Lead Teacher (Early Childhood 0-3) at Brightpoint in Chicago, IL

Lead Teacher (Early Childhood 0-3)

El Hogar del Niño, now part of Brightpoint, has been a leader in providing high-quality early childhood care and education services, with an expert focus on the needs of Latinx and newly arriving families in the Pilsen community for 50 years. Brightpoint and El Hogar Del Niño believe that family is the most important asset for child and youth wellbeing, which is rooted in each organization’s commitment to early childhood care and education. Our greatest strength is our shared commitment to support strong families which create thriving children and communities.

As Lead Teacher, you will implement Head Start standards for children, age 0-3, and their families, ensuring that services are individualized and meet the social, emotional, developmental, and intellectual needs of your students. As an Early Childhood Education Center with both COA and NAEYC accreditation and ExceleRate Gold Circle of Quality designation, you’ll be proud to be part of the El Hogar del Niño team, and with our cohesive team style and supportive, high-quality supervision, you’ll look forward to coming back each day.

Candidate qualifications:

For Lead Teacher 0-3 year olds:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education or related field with a minimum of 24 hours of Early Childhood Education classes required.
• Illinois Gateways to Opportunity Early Childhood Education Level 5 Credential required and Illinois Gateways to Opportunity Infant Toddler Level 5 Credential required.
• A minimum of two years working with children and/or families required.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred.

(Candidates without the required degree/credentials may be considered with an approved educational plan).

Job Responsibilities:

• Develops and implements individualized learning that meets the social, emotional, developmental, and intellectual needs of all children in the classroom.
• Maintains knowledge of Center philosophy and classroom operations, including Head Start program performance standards, ISBE requirements, and NAEYC requirements, when applicable.
• Implements classroom curriculum to support high quality teaching and learning practices which reflect mandated elements and components, and parental and cultural influences, as well as promote the social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development of children.
• Conducts developmental screenings and regular assessments and uses information for lesson planning.
• Enters all required information on children, including assessment results, into data management system.
• Identifies children who may require additional assistance and works with supervisor to make appropriate referrals.
• Completes weekly child observations and enters them into the organization’s assessment tool; ensures that observations are completed by classroom staff and assists them as needed.
• Meets weekly with classroom and other staff as required to review lesson plans, share teaching strategies, and discuss children’s progress.
• Mentors and trains Teachers, Classroom Support Aides, student interns, and volunteers assigned in the classroom in basic child development and classroom techniques.
• Assists supervisor in completing annual performance reviews and other performance management activities for classroom staff
• Leads integration of supplemental learning initiatives for parents and children into classroom and plans and implements regular activities for parents to connect home and classroom learning.
• Completes and submits required monthly reports, monitoring reports, and all other documentation to supervisor, as assigned.

Job details:

• Compensation: Salary range is between $45k-$55k; offers are commensurate on experience and bilingual candidates may receive additional compensation. The salary range provided represents our current estimate for this role at the time of posting and is subject to change. The final salary will be determined based on a range of factors, including but not limited to, a candidate's relevant experience, education, qualifications, skills, certifications, and alignment with organizational needs. We are dedicated to fair and equitable compensation practices and are committed to fostering a diverse workforce while providing equal opportunities for all candidates.
• Benefits: Medical/dental/vision insurance, three scheduled weeks of paid time off each year (Spring, Summer, Winter), and additional flexible paid leave that accrues based on tenure; 11 paid holidays, supplemental insurance options, 401(k) with match, (more benefit details here).
• Location: Classroom setting at El Hogar del Niño.
• Schedule: Full-time, salaried; center is open Mon-Fri, 7:00am-6:00pm; assigned shifts will vary.
• Student Loan Forgiveness: Brightpoint is an approved agency for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).