Early Education Head of School

Job Description

Location:

SELA (Hingham, MA). Age served: 3 months–5 years.

Schedule:

5 days/week – three days 8:30 AM–6:00 PM, two days 7:00 AM–3:30 PM.

Benefits include 401(k), health/vision/dental/life insurance, paid lunch, snow days, holidays, vacation, tuition discounts for own children, and school uniform for specific events.

SELA is a private immersive education organization serving English‑speaking children from infancy through 6th grade. We seek a hands‑on Early Education Head of School to lead program quality, staff performance, and day‑to‑day execution across early childhood classrooms. The role requires building systems, coaching teachers, ensuring a safe, compliant, developmentally appropriate environment while maintaining a warm, high‑expectation culture aligned with SELA’s mission.

• Own academic quality for ages 3 months–5 years, ensuring progress across language, literacy, early math, social‑emotional development, and executive function skills.
• Maintain consistent lesson‑planning expectations, weekly planning cycles, and documentation standards.
• Monitor child progress and classroom outcomes using observation tools and developmental checklists.
• Lead school‑readiness systems for Pre‑K, including transition planning and family communication.
• Partner with curriculum leadership to implement immersion goals with fidelity.
• Lead implementation of SELA’s curriculum across infant, toddler, and preschool classrooms, aligning with milestones and best practices.
• Ensure classroom environments are prepared, organized, and developmentally appropriate.
• Conduct classroom observations and provide coaching, written feedback, and follow‑up support.
• Support teachers in planning, assessment, and documentation using early education tools and apps.
• Promote strong classroom management practices that are respectful, consistent, and child‑centered.
• Provide hands‑on leadership to teaching and administrative staff, fostering collaboration, trust, accountability, and professionalism.
• Supervise, coach, evaluate staff, identify training needs, and coordinate professional development.
• Oversee recruitment, hiring, onboarding, performance management, and terminations in alignment with SELA policies and Massachusetts licensing standards.
• Maintain a positive workplace culture that supports staff retention and continuity.
• Provide instructional feedback and teacher support with the Assistant Director.
• Maintain open, transparent communication with families regarding updates, policies, classroom activities, and child progress.
• Organize, promote, and attend family engagement initiatives and events.
• Serve as liaison between families and management to ensure inclusive decision‑making and responsiveness.
• Build relationships with community partners to support enrollment growth.
• Maintain compliance with Massachusetts licensing standards, internal policies, and documentation.
• Monitor health and safety systems, emergency procedures, drills, mandatory reporting, and recordkeeping.
• Ensure readiness for inspections, audits, and compliance reviews.
• Supervise Assistant Director, teachers, and health team roles; ensure accuracy in administrative tasks, enrollment tracking, reporting, and family communications.
• Create and maintain staffing schedules, track time‑off and payroll inputs, and provide reports to HR.
• Maintain secure, organized digital recordkeeping for staff and children.
• Review monthly financial reports and provide high‑level summaries on finances, enrollment, staffing, and operations.
• Approve vendor contracts, major purchases, and oversee inventory and purchasing controls.
• Participate in cross‑functional planning with Health, Admissions, Curriculum, HR, and CEO.

• Proven leadership experience as Director/Head of School/Program Director in a private early education organization.
• Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Special Needs Education, Psychology, or closely related field.
• Master’s degree strongly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of developmental milestones, curriculum implementation, and classroom quality standards for ages 3 months–5 years.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams, build systems, and drive accountability with professionalism.
• Comfort with early education technology and apps for communication, documentation, and classroom support.

• Bilingual in any language.
• Exposure to additional languages and cultures, such as living abroad, formal language study, or immersion experiences.

Submit your resume and a brief cover letter describing your leadership approach, your experience with children aged 3 months–5 years, and how you coach teachers and build strong school culture. Contact  Candidates who do not meet the key requirements will not be considered.

Position type:
Full‑time. Salary: $80,000–$90,000 per year.