Preschool Teaching Assistant

Denise Louie Education Center (DLEC); Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k) plan

Paid Time Off (up to 18 days)

Job summary

Denise Louie Education Center (DLEC) in Seattle, WA, is seeking a highly motivated Teaching Assistant to support Lead Teachers in delivering a high-quality, multicultural educational experience. This role involves maintaining a safe and engaging classroom, assisting with lesson plans, and supporting child assessments.

The ideal candidate holds a CDA or AA in Early Childhood Education, with experience working with young children, and preferably bilingual in a language spoken by DLEC families. Comprehensive benefits are offered, including medical, dental, and PTO.

Qualifications

• CDA or AA required in Early Childhood Education; Bachelor's preferred.
• Experience working with children ages 5 and under.
• Able to communicate in English verbally and in writing.

Responsibilities

• Maintain a safe and healthy classroom environment.
• Assist in delivering weekly lesson plans.
• Support Lead Teachers in child growth and development assessments.

Skills

Experience with children ages 5 and under

Communication in English

Bilingual in Spanish, Amharic, Cantonese, or Vietnamese

Education

CDA or AA in Early Childhood Education

Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education or related field

Job description

Success Starts Here! Educating Children, Empowering Families, Strengthening Communities.

Denise Louie Education Center is a local nonprofit providing comprehensive, multicultural early education and family support services to low-income, at-risk immigrant, and refugee communities residing in King County for over 40 years. Today, Denise Louie serves nearly 950 children and families with preschool, home visiting, and socialization groups—all of which are offered at no cost.

We are currently seeking a highly motivated Teaching Assistant to join our cause. Teaching Assistants support Lead Teachers in providing a high-quality, multicultural, inclusive educational experience to prepare all children and families for life and school.

Essential Functions

• Maintain a healthy, safe, and warm classroom environment through effective supervision, developmentally appropriate practices that allow learning through curiosity, experimentation, play, and implementation of individualized plans.
• Assist Lead Teachers in delivering weekly lesson plans by preparing materials, organizing supplies, and helping keep children on task.
• Assist teaching team in completion of Teaching Strategies Gold observations and checkpoint data to assess child growth and development.
• Provide support for children's behavior with evidence-based strategies.
• Assist in maintaining children’s attendance, file documents in a secure, organized system for easy reference by other staff.
• Provide guidance and direction to substitutes, volunteers, and classroom aides.

Qualifications

• CDA or AA required in Early Childhood Education. Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education or a related field is strongly preferred.
• Experience working with children ages 5 and under.
• Able to communicate in English verbally and in writing.
• Bilingual in a language spoken by DLEC parents (Spanish, Amharic, Cantonese, and Vietnamese) preferred.

Pay Range: $24.62 - $30.02

Benefits

As a Denise Louie Education Center team member, you may receive some or all of the following employee benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, Long-Term Disability, and options for supplemental Insurance coverage. Team members are eligible to participate in the company 401(k) plan, which offers a non-elective employer contribution after an introductory period. In addition, eligible full-time and part-time employees will accrue up to 18 days of PTO, eleven paid holidays, and one personal holiday annually.

Additional compensation may come in the form of tuition reimbursement, hiring, retention, longevity, referral, or special assignment bonuses, subject to budgetary limitations.

Location(s)

Physical Demands

To perform the job, the employee must be able to lift and potentially carry a child weighing up to 50 pounds, routinely kneel, bend, crouch, and sit on the floor for extended periods and stand, walk and sit on child-sized chairs throughout the day.

Working Conditions

The work is typically performed in an early childhood school environment, with moderate to loud noise.

Additional Requirements

The physical demands described here must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. All new hires must have MMR and COVID-19 vaccinations at the time of hire. A medical or religious exemption may be requested. If approved, weekly testing will be required.