Education Director

Education Director

Job Description

Organizational Summary

Union Settlement is an East Harlem based nonprofit organization founded in 1895. For 128 years, Union Settlement has provided critical and innovative programming to children, youth, families, and older adults. As a pioneer of the settlement house movement, Union Settlement continues to meet the needs of the ever-changing East Harlem community through its core programs. Through these programs, New Yorkers gain opportunities, develop skills, and become empowered to pursue and achieve their dreams. 

Today, Union Settlement provides services through 33 program sites in approximately 28 locations. Union Settlement’s current programmatic portfolio includes 8 core program areas: Early Childhood Education, Youth Services (including after school programs), Family Services (including the Family Enrichment Center and the Family Childcare Network), the East Harlem Community Partnership, Adult Education, Mental Health Services, Older Adult Centers, and Economic Development.  Union Settlement serves more than 10,000 individuals and nearly 1,000 businesses every year. 

Strengthened by a dynamic, diverse, and collaborative workforce of more than 350 employees, Union Settlement also serves as a connector, convener, and advocate for East Harlem and its partners. To learn more about Union Settlement, visit www.unionsettlement.org

Position: Education Director                                                                        

Department: Early Childhood Education

Reports to: Director of Early Childhood Education

Hours: Full-Time

Salary: $87,000 - $95,000                                                                       

FLSA: Exempt

Location: On-site

Position Summary:

The Educational Director leads the center's development, implementation, and supervision of the program's curriculum. The Educational Director provides direct coaching & supervision to teaching teams as they plan classroom-learning activities, develop lesson plans, and implement instruction informed by children's interests while keeping the individual needs of children in mind. This position is responsible for promoting developmentally appropriate practices in the classrooms by teaching teams that advance children's social-emotional, cognitive, language, and physical development. This position is responsible for ensuring staffing of classrooms as outlined by regulations and contractual requirements. 

Under the supervision of the Director of Early Childhood Education, this position provides daily guidance, coaching and support to teaching teams to ensure high quality practices that are sensitive to the needs of children and celebrate children and family's diversity, language, and culture. This position works closely with the Associate Director of Social Services to support family engagement and strong school-home connections that extends learning from the center to the children's home. This position ensures staff are professionally trained to meet the individual health and nutritional needs of children. This position is responsible for ensuring teaching teams receive all required training as per regulatory and contractual requirements.

Responsibilities:

• Responsible for ensuring teaching teams provide responsive care, effective teaching, and an organized learning environment that promotes healthy development and children’s skill growth aligned with the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework: Ages Birth to Five, including for children with disabilities.
• Support and coach teaching teams in developing and using effective teaching practices that emphasize nurturing and responsive practices, interactions, and environments that foster trust and emotional security; are communication and language rich; promote critical thinking and problem-solving; social, emotional, behavioral, and language development; provide supportive feedback for learning; motivate continued effort; and support all children’s engagement in learning experiences and activities.
• Design, implement and supervise the planning of organized activities, schedules, lesson plans, and the implementation of high-quality early learning experiences that are responsive to and build upon each child’s individual pattern of development and learning.
• Ensure that teaching teams are integrating child assessment data in individual and group planning.
• Support and coach teaching teams in meeting the social-emotional and wellness of children in collaboration with families and other team members or providers such as disabilities and mental health providers.
• Support and coach teaching teams in including developmentally appropriate learning experiences in language, literacy, social and emotional development, math, science, social studies, creative arts, and physical development that are focused toward achieving progress outlined in the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework: Ages Birth to Five.
• Ensure teaching teams are completing developmental screenings to identify concerns regarding a child’s developmental, behavioral, motor, language, social, cognitive, and emotional skills within 45 calendar days of when the child first attends the program.
• Support and coach teaching teams in conducting standardized and structured assessments for each child that provide ongoing information to evaluate the child’s developmental level and progress in outcomes aligned to the goals described in the Head Start Early Learning Child Outcomes Framework: Ages Birth to Five.
• Actively monitor Teaching Strategies Gold (TSG) Assessment system; support and train teachers in the utilization of TSG system for supporting instruction, assessment, and planning.
• Collaborate with other senior staff in offering opportunities for parents and family members to be involved in the program’s education and family services.
• Collaborate with the management team in implementing annual program self-assessment, staff evaluations, professional development, and monitoring compliance with Head Start Program Performance Standards and Article 47 regulations. 
• Obtain required training to maintain compliance with Head Start Program Performance Standards and Article 47. 
• Additional duties as assigned by the Associate Director of Education & Curriculum and the ECE (Early Childhood Education) Program Director.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education or equivalent if degree awarded prior to 2014 (minimum). 
• Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education (preferred)
• Active Certificate Holder for Classroom Teacher (Birth to Grade 2 or Nursery to Grade 6) or PreK to Grade 6) via New York State Education Department required.
• At least two years of lead teacher experience in a program for children less than six years of age.
• Five years of classroom and/or supervisory, and coaching experience preferred.
• Strength-based leader with experience coaching and training teaching teams.
• Effective communication, problem solving, analytical, writing and technical skills (Must be comfortable with daily utilization of Microsoft Word, Excel, and related software).
• Knowledge of Head Start Program Performance Standards and Article 47 (preferred).

CO R E CO M P E T E N C IE S
 

• Leading Others: Creates a sense of urgency throughout the organization on the importance of achieving outcomes. Inspires, influences, and enables team members to reach their goals
• Facilitating Change: Approaches challenges with creativity and flexibility. Demonstrates analytical thinking. Guides change to meet Union Settlement’s goals.
• Managing Performance: Evaluates and revises goals semi-annually with the team. Provides consistent supervision and documents performance highlights and concerns
• Applying and Developing Expertise: Embraces and leads the team to achieve milestones. Seeks and supports professional development opportunities for team members. Manages finances and budgets effectively
• Communicating and Collaborating: Listens well and actively engages with others with honesty and integrity and holds team accountable to the same standard

Union Settlement’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Commitment

Union Settlement is an equal opportunity employer. They do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.