Head Start Teacher Advocate 2026-27 School Year

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

We are currently seeking candidates for the upcoming school year! Join us in our mission to provide children in our community a head start in education by nurturing development with creativity, compassion, and the joy of discovery. Your passion for teaching can ignite a love for learning in children during their formative years. Be the change in a child's life; be a Head Start Teacher Advocate!

Estimated start date: Early-August

Locations: Redmond, Bend

Compensation: $31.19 or $33.68/hour, depending on education (+0 .50 for Bilingual English/Spanish) - Union represented

Hours: 40 hours/week, subject to normal school year furloughs (approximately 12-16 weeks per year based on position and location)

Benefits: 100% premium paid Medical, Dental, Vision and Life Insurance, Agency paid Retirement plan (up to 6 %!), almost 2 weeks of paid vacation accrued within first year, plus 14 paid Holidays annually and a separate sick leave accrual.

NeighborImpact’s Head Start program Overview

NeighborImpact Head Start is a comprehensive early education program serving children and families in Central Oregon. It integrates high-quality pre-kindergarten education with essential services such as health, nutrition, and family advocacy. Operating across multiple sites, NeighborImpact Head Start supports social competence, school readiness, and overall well-being of children from ages three to five.

Overview of Key Duties and Responsibilities:

We are seeking candidates for the upcoming school year with an estimated start date in Early-August 2026.

The Teacher Advocate is a pivotal role in the Head Start program, dedicated to fostering the educational development of young children and empowering parents as their primary educators. Meaningful planning and implementation of developmentally appropriate curriculum and providing a safe classroom environment for children is an important responsibility of this role. This involves delivering both classroom and in-home instruction, focusing on the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework to prepare children for school. The Teacher Advocate also collaborates closely with parents to set and achieve individual goals for their children, assesses child progress, and supports the transition to kindergarten. Additionally, the role includes maintaining regular family contact, conducting home visits, and coordinating various services to support the holistic development and well-being of children and their families.

Requirements:

Required

• Minimum education required is an associate’s degree in early childhood education or related field (human development, child and family studies, social work, sociology/psychology, education) with a minimum of 35 college quarter credit hours in Early Childhood Education, Child Development or related classes

1. OR in lieu of a degree, Step 9 in the Oregon Registry Online required, which is equivalent to an AA in ECE. This qualification will be recognized through December 31st, 2025.

• Diploma, transcripts, and/or certificate are required to be submitted with application to validate associate’s degree in early childhood education/related field, to verify ECE/related coursework, or Step level in ORO
• Must complete Teaching Strategies GOLD inter-rater reliability within 90 days of hire and maintain throughout employment
• Must be available for a flexible work schedule to accommodate family needs, may include some evening or weekend hours
• Frequent kneeling, stooping, bending, and sitting on the floor to attend to children’s needs. This position is rated as active and occasionally requires the individual to lift 50 pounds
• Must be able to ride a school bus with children for assigned periods of time
• Must have an initial health examination, and a periodic re-examination (as recommended by health care provider) so as to assure that employees do not because of communicable diseases, pose a significant risk to the health or safety of others, that cannot be eliminated or reduced by reasonable accommodation.
• Required prior to date of hire and throughout employment:

1. Valid driver’s license
2. Proof of current auto insurance
3. Food Handler’s Card
4. Current enrollment in the OR Office of Childcare Central Background Registry (CBR)
5. Access to reliable transportation required

• Within 60 days of hire and then throughout employment, Pediatric CPR/First Aid certification is required
• Within 18 months of hire, obtain Family Service Certificate, if hired after 11/6/2016 and working in a half day class required
• Above certifications must be kept current to remain employed

Preferred

• One year experience as a lead teacher (or equivalent) in a preschool classroom preferred
• Head Start experience preferred
• Experience in a social services field, or home visiting preferred
• Current or past Head Start parent preferred