Preschool Lead Teacher (2025-2026 SY)

The Co-op School; New York (NY); On-site; USD 55,000 - 71,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading non-profit school in New York seeks a passionate teacher to foster a student-centered learning environment. The ideal candidate will have a degree in early childhood education and experience working with children, contributing to a collaborative and supportive school culture.

Benefits

401(k)

401(k) matching

Dental insurance

Health insurance

Paid time off

Parental leave

Vision insurance

Qualifications

• 2-3 years experience working with children, preferably in a school setting.
• Enthusiasm for the opportunities and challenges inherent in working with children.

Responsibilities

• Establishing a student-centered school culture.
• Providing a positive and encouraging learning environment.
• Implementing the emergent curriculum and ensuring safety.

Skills

Passion for working with children

Positive attitude

Flexibility

Education

Bachelor/Master degree in early childhood or elementary education

Job description

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Vision insurance

The Co-op School was founded in 2003 by a group of parents who saw the need for a high-quality and affordable preschool option in the Clinton Hill and Fort Greene neighborhoods. Since then, the Co-op School has matured from a small, parent-run playgroup to a fully staffed and licensed non-profit school.

After residing in two prior homes in Clinton Hill, The Co-op School moved into 87 Irving Place in the fall of 2009. In 2011, The Co-op School launched the first kindergarten class of its elementary program at 40 Brevoort Place. In 2019, we opened our doors at 644 Gates Avenue in the Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood—in a 3,500-square-foot building with a double-height gym, a rooftop library, and two playgrounds—housing our preschool, lower school, and middle school students under one roof.

OUR MISSION

The mission of The Co-op School is to inspire passion and teach children to become protagonists in their own educational journey by fostering their innate sense of curiosity and creativity. The Co-op School facilitates joyful learning through a unique and rigorous constructivist approach that listens to and honors the individual interests and strengths of each child. The Co-op School doesn’t just belong to the students and educators but extends to the family community as a whole. It belongs to those who participate in it and is a more resilient and creative place because of it.


JOB SUMMARY

The Co-op School values and respects the classroom teacher as the central person in the process of educating children. This is a job with many roles and responsibilities. The most important part of the teacher’s job is directly related to the instruction of students; however, other responsibilities are also essential. The teacher’s relationships with students, colleagues, and the community are of major importance.

Teachers are responsible for establishing a student-centered school culture that embodies The Co-op School's core values & academic principles. Teachers are encouraged to provide students with a positive, encouraging, and success-oriented learning environment that will give each student an equal opportunity to reach the cognitive and overall goals of our program. They are held responsible for the instruction, observation, and management of their classes and shall devote themselves exclusively to their duties during school hours. Teachers are responsible for activities in connection with the students which may include, but shall not be limited to:

Instructional Planning, Preparation, & Communication

• Working with the Division Head to ensure the Co-op’s mission and values are upheld inside and outside the classroom
• Applying knowledge of Reggio Emilia's principles and practices
• Implementing the emergent curriculum of The Co-op School through all developmental domains
• Establishing a safe learning environment for all students and adults that acknowledges, respects, and celebrates diversity and differences regardless of socio-economic status, race, gender, or other personal characteristics
• Building effective, trusting relationships and teams with faculty, staff, students, and parents
• Preparing for lessons and sharing weekly plans with Division Head
• Completing all lesson planning, student evaluations, and other such duties as they are assigned by the Division Head, in a timely and efficient manner
• Developing and implementing an age-appropriate emergent curriculum that embodies social-emotional learning, early literacy, early math skills, creative art, music, and movement
• Leading activities during instruction time and outside play
• Providing students to use a variety of resources and tools to help their learning process
• Infusing the Core Values seamlessly into the curriculum
• Utilizing best practices of effective instruction, such as using modes of co-teaching, modeling, repetition, role-playing
• Intentional planning and teaching in all curricular areas
• Using questioning and discussion techniques, such as open-ended questions and questions that promote extensions of learning
• Creating visuals (i.e. experience charts, labels) that are appropriate for all students and are updated often with student work
• Updating student portfolios with documentation of learning
• Sharing daily communication with families through Edsby
• Posting monthly updates about the curriculum
• Sharing monthly goals with families
• Observe and monitor student development and communicate to families about child’s development
• Organizing physical space to be the third teacher and to best promote student learning and activity
• Helping students create a growth mindset around learning and persevering through challenges
• Collaborating with teacher specialists to meet your classes developmental needs
• Meeting weekly with the teaching team to plan (1 hour after school)
• Displaying work within the classroom and updating documentation weekly
• Meeting with the Division Head biweekly to discuss project work and provide classroom updates
• Submitting class highlights for the newsletter and social media
• Completing age-appropriate culmination projects to share student learning with families
• Working collaboratively with the assistant teacher to collect data for developmental progress reports and narratives twice a year

Professional Growth

• Attending all training required by the State Licensing Board outlined by the Department of Health or Department of Education
• Participating in all professional development provided to the staff
• Attending all staff meetings
• Exhibiting willingness to participate in the development and implementation of new ideas and teaching techniques
• Engaging in activities that promote professional growth
• Attending professional development days within or outside of the school
• Working with the Division Head and colleagues to grow, practice, asking questions, and working through lesson planning collaboratively

Relationships with the School & Colleagues

The Co-op teachers are a part of the educational program in and about the building, including parent meetings, staff meetings, and teacher support. Teachers are expected to maintain a positive and supportive attitude in regard to the program. Teachers are also encouraged to establish and maintain harmonious and cooperative professional relationships with all staff members.

These roles include and are not limited to:

• Exhibiting a cooperative attitude toward students, parents, community, and school personnel
• Sharing ideas and techniques for improving instruction with one another and the ability to accept and offer constructive criticism
• Collaborating and working together on projects, either in teams or in study groups
• Following the prescribed process for communication within the school system, daily Edsby checks and posts
• Responding to any emails in a timely fashion (within 24 hours)
• Dividing work amongst co-teachers so that classrooms feel balanced and so that each person is able to teach and engage with children
• Working on classroom projects and supporting school events by attending when possible (i.e. Gala, spirit days, Town Hall, Potluck, Book Fair, Open House, School Tours)

Relationships with Families

• Always speaking about the school and co-staff in a positive and professional manner
• Welcoming family and connecting at morning drop off and pick up
• Fostering an open forum of communication between the staff and Co-op families
• Providing feedback to parents, monitoring and assessing social, emotional and cognitive development and providing parents with constructive feedback about students' progress and challenges
• Encouraging individual parent participation as well as community participation in school activities
• Responding to emails in a timely fashion (24 hours)
• Posting updates on Edsby, highlighting what is happening in the classroom around social development, the study, and early academic exposure

School Operations and Safe Environments

• Working with the Division Head to ensure that the Co-op School is in compliance with our childcare license provided by the Department of Health or Department of Education and making sure a safe and healthy environment is provided at all times (following rules of Article 47)
• Thoroughly cleaning and organizing classroom spaces
• Informing Administration if there is a health and safety concern
• Maintaining personal belongings in communal area (i.e. kitchen, lounge, multipurpose room)

QUALIFICATIONS

• Passionate about working with children
• 2-3 years experience working with children, preferably working in a school setting
• Bachelor/Master degree required - Ideal candidate has or will have a degree in early childhood or elementary education
• Enthusiasm for the opportunities and challenges inherent in working with children
• A positive attitude and flexible approach

Annual Salary: The salary range for this position is $55,000, - $70,939; The position on the scale will be based on years of teaching experience and education.

Level: Full Time

Start Date: August 2025-2026 School Year

This Position reports directly to the Preschool Division Head

TO APPLY:

● Send your resume to the Director of Human Resources, [e-mail]

The Co-op School COVID-19 Vaccination Policy:

We appreciate your interest in employment at The Co-op School. We would like to note that the School has a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy, which requires all faculty and staff to be fully vaccinated. Proof of vaccination is required.

The Co-op School is an equal opportunity employer. We prohibit discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, creed, color, citizenship, national origin or ancestry, religion or religious practices, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, prior arrest or conviction record, genetic predisposition or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local laws. Our policy extends to all employment practices including but not limited to, hiring, transfer, promotion, training, compensation, benefits, lay-offs, and termination.