Educare Chicago provides high-quality care, best-in-class education, and a stimulating learning environment to children from birth to five years old on Chicago’s South Side. As a program that serves low-income families, Educare’s research-based program helps children develop the literacy, language, early math, and social-emotional skills they need to succeed in kindergarten and beyond.

We are recruiting individuals who want to join us in this mission and share a commitment to our core values of appreciation & respect, empowerment, diversity, excellence, learning, and communication.

Currently, we are looking for a rock star Early Head Start Teacher Assistant who will work under the supervision of the Lead Teacher, the Teacher Assistant will ensure that all classroom activities and the environment are developmentally appropriate and meet the individual needs of children as mandated by federal, state and local standards and that both the environment and classroom activities reflect the agency’s philosophy and curriculum. The Teacher Assistant assumes the classroom Lead Teacher’s responsibilities in the absence of the Lead Teacher.

Working closely with the Lead Teacher you will:

• Develop and regularly monitor child education binders for each child and ensure all confidential information is protected.
• Accurately complete all required program documentation and submit it promptly to the Lead Teacher.
• Participate in recruitment efforts to help maintain full program enrollment.
• As assigned by the classroom teacher, monitor and ensure that daily attendance, health checks, parent sign/scan-in, and meal participation reports are completed daily.
• Observe, assess, and document each assigned child’s health, skills, behavior, growth, and development.
• Adhere to all Individualized Education Programs, Individualized Family Service Plans, and/or Individualized Health Care Plans and strategies provided by Education Managers or Consultants.
• Provide opportunities for children to develop positive self-images and experience success.
• Participate in Family/Child Reviews. • Identify any developmental concerns regarding the children and follow agency protocol.
• Plan and implement developmentally appropriate experiences that will promote the social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development of each child.
• Utilize standardized and authentic assessment data to create learning opportunities to advance children’s development and learning.
• Establish and maintain a classroom environment that ensures appropriate child guidance and discipline techniques are implemented under Educare’s philosophy, curriculum, policies and procedures, Head Start standards, Ounce standards of conduct, and state regulations.
• Assume responsibility for the management of the classroom during the Teacher’s absence.
• In the absence of the Lead Teacher, perform and delegate child development and documentation responsibilities as needed
• Maintain a classroom environment that includes positive guidance techniques, that meet state and local licensing regulations, Head Start Program Performance Standards, and, program curriculum (Creative Curriculum) and approach (New Beginnings & Erikson Early Math Lessons) into individualized and group learning opportunities.
• Ensure all children are under appropriate supervision at all times and no child is left unattended.
• Schedule and conduct Parent/Staff conferences and adhere to the parent/staff conference guidance policy.
• Schedule and conduct home visits and adhere to the home visit guidance policy.
• Attend and actively participate in all required meetings and trainings, and reflective supervision. Perform other duties as assigned, within the scope of the job description.
• Follow all mandates of federal regulations, state and local licensing, and Start Early’s philosophy, agency policies and procedures, curriculum, and Standards of Conduct.

Required qualifications include:

• Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE) or Child Development (CD), OR Sixty (60) college credit hours with a minimum of fifteen (15) semester hours (6 semester hours of which are in infant/toddler development), or a Level 3 Infant/Toddler Credential or Infant/Toddler CDA. One year experience in Early Childhood or Child Care Program.
• A minimum of one year experience in an early childhood program.
• Clearance of background check by the Department of Children and Family Services.
• A biannual physical examination and TB test are required as a condition of initial employment and continued employment.

Based Salary Range: $40,575.00-$41,535.00 with a sign-on bonus up to $3,000

Our generous benefits plan includes:

Comprehensive Health Plans, a Commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, a Holistic Wellness Program, a Professional Development Program, 401k Contribution, Paid Volunteer Days, 6 months of paid parental leave, and much more.

Start Early is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to our core values by creating an inclusive environment for all staff.