Education Director

Acacia Network Early Childhood Programs Manager

Are you ready to give back to the community while pursuing your passion? For over 50 years, Acacia Network and its affiliates have been committed to improving the quality-of-life and wellbeing of underserved communities in New York City and beyond. We are one of the leading human services organizations in New York City and the largest Hispanic-led nonprofit in the State, serving over 150,000 individuals every year. Our programs serve individuals at every age and developmental level, from the very young through our daycare programs to mature adults through our older adults' centers. Our extensive array of community-based services is fully integrated, bilingual and culturally competent.

Under the direction of the Vice President of Social Services, assists in overseeing and directing the planning, organizing, and implementation of education services for children. This position has been developed to assist the Acacia Network Early Childhood Programs improve operations and maintain compliance. The staff member will perform as part of the management team.

Full-time, M-F, 830am-430pm. Undercliff Head Start, 10453.

Key Essential Functions

• Participate in grantee pre-service trainings and all year long.
• Perform the functions of this position with a strong understanding of Head Start Performance Standards and the safety and service plans; ACS child development outcomes; and thorough knowledge and application of developmentally appropriate practices.
• Deliver pre-service and monthly in-service training session to teaching staff.
• Monitor the implementation of creative curricula in the classrooms and assure that checkpoints are met.
• Supervise all classroom practices, room arrangements, lesson plans, daily schedules, routines, and transitions to assure their adherence to the program policies.
• Carry out recommendations of the NYC-ACS monitor for program improvement.
• Supervise children's assessment, including weekly observations in each area, examples of the child's work, developmental assessments, and children's assessment and outcome reports.
• Assure that home visits and parent conferences are done and that the progress reports are completed and used to discuss the individualization for each child.
• Assist the Family Assistants in implementing the Family Literacy Program.
• Identify items and materials needed in the classrooms.
• Assist in the process to transition 4-year-old children to kindergarten in September.
• Assist individual staff members in identifying their training needs and improving their knowledge and abilities.
• Evaluate the performance of teaching staff, at the end of the probation period and annually thereafter and recommend subsequent personnel action to the director.
• Actively participate in the development and implementation of the Teacher Professional Development Plan.
• Assure that staff files and documentation are complete, accurate, and confidentially maintained.
• Perform other duties as may be required.

Requirements

• Must have a masters and license in Early Childhood Education.
• NYS Teaching certificate for early childhood, or N-6 or Birth-2 nd Grade.
• Have taught early childhood for at least 5 years.
• Have knowledge and experience in the philosophy and practices of Head Start (or comparable child development programs), early childhood education, developmentally appropriate practice, bilingual education.
• Proof of physical examination within the last 6 months, which indicates TB test, and meets the requirements as stated by the Agency and DOHMH.
• Personal qualifications as required: Emotional maturity, willingness to cooperate with the aims of the program, respect for children and adults, flexibility, patience and good customer service skills.
• Ability to use abstract reasoning, problem solving, planning and analytical skills in training, evaluation and program development.
• Requires effective interpersonal and oral communication skills for supervisory duties.
• Requires effective writing and oral communications skills to conduct meetings and training sessions, and to prepare reports that are clear, compete, comprehensive, and use good grammar and punctuation.
• Successful experience working in team setting.
• Ability to present a positive image of the organization to members of the community.
• Visual and auditory acuity within professionally determined normal ranges, with correction if need.
• Manual dexterity sufficient to operate a computer and office equipment including, but not limited to, the telephone, fax machine, copier and tape recorder.
• Must be able to travel, enter an exit a vehicle without assistance.
• Experience successfully working with a culturally diverse staff and clients.

Why Join Us?

Acacia Network provides a comprehensive and competitive benefits package to our employees. In addition to a competitive salary, our benefits include medical, dental, and vision coverage. We also offer generous paid time off, including vacation days and paid holidays, to support a healthy work-life balance. We prioritize the well-being of our employees both professionally and personally.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply.