing play-based curriculum to support development across social, physical, emotional, and intellectual domains.
• Ensure curriculum meets EEC, NAEYC, QRIS, and DHSP standards.
• Supervise and support staff in implementing planned curriculum and documenting progress.
• Coordinate curriculum across morning and afternoon sessions and connect learning to real-world contexts.
• Plan safe, developmentally appropriate field trips and arrange classroom space to foster independence.
• Model and supervise nurturing, responsive caregiver interactions with children.
• Support attendance at IEP meetings and follow through on accommodations and goals.
• Maintain COR Advantage documentation and organize annual parent-teacher conferences.
• Communicate with families about children’s daily experiences and available Cambridge resources.
• Participate in ongoing professional development and equity initiatives.

Skills

Curriculum development

Staff supervision

Writing skills

Computer skills

EEC standards knowledge

Education

Lead Teacher certification

Bachelor’s degree (preferred)

Job description

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT:

The Department of Human Service Programs (DHSP) creates and coordinates services that enhance the quality of life for Cambridge residents. Driven by the needs of residents, DHSP’s extensive services and programs touch almost every sector in the city: from newborns to senior citizens, from school-aged children to homeless families, from non-profit organizations to local employers.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

To support and supervise staff’s implementation of program’s educational philosophy and goals. Under the direction of the Director/Teacher, lead staff in the design of play-based curriculum which enhances the social, physical, emotional, and intellectual development of children enrolled in the program.The Lead Teacher will:

• Ensure that curriculum meets the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC), NAEYC, QRIS, and DHSP curriculum standards and guidelines.
• Meet weekly with Teachers to support their understanding and ability to research, plan, implement, document, and reflect upon curriculum activities and long term projects that meet above mentioned standards and guidelines.Supervise staff’s implementation of planned curriculum.
• Model how to implement developmentally appropriate, child-centered small and large group activities with children that are flexible enough to accommodate changes, if needed, yet still meet EEC guidelines and NAEYC standards.
• Coordinate curriculum between morning and afternoon programming while ensuring that documentation of children’s learning is adequately incorporated into its planning and implementation phases.
• Plan and coordinate safe and developmentally appropriate field trips with the Director/Teacher that connect curriculum topics to the world outside of the classroom.
• With Director/Teacher and Teachers, design and arrange classroom space which allows for a large variety of activities that promotes children’s growing independence in using the classroom resources and materials.Ensure that the classroom environment meets EEC regulations and supports the program’s educational philosophy and goals.
• Make sure classroom space is free from hazards and implement safety/playground checklist as per EEC regulations.
• Establish clear and age-appropriate behavioral expectations for the group and each child that sets the desired tone in the classroom.
• Model and supervise staff’s nurturing and socially responsive care to all children enrolled in the program.
• Help all staff, teachers, and substitutes manage the individual needs of each child.
• Support staff’s ability to manage challenging behavior by modeling positive behavior interventions.
• Coordinate with Director/Teacher attendance at IEP meetings and follow-through to achieve the accommodations, goals, and objectives that specialists have written into that child’s plan.
• With Director/Teacher, organize observation and documentation of children’s developmental progress using the COR Advantage assessment module.Coordinate three annual parent-teacher conferences.
• Work with Director/Teacher to analyze COR Advantage data to modify and adapt curriculum to better achieve children’s development in all domains.
• Provide consistent support and communication with families regarding their child’s daily experiences in the program while respecting child, family, and staff confidentiality.
• Will actively engage in and support the Department’s Race and Equity Initiative.
• Keep parents/guardians informed, through a variety of means that are accessible to all parents, about program curriculum, activities, and events enabling parents to support their child’s learning outside of the program.
• With Director/Teacher, maintain and make available information about Cambridge resources and services available to families with young children.
• Support Director/Teacher to plan, organize, and facilitate as well as participate in a variety of meetings: parent/guardian meetings or workshops; staff meetings with the Director/Teacher, Preschool Manager, DHSP staff, or program consultants.
• Provide consistent professional support to the classroom team, empowering teachers, giving constructive ideas, seeking, and accepting advice to enhance the team’s functioning.
• Fulfill some Director/Teacher position responsibilities when Director/Teacher is not present.
• Maintain professional knowledge through participation in in-service training workshops offered by the Childcare Division or other outside resources as well as meeting educational requirements established by EEC and the City of Cambridge.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Must have qualifications for Lead Teacher certification.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Three years’ experience working as a teacher with curriculum development and staff supervision.
• Must have good writing and computer skills.
• Familiar with EEC, QRIS, and NAEYC standards, guidelines, and other requirements.

In evaluating candidates, the City reserves the right to determine, in its sole discretion, that an individual who does not meet the educational requirements described herein, but who is currently pursuing a degree, may be qualified for this position. The continued employment of any individual hired or promoted into this position will be contingent upon that employee’s ongoing pursuit of a college degree in early childhood development or a related area.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to:

• Be agile in their movements; moving quickly from sitting on the floor to standing, to kneeling to be at the child’s eye level.Employees may have to run after children, both in play and to respond to an emergency.
• Be able to hear children who speak in a soft voice or mumble words when distressed.
• Be able to use their hands and arms to move, reach, handle, and manipulate objects in the classroom.This includes moving furniture once a year when room is re-organized.
• Be able to occasionally lift and/or move a child (up to 40 pounds).
• Vision abilities are required for the supervision of children.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential function of this job.The noise level is moderately to very loud.It includes classroom, outdoor playgrounds, and occasional field trips.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

• Resume
• Cover Letter