Key Responsibilities
Enrollment
The Director is the chief ambassador of the school and actively works to promote Third Street Preschool to prospective families, attract diverse families, and increase enrollment.
Communication
The Director should be a highly skilled communicator, proactively and articulately communicating with parents, faculty, leadership, and colleagues.
Exmissions
The Director leads the exmissions process, guiding families as they choose the next steps for their children. To do this work, the Director should be familiar with New York independent, parochial, and public schools and be excited to strengthen those relationships.
Curriculum
The Director oversees the curriculum and programming of early childhood education, ensuring a strong play-based, progressive learning environment and blending inspirational engagement with music and art.
Faculty Recruitment and Retention
Teachers are the heart and soul of Third Street Preschool. The Director recruits and hires teachers who are aligned with the school’s philosophy and who have strong backgrounds and experience in early childhood education. In addition, the Director will develop and lead the onboarding process for new teachers. Finally, the Director will work to support and coach current teachers so that they are set up for long-term success at the school.
Parent Mentoring and Guidance
Parent education and mentoring are of paramount importance. The Director will build on established relationships with families as well as develop new relationships, guiding and mentoring parents through the early years of their children’s growth.
Finances
The Director collaborates with senior leadership in the oversight and management of a $1.7 million budget.
Location
Third Street Music School Settlement occupies 22,000 square feet of space at 235 East 11th Street. The preschool classrooms are spacious and light, and there are indoor and outdoor play areas and a learning garden. Music often drifts from the doors and windows of the performance spaces and classrooms.
Desired Qualifications and Qualities
Professional Qualifications and Experience
· M. Ed in Early Childhood Education.
· Certified NYS teaching license.
· Must have a minimum of two years of experience as preschool lead teacher.
· Proven track record as administrator and leader.
· A strong background in early childhood education and child development.
· Expertise in evaluating, coaching, and mentoring faculty and guiding professional growth.
· A skilled and responsive manager of programs, people, and schedules.
· Experience in and commitment to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive school community.
· Ability to recruit and retain talented and dedicated teachers.
· Experience in building relationships with other schools and school leaders in New York City schools.
Skills and Competencies
· Strong, empathic listening skills.
· Superb communication skills, including excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills.
· Demonstrated ability to be the public face of the school.
· A team player and consensus builder with a warm, positive, collaborative nature.
· A fine-tuned sense of humor.
· A presence that inspires confidence, including facility in giving and receiving feedback and balancing the broad range of needs and demands of multiple constituencies.
· Boundless joy for working with young children.
· Excellent problem-resolution skills and a willingness to engage in difficult conversations.
· Highly organized with excellent technology skills and comfort in learning new tools.
Benefits and Compensation
Anticipated salary range: $140-160K with a strong benefits package.
Interested candidates should submit, as soon as possible, materials that include the following:
· A cover letter indicating why they are particularly interested in and qualified for the position.
· A current resume.
· A statement of educational leadership philosophy.
· An additional writing sample of your choice (newsletter, talk, article, etc.).
· A list of three references (references will not be contacted until the finalist stage of the search).
Application Deadline: Candidates should apply as soon as possible and no later than Thursday, August 1.
Start date: An announcement is anticipated in September with some flexibility.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $140,000.00 - $160,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee discount
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Professional development assistance
- Vision insurance
Schedule:
Experience:
- Teaching: 2 years (Required)
License/Certification:
- CPR Certification (Preferred)
Ability to Commute:
- New York, NY 10003 (Required)
Ability to Relocate:
- New York, NY 10003: Relocate before starting work (Required)
Work Location: In person