Details
Posted: 18-Mar-22
Location: New York City, New York
Type: Full Time
Salary: 110,000-125,000
Categories:
Division Head/Principal
Internal Number: BS2022-PPDirec
We are currently looking for an experienced educational leader to head our Pre-Primary division to begin in Summer 2022. Blue School’s new Pre-Primary Director should be an insightful and imaginative leader who will support our diverse community of faculty, students and families as the division and school continues to evolve.
Pre-Primary Program Summary
The Pre-Primary Program at Blue School is a socially and emotionally rich environment that draws inspiration from the natural world, mindfulness practices, play-based progressive pedagogies, constructivist learning philosophy, and the Reggio Emilia approach. Our classrooms are warm, nurturing, aesthetically pleasing spaces with a small student-teacher ratio. The Pre-Primary teaching team is small and highly collaborative. The program director should be well-versed in pedagogical documentation and its use in supporting teachers as researchers and curricula rooted in observation of and reflection on children’s work. The ability to see possibilities in materials (authentic, expressive, ephemeral) is at the heart of the program and the director should have an understanding of the essential role materials play in our classrooms.
The Pre-Primary Director is responsible for all aspects of Blue School’s early childhood program, which consists of 50 students between 2-5 years old. The ideal candidate will be a team oriented, organized, and articulate individual who is passionate about progressive education and experienced in leading a Reggio-inspired, emergent curriculum program.
Director of Pre-Primary Program Responsibilities
- Oversee curriculum development and implementation within a rich, vibrant learning environment.
- Provide leadership, inspiration, supervision and guidance to pre-primary faculty.
- As part of our parent education program, develop, communicate and lead parent workshops on topics relevant to the developmental needs of young children.
- Recruit, hire and evaluate faculty and specialists, such that they develop their own professional practice.
- Plan and conduct weekly pre-primary professional development meetings and weekly reflection meetings with each teaching team.
- Orient and train new faculty members.
- Oversee and review teacher reports, documentation and other parent communication, and family and parent conference planning.
- Seek out opportunities for pre-primary faculty to build connections with the outside community through school visits, and leading and attending conferences and workshops.
School Leadership Responsibilities
The Pre-Primary Director is fully responsible for oversight of the Pre-Primary division, reports directly to the Head of School and serves as a member of the school's leadership team. Flexibility, great attention to detail, ability to multitask, and exemplary communication and follow through are required to be successful in this role. The Pre-Primary Director will:
- Work with the school’s other division directors to articulate and promote a cohesive whole-school learning culture.
- Lead the Pre-Primary division in a manner consistent with Blue School’s mission, vision and values.
- Participate actively in school wide Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work and be able to build on the work already being done in the Pre-Primary division.
- Communicate the Pre-Primary division’s priorities, expectations, frameworks, guidelines, practices and other information to all constituencies, including students, faculty, administration, and parents.
- Assist with the implementation of strategic plan goals as per goal setting with the Head of School.
- Oversee the reporting of student’s growth and achievement to families and maintain divisional records for each child.
- Respond to the cognitive, physical, social, and psychological needs of Pre-Primary children, families, and caregivers and develop creative plans for meeting these needs in collaboration with teachers and child developmental specialists.
- Make recommendations to the Head of School, for the hiring, assignment, and retention of faculty.
- Partner with departmental leaders to support the school’s admission of a student body who will thrive, work collaboratively with the business office to plan for the financial needs of the Pre-Primary program.
- Cultivate and maintain a safe and inclusive school culture of mutual respect, collaboration and innovation.
- Maintain a visible and positive presence in all areas of the school division.
- Oversee the day-to-day program operations which includes coordinating and managing substitutes and teacher absences, serving as on-site point of contact for all families, and providing support and problem-solving to teachers and specialists as needed.
Candidate Qualities
The Pre-Primary Director will be inspired by the mission of Blue School and should be an eloquent and effective communicator, both orally and in written form, about the school’s approach.
The Pre-Primary Director will have a deep understanding of child development and developmentally appropriate practice, a commitment to progressive, co-constructive, and experiential education, as well as a demonstrated personal and professional investment in social justice, diversity, equity and inclusion in education.
The Pre-Primary Director should have a keen interest in developing a healthy and thriving culture that effectively integrates perspectives of community members, with particular sensitivity to the triad of students, parents, and teachers.
Requirements
- Must possess a relevant Master's Degree or higher
- Certification by the State Education Department
- At least 10 years of experience in Reggio-inspired, constructivist or project-based early childhood settings.
- At least 5 years of leadership experience that includes teacher supervision and reflection, leading professional development and program administration
- Possess excellent written and oral communication skills
- Dedication to establishing and maintaining collaborative and effective working relationships with others
- Love of working with young children and families
- Familiarity and experience with NYS CPSE process and with DOH/Article 47 compliance
To Apply:
Please send your resume and a letter of interest to hr@blueschool.org with Pre-Primary Division in the subject line to be considered.
Blue School is committed to achieving a diverse workforce providing equal opportunities to all employees and applicants. We value, respect, and celebrate differences. Employment is decided on qualifications, merit and school needs and not on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.