Salary: $75,000 Annually

The YMCA of Greater New York is here for all New Yorkers — to empower youth, improve health, and strengthen community. Founded in 1852, today the Y serves a diverse population of more than half a million New Yorkers who learn, grow, and thrive through programs and services at our 24 branches. Community is the cornerstone of the Y. Together, we connect active, engaged New Yorkers to build stronger communities.

To help fulfill our mission, we cultivate a culture of learning, leading, and collaboration to enhance community impact. Through our talented staff and “LEAP” career framework (Leadership, Empowerment, Accountability, Personal Growth), we are committed to a people-first approach that fosters trust, inclusion, growth, and development for all.

The West Side YMCA is seeking an Education Director, who, under the supervision of the Early Childhood Director, will play a critical role in providing social and emotional support in the classroom for teachers, children and families. The Education Director will also be responsible for creating a safe and positive environment for children in our Early Childhood Center. The Education Director will provide coaching as well as opportunities for learning, interaction, and academic/personal growth for staff and participants via creating and facilitating lessons and activities as well as any other duties that are needed for the department.

Key Responsibilities:

• Ensure each student's health and safety at all times through close supervision and adherence to our daily protocols.

• Work with families to share observations of children and work closely with service providers to support the children within the classrooms. Help to identify children who may need supportive services and report to the EC Director.

• Create and maintain a strength based, child focused atmosphere that is consistent and sensitive to the needs of children with learning, emotional and/or behavioral differences.

• Assist teachers with setting up classrooms that are developmentally appropriate, utilizing internal and external resources (i.e. ECERS)

• Support teachers with embracing the fee-based and DOE curriculum, including aiding in lesson planning and facilitation.

• Provide classroom coverage as needed and support with the opening and closing of the school.

• On program DOH license in the absence of the Early Childhood Director.

• Ensure teachers are meeting mandated check points per DOE requirement.

• Lead workshops for staff and caregivers around child development, behavior management, as well as social and emotional wellness. Develop relationships with outside organizations/vendors to enhance staff Professional Development and Family Workshops.

• Monitor teacher Aspire accounts and Teacher Strategies accounts for all teachers.

• Spearhead parent communication by means of Classroom Dojo and the DOE Family App. Establish strong relationships with our children/families.

• Document, track, and maintain regular progress and academic records of designated participants (i.e. ASQs). Provide feedback regarding participant progress as needed.

• Assist teachers with preparations for the Parent Teacher Conferences - creating templates and scheduling.

• Promote an inclusive, welcoming, and respectful environment that embraces the diversity of all participants.

• Take lead on planning and facilitating Family Engagement and events.

• Assist with the maintenance of accurate program documentation (attendance, sign in/out forms, behavior reports, incident reports, and accident reports, as appropriate).

• Serve as a positive role model for teaching staff and volunteers. Act as a liaison between teachers and branch staff/programming to bridge the gap between departments and foster a better awareness.

• Understand and communicate the YMCA’s core values and the goals of the Early Childhood Center to participants, caregivers, and staff.

• Develop and maintain positive relationships with staff, participants, parents and guardians through regular communication about children’s strengths and areas of growth.

• Collaborate with the Early Childhood Director and EC team and reflect on programming to ensure that we are current in our pedagogy, developmental benchmarks, and approaches to learning.

• Adhere to all Department of Health, YMCA of Greater New York, and funder standards, expectations, and regulations.

Desired Skills:

• Holds a Master's in Early Childhood Education (or a related field with 30 credits Early Childhood specific) and has State Certification.
  OR
  Holds a BA in Early Childhood Education has State certification in Early Childhood Education and enrolled in a Master's program related to Early Childhood Education.

• Minimum of two years of Lead Teacher experience in a program for children less than six years of age.

• General knowledge of MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. General knowledge of MS Teams, Zoom and other online learning platforms.

Benefits:
The YMCA of Greater New York offers a variety of benefits to its staff members including retirement benefits, medical, paid time off, free YMCA membership and more! Benefit eligibility is determined by an individual’s employment status (i.e., full-time or part-time), tenure and/or the number of hours scheduled to work. Click here for more information.

How to Apply:
If you would like to be a member of our dynamic team, please complete our online application and submit your résumé and a thoughtful cover letter that explains your interest in the role and our organization.

If you are a current YMCA employee, please submit your application through the Internal Career Site in Cornerstone.