Director of Early Childhood Education 2024-25

Akiba Yavneh Academy (AYA) is seeking an energetic, organized, articulate individual with excellent people skills to oversee and coordinate our early childhood program. This person will have demonstrated expertise in early childhood education and management. This is a full-time, senior leadership, advanced management position that requires independent judgment, initiative, creativity, and flexibility. As a member of the senior academic leadership of the school, the Director will work collaboratively with the principals and administrative leadership to ensure the safety, nurturing, growth and education of the students at AYA. This individual welcomes and fosters a collaborative approach to working with teaching staff, enjoys interacting with children and families, is dedicated to promoting an appreciation for Jewish education, culture and values, and is passionate about building a nurturing dynamic program to serve Jewish families and their children.

We are conveniently located on a beautiful 8.5-acre campus nestled quietly into a busy part of the North Dallas area serving both the North and South Dallas Jewish communities. Our program is Reggio-Inspired and NAEYC accredited and accepts students ranging from infants (3 months) through Pre-K. We provide high quality half and full-day early childhood education programs from late August through May with summer camp opportunities. Our early childhood program is enriched by a strong presence of Jewish culture, religion, tradition and community. We value learning experiences through play and provide activities, lessons and materials that encourage creativity, self-expression and inquiry. The director will oversee an early childhood program of approximately 120 children and 28 staff.

Primary Responsibilities Include:

Oversight of the day-to-day operations of our developmental, play-based program.

Maintain program excellence which includes best practices in early childhood education

Facilitation of classroom oversight and management

Oversight of program growth

Enhancement and maintenance of strong relationships with teachers and families

Recruitment, supervision, mentoring, professional development, and evaluation of teachers

Recruit, tour, and manage families for enrollment

Retain families for following years through community-building efforts

Facilitation of proactive communication with parents

Develop community partnerships with schools and agencies

Foster a nurturing, inclusive, and engaging natural environment that reflects respect and compassion that is supportive of and accessible to all children

Identification and development of grant opportunities to support early childhood programming

 Encourage the involvement of Jewish families in the greater Dallas Jewish community

Maintain NAEYC accreditation and Child Care Licensing rules and regulations

Work collaboratively with AYA principals and leadership administration to facilitate a seamless educational experience for all ages on our campus

Conduct yearly evaluations of all personnel, including formal classroom observations, and oversight of all teachers

Develop and maintaining strong relationships with early childhood program families, including a strong communication system

 Plan, facilitate, and promote faculty professional development that encourages the creation of educationally and developmentally sound programming.

Developing and building relationships with feeder programs

Serve as a resource for recommendations for professional developmental evaluations of children.

Other duties as required

Required Skills and Education

Bachelor's degree in early childhood education and/or family development, Master's degree preferred

Minimum 3 years of management experience

Minimum five years of teaching experience, preferably in early childhood

Strong communication and interpersonal skills

Willingness to meet standards for a program administrator as mandated by the State of Texas and NAEYC

Strong Judaic background and understanding of Modern Orthodox observance

Demonstrated team leadership and ability to interface effectively with the community

Salary & Benefits

Competitive salary.

AYA provides a significant subsidy to help cover the cost of family health insurance.

Generous relocation package is available.

Generous tuition package is available for dependent children enrolled at AYA.

Paid PTO and vacation time.

Paid time off for Jewish holidays and school closings.

AYA provides life insurance, AD&D and long-term disability coverage

TO APPLY:

Please visit https://akibayavnehacademy.easyapply.co/to submit your cover letter and resume.

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