Associate Teacher Head Start

Associate Teacher Head Start

Department: Head Start

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Newport - Chafee Head Start

Reporting To: Heidi Nordmann

Compensation: $20.86 - $25.36 / hour

Shape Young Minds & Build Brighter Futures

Do you believe every child deserves a strong start? As a Teacher Associate with Head Start, you’ll play a hands‑on role in creating a nurturing, engaging classroom where children grow academically, socially, and emotionally. Working alongside a Teacher Lead, you’ll help bring learning to life while building meaningful connections with families and communities.

The Teacher Associate supports daily classroom operations and helps deliver high‑quality early childhood education aligned with Head Start standards and best practices. In this role, you’ll collaborate closely with the Teacher Lead to create a safe, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate learning environment that prepares children for lifelong success.

This position is based across multiple Head Start locations in the EBCAP service area, offering variety, collaboration, and community impact.

• Partner with the Teacher Lead to plan and deliver engaging learning experiences that support school readiness across literacy, language, math, science, and social development
• Maintain a safe, clean, and developmentally appropriate classroom environment
• Provide active supervision and support children’s social‑emotional development using positive guidance strategies
• Assist with individualized learning plans and document children’s progress through ongoing assessment

• Build respectful, trusting relationships with families through consistent communication
• Support parent‑teacher conferences and required home visits
• Encourage family involvement in children’s learning and development
• Participate in outreach or recruitment efforts, including occasional evening or weekend events

• Provide classroom oversight when the Teacher Lead is unavailable
• Coordinate classroom organization, supplies, and daily routines
• Support teamwork across staff, substitutes, and volunteers
• Communicate safety concerns or policy issues to leadership in a timely manner
• Collaborate with specialists, including behavioral health staff, to support children’s needs

• Participate in ongoing training and meet annual professional development requirements
• Collaborate with internal teams to support program quality and compliance
• Promote EBCAP services and connect families to additional resources
• Engage in team meetings, trainings, and program‑wide initiatives

• One of the following:
  • High school diploma or GED with early childhood coursework and enrollment in a CDA program within one year
  • Child Development Associate (CDA) credential
  • Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education or related field
• Experience working in an early childhood education setting

• CDA credential or degree in Early Childhood Education
• Experience with The Creative Curriculum or similar frameworks
• Familiarity with classroom management approaches such as Conscious Discipline or Incredible Years

• Ability to lift up to 25 pounds and actively engage in a classroom environment
• Ability to sit, stand, move, and interact throughout the day
• Strong commitment to supporting diverse families and inclusive practices