Interim Lead Early Childhood Education Teacher

Position: Interim Lead Early Childhood Education Teacher

Employer: DAY ONE Early Learning Community Inc.

Salary Range: $45,000

Position Type: 8:00 am to 4:00 pm; additional hours for service as needed

Reports to:  Site Director

Location: Poughkeepsie, NY

About DAY ONE Early Learning Community Inc.

DAY ONE Early Learning Community is a 501(c)(3) social impact organization dedicated to strengthening communities by investing in our youngest members. We train exceptional teachers, empower families, and deliver high-quality early learning experiences centered in equity, inclusion, and social justice. Founded in 2019, our work spans New York State, uplifting historically marginalized communities and advancing systemic change in early childhood education.

Position Overview 

The Interim Lead Teacher, UPK, is a full-time position that will start May 18, 2026 to June 26, 2026, and then resume on August 24, 2026, ending on February 26, 2027. 

The lead teacher understands the importance of modeling contemporary developmentally appropriate practices throughout the day. You will be responsible for the whole classroom environment and creating positive, supportive relationships with the community, overseeing the overall well-being of the children, and managing the flow and supervision of the classroom.

Core Responsibilities

Working with young children

• Welcome each child and family with warmth and seek to develop a strong bond with each child, respectful of their temperament.
• Understand and implement developmentally appropriate practices and create a written individual learning plan for each child.
• Keep weekly written records monitoring growth, balance teaching to the individual with the whole group, and be committed to inclusion-based practices.
• Seek to understand the child's perspective during conflicts and articulate the appropriate next step for their development.

Curriculum and Program

• Oversee, prepare and implement an innovative early childhood curriculum, utilizing NYS pre-kindergarten standards as strong guidelines.
• Understand the foundation of an integrated curriculum and oversee all adults in the classroom regarding curriculum implementation.
• Support conversation and the development of independence skills during meal times.

Routines and Supervision

• Supervise a classroom with confidence and ease, demonstrating care, compassion, professionalism, and leadership.
• Respond flexibly to periods of limited staffing and adapt practices to individual needs.
• Supervise and direct substitute teachers, and provide warm mentorship to student teachers and apprentices.

Parents and Caregivers

• Interact with parents daily in a warm, professional manner, practice active listening, and build partnerships to meet developmental needs.
• Answer specific and general questions, seek to understand cultural/family identity, and respect parents' desires for different levels of involvement.
• Actively seek to take the parent's perspective and empathize with the challenges of parenting young children.

Administrative

• Keep accurate licensing and attendance records, and implement health and safety regulations at all times.
• Keep detailed notes, create ongoing learning portfolios, and write the majority of the bi-annual developmental profiles for the children.
• Lead or co-lead parent-teacher conferences and complete incident reports in a timely manner.

Qualifications & Requirements

• A teaching license or certificate valid for the early childhood grades, or be in compliance with the NYSED section 151-1.3 regulation.
• Documentation or completion of the following workshops before August 24, 2026: Child Abuse Identification and Reporting, Project SAVE, and DASA Training.
• Strong background in early child development, with completion of the Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway (TAP) strongly encouraged.
• Positive attitude, punctual, reliable, and equipped with maturity and ease for interpersonal relationships and utilizing constructive criticism.

Our Commitment to Equity and Inclusion DAY ONE Early Learning Community is committed to radical inclusivity and dismantling systemic barriers in early education. We actively seek to dismantle biases in our hiring process and workplace culture, encouraging applications from individuals of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. We are an equal opportunity employer and our organization stands firmly against discrimination of any kind.

Benefits The position includes a comprehensive benefits package including 401(k), health, dental & vision insurance, health savings account, and paid time off.

To Apply: Please email your resume and a brief cover letter outlining your relevant experience and interest in DAY ONE’s mission to Chanel Whitaker cwhitaker@doelc.org