Demo

Lead Teacher

Lykkehaven Early Learning, Inc.
Clayton, NY Full Time
POSTED ON 7/8/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 11/4/2026

Full-time · Year-round

The Lead Teacher runs the daily program. Sets the rhythm of the day. Holds the long arc of each child's year. Reports to the founder and works alongside the Assistant Teacher and, as we grow, a second assistant.

Salary. $48,000 per year.

Benefits. Paid time off, a holiday schedule that follows the trimester calendar, and a tuition-free place for your own children in the program.

Schedule. Monday through Friday, school hours plus prep time. Some flexibility on start and end times in coordination with the founder.

What we are looking for

  • Above everything, the right fit for our program and a real belief in the pedagogy. We would take a teacher who lives this philosophy over a more credentialed one who does not. We would love someone who arrives with every qualification, but conviction is the thing we cannot teach, and experience is the thing we can build toward together.
  • The OCFS group-teacher qualification for a licensed center: an associate's degree in early childhood, child development, or a related field; or a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential with experience caring for children; or nine college credits in the field with a plan of study toward one of those. If your path looks a little different, send the details and we will work through it.
  • Current CPR and First Aid certification, or a willingness to certify before the start date. We cover the cost.
  • A clean background check and willingness to complete OCFS-required health and safety training (15 hours within the first six months, 30 hours every two years).
  • The kind of teacher who already believes that a child who cannot read at six is not behind, who already takes children outside in the rain, who already understands that the adult's job is to observe before they intervene.
  • Warmth with children and warmth with parents. They are different skills. Both matter.
  • Comfort with founding ambiguity. The first year is a thousand small decisions, and we want a Lead Teacher who can think alongside the founder, not someone who needs the answer to be already in a binder.

How to apply

Send a letter and a CV to info@lykkehaven.com. The letter matters more than the CV. Tell us why this work. Tell us what you would not do in a room of four-year-olds, and why. Tell us what the last child you sat with for a long time was working on.

The posting closes when the role is filled.

Pay: $48,000.00 per year

Application Question(s):

  • The letter matters more than the CV. Please tell us why this work. Tell us what you would not do in a room of four-year-olds, and why. Tell us what the last child you sat with for a long time was working on.

Work Location: In person

Salary : $48,000

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