Lead Teacher, Early Head Start

East Bay Community Action Program • Newport, RI

2d • Onsite

About The Position

Lead Teacher - Early Head Start Shape the Future, One Child at a Time EBCAP Early Head Start Programs Locations: Newport, RI Your Opportunity to Make a Lasting Impact Are you passionate about early childhood education? Do you believe every child deserves an exceptional start in life? This is your chance to lead, inspire, and transform lives every single day. As a Lead Teacher at EBCAP Early Head Start, you won't just teach—you'll be a champion for our youngest learners, a mentor to your team, and a trusted partner to families. You'll create the kind of magical learning environment where children thrive, staff grow, and families feel truly supported. Why This Role is Extraordinary This isn't just a teaching position—it's a leadership opportunity where your passion directly impacts children's futures. You'll have the autonomy to shape your classroom, develop your team, and build meaningful relationships with families while being supported by comprehensive resources and a mission-driven organization. Where Your Passion Meets Purpose Lead & Inspire Your Classroom (40%) Ignite curiosity and wonder through engaging learning experiences that spark literacy, language, math, and science discovery Create your ideal learning environment using Creative Curriculum, CLASS, and ECERS/ITERS frameworks Champion every child's potential with individualized assessments and developmentally appropriate activities Foster social-emotional growth using positive behavioral guidance, PBIS, and The Incredible Years Be the safe, nurturing presence children need to explore, learn, and flourish Grow & Empower Your Team (30%) Mentor the next generation of early childhood educators—Teachers, Assistants, and specialists who look to you for guidance Shape professional growth through monthly supervision, goal-setting, and Individual Professional Development Plans Build your dream team by participating in hiring decisions Celebrate successes and support development through meaningful feedback and coaching Never stop growing yourself—enjoy 20+ hours of paid professional development annually ?? Transform Lives Through Family Partnership (20%) Build bridges of trust with families through authentic, open communication Welcome families into the learning journey with home visits and conferences that truly matter Empower parents as their child's first and most important teacher Create community connections through recruitment events and family engagement activities See the ripple effect of your work extending beyond the classroom into homes and communities Drive Program Excellence (10%) Collaborate across teams to ensure every child receives comprehensive support Lead by example in maintaining high-quality program standards Connect children to resources by liaising with schools and community partners In Kids Connect classrooms: Partner with clinicians to support children with special needs through Therapeutic Integration Plans Are You Our Next Lead Teacher? We're Looking for Someone Who: Lives and breathes early childhood education—you see the incredible potential in every child Leads with heart and skill—you inspire others while maintaining high standards Builds authentic relationships—with children, families, and teammates Embraces challenges—you're comfortable supporting children with diverse needs and behaviors Thinks creatively—you love designing engaging learning experiences Communicates with care—you maintain professionalism while being warm and approachable Commits fully—you're ready for a full-year schedule and travel between locations

Requirements

• RI Department of Education (DOE) teacher certification in Early Childhood Education, OR
• Bachelor's or Associate's degree in ECE with 3 months supervised teaching experience, OR
• Bachelor's or Associate's degree in a related field with infant/toddler classroom teaching experience
• Lives and breathes early childhood education—you see the incredible potential in every child
• Leads with heart and skill—you inspire others while maintaining high standards
• Builds authentic relationships—with children, families, and teammates
• Embraces challenges—you're comfortable supporting children with diverse needs and behaviors
• Thinks creatively—you love designing engaging learning experiences
• Communicates with care—you maintain professionalism while being warm and approachable
• Commits fully—you're ready for a full-year schedule and travel between locations
• Ability to lift at least 25 pounds, bend, reach, sit, stand, and actively engage in classroom activities
• Full vision abilities for safe supervision and interaction

Nice To Haves

• Child Development Associate (CDA) with infant/toddler endorsement
• 12 credit hours in ECE-related coursework
• Training specific to infants and toddlers

Responsibilities

• Ignite curiosity and wonder through engaging learning experiences that spark literacy, language, math, and science discovery
• Create your ideal learning environment using Creative Curriculum, CLASS, and ECERS/ITERS frameworks
• Champion every child's potential with individualized assessments and developmentally appropriate activities
• Foster social-emotional growth using positive behavioral guidance, PBIS, and The Incredible Years
• Be the safe, nurturing presence children need to explore, learn, and flourish
• Mentor the next generation of early childhood educators—Teachers, Assistants, and specialists who look to you for guidance
• Shape professional growth through monthly supervision, goal-setting, and Individual Professional Development Plans
• Build your dream team by participating in hiring decisions
• Celebrate successes and support development through meaningful feedback and coaching
• Never stop growing yourself—enjoy 20+ hours of paid professional development annually
• Build bridges of trust with families through authentic, open communication
• Welcome families into the learning journey with home visits and conferences that truly matter
• Empower parents as their child's first and most important teacher
• Create community connections through recruitment events and family engagement activities
• See the ripple effect of your work extending beyond the classroom into homes and communities
• Collaborate across teams to ensure every child receives comprehensive support
• Lead by example in maintaining high-quality program standards
• Connect children to resources by liaising with schools and community partners
• In Kids Connect classrooms: Partner with clinicians to support children with special needs through Therapeutic Integration Plans

Benefits

• Competitive salary reflecting your expertise and leadership
• Exceptional health coverage: Medical and dental (BCBSRI) with heavy employer subsidization, PLUS vision insurance
• Build your future: Up to 3% matching 403(b) retirement plan
• Peace of mind: Employer-paid life insurance and long-term disability
• True work-life balance: Generous PTO including vacation, holidays, personal days, and sick time
• Grow your career: Tuition reimbursement and fully-paid training/CEU opportunities
• Support when you need it: Employee assistance program, flexible spending accounts
• Mileage reimbursement for travel between locations

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree