Jefferson County Head Start Teacher Associate

Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of vulnerable children and families? Jefferson County Head Start's Teacher Associate position may be what you've been searching for. The Teacher Associate role is a great opportunity if you are currently enrolled in a childhood development program and need to log hours in the classroom or a recent graduate looking to start your career.

Head Start is a no cost, all-inclusive, child-focused and family-centered preschool program for children ages 3-5. A range of individualized services in the areas of education, early childhood development, medical, dental, mental health, nutrition, family support, and parent education. We strive to provide equitable and inclusive services and support to the diverse community we serve.

The Head Start Teacher Associate will support the Lead Teacher in classroom duties in a classroom of 15-18 children, implementing curriculum, and maintaining compliance with Head Start Performance standards including education, disabilities, parent involvement, nutrition, health, and mental health.

This position is full time, year-round. Working Monday through Friday, typically 7:15-3:45pm. Hiring Range: $20.00-$23.10 USD Hourly. Compensation will be determined based on education, experience, and skills. Staff that are fluent in a language other than English may be eligible for additional compensation of $1,500 annually for use of bi-lingual skills. Jefferson County offers a generous benefits package that supports your personal and professional life. Benefits include medical, dental and vision insurance, paid time off and holidays, retirement matching, wellness programs, tuition reimbursement, flexible schedules, and more.

The Head Start Teacher Associate will be responsible for supporting the Lead Teacher with the following duties:

• Implementation of Creative Curriculum
• Developing lesson plans
• Administering development, social and emotional screenings
• Conducting observations and notation of documentation
• Actively supervising children
• Teaching developmentally appropriate practices and utilize trauma informed care
• Ensuring compliance with Head Start performance standards within the classroom including education, disabilities, parent involvement, nutrition, health, and mental health.
• Partnering with a multi-disciplinary team including mental health specialists, special education professionals, and family support workers to provide the best service for our families
• Supporting peers by collaborating and sharing experiences to finding solutions together
• Use specific strategies with families to provide home language support to all English language learners
• Abide by Colorado Adult and Child Food Program Guidelines to offer family style dining for each meal served during the school day to ensure rich conversations and language development opportunities
• Collaborate with the Special Education Team (SPED) to support children with IEP's and track progress on their specific goals. Create MTSS (Multi-tiered Systems of Support) goals for children that may have a suspected developmental delay and collect the necessary data needed to support SPED referrals. Attend IEP meetings in the absence of the Lead Teacher
• Build family engagement and develop relationships with families through ongoing interactions that are responsive to the strengths, interests, needs, and culture of the family
• Support the Lead Teacher, as the child's first educator, in conducting family visits throughout the year including a visit prior to the child's first day of school to partner with the parent and a conference with the family in the spring to reflect on the school experiences of the child and the family. Assist with the data collection required for the Lead Teacher to be able to review child outcomes and set new developmental goals for two family conferences throughout the school year. Conduct family visits and family conferences in the absence of the Lead Teacher
• Assist with raising match funds for the program by supporting families in tracking learning opportunities at home that are connected to the learning taking place in the classroom. Help identify families that could benefit from partnering with Jeffco Prosperity Partners to gain specialized supports to obtaining self-sufficiency
• Participate in two weeks of annual professional and educational development. Participate in on-going monthly opportunities focused on trauma informed care, social determinants of health, family engagement, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Work ongoing with supervisor to make progress towards identified current and long-term career goals. Attend monthly group coaching sessions to collaborate and learn from specialists and peers. Maintain credential in Colorado Shines Professional Development Information System (PDIS)
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Research shows that women and other underrepresented and historically marginalized groups tend to apply only when they check every box in the posting. If you are reading this and hesitating to click "apply" for that reason, we encourage you to go for it! A true passion and excitement for making an impact is just as important as work experience.

Minimum Qualifications:

• High School Diploma or GED and one year of experience, and enrolled in a CDA credential program to be completed within two years of employment (Hours working in the classroom may be used for teaching hours required for CDA)
• Child Development Associate credential (CDA), or State awarded certificate that meets or exceeds the requirements for CDA credential, OR enrolled in a program leading to an associate's or bachelor's degree
• CPR/First Aid/ADE Certified by State of Colorado

Preferred knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• One - two years of experience in a classroom or center focusing on early childhood education or development
• Experience implementing social and emotional learning (SEL) curriculum in a preschool setting
• Strong written and verbal communication and ability to utilize computer programs for documentation

Criminal History and MVR Background Checks are required for every position. Offer of employment is contingent upon successful completion of criminal history, motor vehicle report, education verification, and/or references. In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information. All Jefferson County Employees must apply through their internal profile.

Any applicant who knowingly or willfully makes a false statement of any material fact or thing in the application is guilty of perjury in the second degree as defined in Section 18-8-503, C.R.S., and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished accordingly.

At Jefferson County, we're always looking to connect with passionate, caring professionals who believe in the mission of Head Start and early childhood education. While we don't have any current job openings for this role, we expect to have opportunities for the fall school year and we'd love to get to know you ahead of time. As positions become available, we will reach out to schedule first round interviews with the intended hire date of August 11, 2025. Candidates will be notified when positions become available and if other candidates were selected for the role. We hope you'll consider applying for the chance to be part of this amazing program!

Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply immediately. All applicants must submit an online employment application by 11:59PM on the posted cut-off date. For more details on the recruitment process, please visit: https://www.jeffco.us/1860/FAQs. Questions? Contact the Jefferson County Recruitment Team at 303-271-8420 or CareerTalent@Jeffco.us.