IDENTIFYING DATA: 

POSITION TITLE: PRESCHOOL TEACHER I 

S.A.P. LEVEL: GRADE 4 

REPORTS TO: CENTER COORDINATOR 

SUPERVISES: ASSOCIATE TEACHERS

 DIVISION: CHILD DEVELOPMENT

 PROGRAM: STATE PRESCHOOL 

REVISED: JUNE 2023 

POSITION SUMMARY: 

Under the supervision of the Center Coordinator, Preschool Teacher I is a staff person who facilitates safe and healthy learning environments for young children. Preschool Teacher I plans individual and group activities according to child's age and current developmental levels based on school readiness goals and under the guidelines of Creative Curriculum and California Preschool Frameworks. Preschool Teacher I also involves parents/guardians in educational activities of the program to enhance their role as the principal influence on the child's education and development so that they can reinforce it at home for their children. 

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: 

SAFETY: 

 Inspects the indoor and outdoor environment for hazardous and unsafe conditions by using the Health and Safety Checklist and immediately reports any findings to the Center Coordinator.  Develops a plan to ensure the safety of the children within the group utilizing the indoor and outdoor environments.  Supervises activities and materials of children to ensure their safety.

  Recognizes and reports accidents, illnesses, and suspected child abuse to Center Coordinator according to timelines.

  Conducts monthly emergency drills.

  Maintains a clean and orderly indoor and outdoor environment free of clutter. 

 Use of Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS) for classroom quality. 

EFFECTIVE TEACHING PRACTICES:

  Plans and conducts activities to support school readiness in all domains. 

 Plans and conducts activities that are developmentally age appropriate for the children. 

 Provides materials that stimulates children’s learning and uses them appropriately. 

 Provides materials, which reflects children’s culture, children with disabilities, and dual language learners, as appropriate. 

  Conducts ASQ screenings within 30 days of child’s start date, develops an action plan with parents if child scores within the grey and/or black areas, and rescreens within 60 days.

  Conducts on-going observations and writes anecdotal to complete accurate Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP) assessments twice a year within the first 60 days of child’s start date then every 6 months thereafter. 

 Conducts parent conferences twice a year within 30 days of completed DRDP assessment. 

 In collaboration with parents/guardians, designs an Individualized Development Plan (IDP)/Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to identify goals and activities for school and home that will support each child’s development. 

 Submits all required reports accurately, completely, and in a timely manner, including enrollment and attendance information.

  Use of Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) for teaching quality. 

PARENT/COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: 

 Active participant in recruiting, assisting parents/guardians who walk in for enrollment information and/or participates in formal recruitment activities as assigned. 

 Encourages parent/guardian participation at the center and provides opportunities for them to use their skills and talents. 

 In bilingual settings, communicates both verbally and in writing with both parents/guardians and the children in their primary language when possible. 

 Conducts parent education meetings, which will include orientation, screenings and assessments, discussion of the IDP, child development, curriculum, and parenting skills.

 PROGRAM RESPONSIBILITIES:

  Adhere to Volunteers of America Southwest policies and procedures. 

 Attends trainings, workshops and meetings as scheduled and/or assigned. 

 Performs special projects. 

 Performs other related duties as assigned. 

 Travels to VOASW sites, community agencies, conferences, and trainings.  May need to support all VOASW sites.

  Weekend and evening work may be assign as needed.

  Abides by agency Standards of Conduct and policies, including applicable laws. 

QUALIFICATIONS: 

EDUCATION: 

• Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education or related field. 

EXPERIENCE:

 • At least 2 years of experience working in a classroom setting with young children. 

CERTIFICATION: 

• California Child Development Associate Teacher Permit or higher or within 6 months of hire in which an education plan needs to be submitted to the Human Resources Department. • AB 1207 Mandated Reporter CA certified • Child CPR & First Aide certified 

• Pesticide Training

 KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

 • Use of assessment data. 

SUPERVISION: 

• Supervised by the Center Coordinator for organizational guidance, performance evaluation, and professional development planning. 

• Supervises Associate Teachers. 

RELATIONSHIPS: 

• Administrative 

• Program Staff

 • Parents 

• Public 

REQUIREMENTS: 

Prior to hire, the following must be assured: 

• Clear criminal record following a fingerprint screening with the Department of Justice (DOJ, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Child Abuse Central Index (CACI), and Megan's law. 

• Completed and signed statement of any pending and prior criminal arrests/ charges/convictions related to child sexual abuse, child abuse and neglect, and/or violent felonies. 

• Successful completion of an initial health examination, performed by OR under the supervision of a physician, to determine, at a minimum, if the prospective employee can perform the duties outlined in the position description. 

• Proof of the absence of Tuberculosis, from a physician, to show that the prospective employee is clear to work with children and families. 

• Must present documentation of current immunization against Influenza, Measles, and Pertussis (TDAP). 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job: 

 • Ability to lift 30 pounds if required. 

• Ability to squat, bend, stoop, sit on floor, stand, and walk for required period. 

• Use close vision, color vision, peripheral vision and depth perception along with the ability to focus vision. 

• Reach with hands, arms, use hands, and fingers to handle objects and operate tools, computers, and/or controls. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Resumes can be emailed to Maria Nieto at mnieto@voa-swcal.org