Associate Teacher I

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

JOB PURPOSE:

Under general supervision of the Regional Site Director and Site Lead Teacher, assist teachers in delivering high quality Early Childhood Development services including education, social, physical, nutritional and psychological development of children under their care. Assist program staff in planning and implementing classroom lessons, activities and events for children and parents, interacting with the public and providing customer service by phone, email and in person, and completing daily classroom paperwork as required by the early childhood education program.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES:

Assists teachers in the care and instruction of preschool children and promotes their social, physical and mental development. Provides supervision of children and supports the planning and implementation of classroom lessons and activities. Serves meals and ensures a healthy and safe learning environment for children. Assist in the completion of required documentation to ensure a high-quality program.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES OF THE POSITION INCLUDE:

· Take an active role in assisting the teacher with classroom responsibilities, as assigned

· Ensure proper care, safety, and supervision of groups of children always, for up to 7 hours per day.

· Ensures the appropriate child/teacher ratio is always met.

· Ensure classroom routine is conducive to learning, safety, and development.

· Ability to work with children of varying abilities and adhere to Individual Educational Plans.

· Assist in planning and implementing weekly lesson plans and activities for children indoors and out in accordance with all PACE Education Division selected curriculums and Head Start Performance Standards.

· Assist in conducting learning and developmental assessments of children, including but not limited to DRDP-2015, ASQ-3, ASQ: SE2, etc. according to timelines, as available.

· Encourages parents to participate in children’s screening and assessment process, including anecdotal information.

· Conduct interior and exterior environmental safety checks to ensure a safe learning environment.

· Prepare and assist in serving family style meals to children.

· Clean and sanitize all areas of the classroom, including food preparation, dishwashing, eating and toileting areas.

· Help children practice good hygiene, including personal cleanliness and toileting/diapering, as needed.

· Serves as a translator for parents who do not speak English (as appropriate).

· Assists in gathering classroom observations and other documentation for developmental assessments of children, appropriate documents observations or provides observations/documentation to the teacher.

· Assists in maintaining sign-in/out records and other required paperwork, both manually and digitally.

· Assists in organizing and maintaining instructional and classroom supplies

· Participates in the set-up and take down of the classroom and outdoor learning environments as needed.

· Participates in recruitment of children to maintain full enrollment and an active waitlist.

· Recruits, trains, and supervises parents and other volunteers.

· Uses non-teaching hours to assist in the completion of paperwork, home visits, conferences, and other requirements.

· Adheres to agency policies and procedures

· Provides culturally and linguistically appropriate customer service to parents, children, community representatives/members, and all PACE staff daily.

· Ability to attend assignments away from assigned site, such as in-service trainings, home visits, parent conferences, etc., as available.

· Must have exceptional organizational and time management skills

· Implements agency policies and procedures

· Cooperates with Site Lead/Regional Site Director and other Service Area Coordinators in planning, supervision, and implementation of overall program

· Supports with child watch during parent meetings/trainings, as needed.

· Substitute as needed in accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

· Attend all assigned meetings and trainings as required by the program.

· Supports and ensures the achievement of recruitment and enrollment goals.

· Assists in accomplishing the program's non-federal share through the access of community resources (services, donations, discounts, and/or goods).

· Other duties as assigned within the scope of the position.

QUALIFICATIONS (KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE):

· Education and Work Experience

o High School Diploma or GED

o Must possess a current and valid Child Development Associate Teacher Permit or individuals with 6 ECE units and enrolled in one of LACOE’s Career Development Initiative Pathways or is continuously enrolled in a program leading to an Associate Teacher permit that outlines completion within two years

· Knowledge and Skills

o Ability to provide effective and nurturing teacher-child interactions, and to plan and implement learning experiences that:

o Ensure effective curriculum implementation and use of assessment data; and

o Promote children’s progress across the standards described in the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework: Ages Birth to Five and applicable state early learning and development standards, including for children with disabilities and dual language learners, as appropriate.

o Must be a team player with outstanding interpersonal skills

o Must have good organizational, written/oral communication and observation skills

o Basic computer skills required.

o Bilingual in English/Spanish is a plus, but not required

SPECIAL CONDITIONS:

· Current Adult & Pediatric CPR/1St Aid Certificate

· Reliable transportation to get to assigned work location in accordance with assigned working hours

· Must pass the following background checks prior to start of employment:

o Sex Offender Registry

o Child Abuse and Neglect State Registry

o State or Tribal Criminal History Check, including fingerprints

o FBI Criminal History Check, including fingerprints

· Must have verification of T.B. clearance at time of employment, to be renewed every four (4) years (every 4 years for chest x-rays).

· Must pass health screening (LIC 503) at time of employment, health screening is accepted within one year prior to hire, to be renewed every four (4) years.

· Provide proof of the following immunizations as required: Measles, Pertussis (Whooping Cough), Influenza, and COVID-19.

· Must complete 15 clock hours of professional development annually that builds the knowledge, experience, skills, and abilities of staff to improve child, family, and staff outcomes. Of this, a minimum of 50% of the 15 hours (or 7.5 hours) must be focused on the specific content area or job assignment.

· Must complete an annual Professional Development Plan (PDP) to be reviewed 3 times during the year.

· All child development and education staff must complete annually at least 21 hours of professional development and have a yearly individual professional development plan. College credit courses taken to meet degree requirements can be counted towards the 21 hours of professional development (courses must be from an accredited college or university).

· Must obtain 21 hours/year of professional development (105 hours every five years) to maintain their teaching certification/permit. Anyone with an Associate Teacher Permit must complete the required education to upgrade to Teacher Permit or higher during their 2nd Associate Teacher permit cycle.

· PACE will assist applicants that are eligible and have an active Certificate of Clearance with the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to apply for a Temporary County Certificate, Child Development (TCC) through Los Angeles County while waiting for CTC (Commission on Teacher Credentialing) to process.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The working conditions and physical demands of this position will be those that must be met to successfully perform the essential duties of the position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties. The physical environment the incumbent will work in is typically a pre-school environment with moderate noise levels that would be expected in that type of work environment. Outdoor and indoor supervision of playgrounds / workplace for on-going periods occurs regularly. Lift and carry up to 45 lbs. or more. The individual must be able to work with children at their eye level and always maintain visual supervision of children, as well as hear, communicate, and comprehend effectively with children, staff, and parents. The individual also must be able to walk, sit, kneel, crawl, carry, push, pull and participate in activities indoors and outdoors as needed in an environment with children and adults.

· T.B. Test within the past year prior to employment, and every four (4) years thereafter (every 4 years for a chest X-ray).

· Must pass health screening (LIC 503) at time of employment, health screening is accepted within one year prior to hire, to be renewed every four (4) years.

· Provide proof of the following immunizations as required: Measles, Pertussis (Whooping Cough), and Influenza.

· COVID vaccination required; must have two-dose series of Pfizer or Moderna or a single-dose of Johnson & Johnson. Those that need a medical or religious exemption must reach out separately.

· Representative physical demands of the job include normal vision and hearing, standing for extended periods, sitting for extended periods, kneeling and stooping, manipulating objects with hands, reaching overhead, and occasionally lifting and carrying objects weighing up to 45 pounds.

QUALIFICATIONS (KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE):

· Education and Work Experience

o High School Diploma or GED

o Must possess a current and valid Child Development Associate Teacher Permit or individuals with 6 ECE units and enrolled in one of LACOE’s Career Development Initiative Pathways or is continuously enrolled in a program leading to an Associate Teacher permit that outlines completion within two years