Early Head Start Lead Teacher

KAWERAK POSITION DESCRIPTION
Nome, AK
Recruitment Length:
Two weeks, closes September 15, 2026

JOB TITLE:

Early Head Start Lead Teacher

DIVISION:
Education, Employment, and Supportive Services

DEPARTMENT:
Head Start

LOCATION:

Onsite

POSITION STATUS:
Regular, Part-Time – Hours vary by Worksite

EXEMPT STATUS:
Non-exempt

PAY SCALE GRADE: 9T: HS Diploma/E 11: CDA, 12: AA, 14: BA ($32.77 – $51.09)

REPORTS TO:

Program Specialist

AKBCU:
Yes ICPA:
Yes

The Early Head Start Lead Teacher provides a safe, nurturing, and developmentally appropriate learning environment for infants and toddlers from twelve weeks to three years of age. This position promotes children’s healthy development, social-emotional well-being, and school readiness through responsive caregiving, developmentally appropriate curriculum, and positive relationships with children and families.

The Early Head Start Lead Teacher works collaboratively with children, families, and staff to ensure high-quality early childhood services and compliance with Head Start Program Performance Standards, child care licensing requirements, and program policies. The Lead Teacher provides day-to-day classroom leadership, guidance, and support to classroom staff and coordinates daily classroom operations.

Early Head Start Teachers located in Nome provide Early Head Start–Child Care Partnership (EHS-CCP) services. Early Head Start Lead Teachers located in village communities provide Early Head Start services exclusively.

• Maintain a safe, nurturing, and developmentally appropriate learning environment for infants and toddlers, including active supervision, daily health and safety practices, and compliance with required staff-to-child ratios.
• Ensure compliance with Head Start Program Performance Standards, licensing requirements, mandatory reporting laws, and program policies, including timely reporting of accidents, injuries, suspected abuse or neglect, and other health and safety concerns.
• Provide responsive, individualized care to infants and toddlers, including feeding, diapering, toileting, napping, meal routines, and other daily caregiving needs while promoting children’s physical, cognitive, language, social-emotional, and behavioral development.
• Serve as Lead Teacher and provide day-to-day leadership, guidance, and direction to classroom staff, including coordinating classroom operations, assigning responsibilities, arranging coverage, communicating expectations, and supporting continuity of care.
• Lead the development and implementation of curriculum, lesson plans, individualized care plans, and daily routines based on children’s interests, developmental levels, assessment information, and individual needs.
• Lead and participate in ongoing child observations, developmental screenings, assessments, and individualized planning to support school readiness, developmental progress, and positive child outcomes.
• Ensure classroom documentation is accurate, complete, and submitted within established timelines, including attendance, child observations and assessments, lesson plans, individual care plans, and other required program records.
• Coach, mentor, and support EHS Teacher staff, Trainees, and new employees through observation, modeling of developmentally appropriate and responsive caregiving practices, reflective feedback, and other support designed to strengthen classroom practices and staff development.
• Lead classroom communication and teamwork by facilitating classroom meetings, communicating expectations, addressing day-to-day classroom needs, and fostering a collaborative and supportive working environment.
• Build positive partnerships with families through regular communication regarding children’s development and classroom experiences and…