State Mandated Teacher - Garfield, New Jersey

Every Child Deserves a Head Start

Pre-School Teachers P-3 Standard - Garfield, NJ

Greater Bergen Community Action’s (GBCA) Head Start Preschool program offers a rewarding environment for P-3 educators seeking to advance their careers while making a positive impact. Our mission is to provide a quality, comprehensive educational program that prepares children and their families for kindergarten and life beyond. With its origins in the War on Poverty, Head Start is one of the longest-running federally funded programs in the United States. The Head Start model has been praised and emulated throughout the country. 

At GBCA, our Head Start Preschool program collaborates with local school districts to provide quality education.  Our compensation package is highly competitive.  We offer a supportive work environment that recognizes the value of every employee, and we continually focus on staff wellness.  

Whether you are new to preschool education or an experienced teacher, we welcome you to join our Head Start preschool program. Come make a difference. Discover what it's like to teach children and reach families through the Head Start approach. 

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in early childhood education with a P-3 standard, CEAS, or CEA with the completion of 50-hour course
• Ability to work effectively with children 3-5 years old.
• Ability and willingness to work as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Ability to work with children and families of diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Energetic and positive attitude with a passion for teaching

Responsibilities include:

• Learn and adhere to the philosophy and mandates of Head Start and Early Head Start as outlined in the Performance Standards, licensing requirements, and the Policies and Procedures of Greater Bergen Community Action (GBCA).
• Create a learning community in which individual differences are respected.
• Ensure children receive individual attention and supervise children at all times by using your eyes and ears.
• Prepare the classroom daily for the children's arrival.
• Design and implement developmentally appropriate learning experiences, making subject matter accessible and meaningful to all students.
• Prepare weekly lesson plans one week in advance and post them in a designated area that is easily visible to all pertinent individuals.
• Maintain a neat classroom and ensure all equipment and materials are in good working condition.
• Maintain the safety and bodily cleanliness of each child.
• Participate in and conduct the Early Screening Inventory and Ages & Stages and/or any other assessment tool required by the agency and/or any other regulatory body.
• Attends in-service and pre-service training workshops as required and/or requested.
• Plan for and participates in in-home visits, parent/teacher conferences, and back-to-school events, which will be scheduled during the day and evening.
• Plans and/or participates in class trips or any other event that may take the teacher and/or students out of the typical classroom environment. 
• Share information with parents/guardians and plan, as a team, strategies for meeting each child's individual needs.
• Meet with supervisors to discuss progress, classroom observations, program planning, professional development, and plans for specific training as needed.
• Submit weekly anecdotal records in the program's online assessment tool on each child and complete written evaluations of each child’s development.
• Implement the program's curriculum with fidelity.
• Assume responsibilities for all mandated classroom documentation for the education component.

 Benefits Include:

- Healthcare: Medical via an ICHRA model, dental, vision

- Agency-paid life insurance

- Tax Savings Plans: Medical, dependent care, commuter plans

- Retirement Account participation with an employer match after one year of employment

- Paid Time Off includes: Holiday, vacation, floating holiday, and sick time

- Professional Development