Job Description

Full-Time, Union, Exempt Position

$22.90 per hour, 40 hours per week

BASIC FUNCTION OF TEACHER:

Provide a safe learning environment for children where social/emotional and educational skills are taught. Support family efforts to have their children’s experiences lead to measurable outcomes leading to children’s School Readiness.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF TEACHER:

• Ensures children are safe and well supervised.
• Development of daily educational and developmental lessons to support individual children’s learning outcomes.
• Prepares educational activities in accordance with core curriculum.
• Assess, monitor, and maintain records of the developmental needs of each child using the curriculum assessments systems.
• Establish individual goals for each child.
• Supervise classroom staff and volunteers
• Confers with Managers on individual child needs as needed.
• Conduct teacher/parent conferences and other parent meetings as needed.
• Provide families with information regarding community services and programs.
• Conduct scheduled field trips.
• Supports parent involvement and engagement throughout ECD.
• Maintains a clean, safe and orderly physical environment.
• Maintains classroom supplies and equipment and reorders supplies as necessary.
• Fulfills Mandated Reporter responsibilities.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

REQUIREMENTS OF TEACHER:

Education:

• Associate's Degree in ECE.
• Preferred Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education or Child Study or a Bachelor’s Degree with the completion of a minimum of 12 DEFINED Foundational Early Childhood credits as put in place by CT Office of Early Childhood.
• Must meet qualifications set by the CT Office of Early Childhood and be considered a Qualified Staff Member (QSM).
• Teachers hired prior to September 1, 2025: 1) must meet qualifications set forth by the CT Office of Early Childhood and be considered a Qualified Staff Member (QSM) by September 1, 2026, and 2) must keep their registry account updated at least annually with an updated plan of study and current transcripts.

Experience:

Experience working in an Early Childhood Program.

Job Skills:

• Ability to work with children with challenging behaviors
• Communications skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Positive interactions with children
• Knowledge of developmental needs of children
• Ability to work in a team environment
• Knowledge of available community services
• Bilingual preferred

Licenses /certifications:

• First Aid, CPR Certification, and Medication Certification ( must be obtained within the first year of employment).
• Must maintain the credentials required by funding sources and/or agencies to sustain position.

EOE AA M/F/Vets/Disability

Benefits Include:

• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance
• 401(k) with matching contributions
• Vacation Time
• Personal Time
• Sick Time
• Holiday Pay

New Opportunities' mission is to improve the quality of life for economically disadvantaged individuals by providing the necessary resources to increase their standard of living, foster self-improvement, and maximize self-empowerment.

New Opportunities Inc. is the community action agency that serves Waterbury, Meriden, Torrington and 27 surrounding Connecticut towns We offer a variety of social service programs designed to eliminate poverty and assist people in need.

Headquartered in Waterbury and the cities fourth largest employer, New Opportunities has additional offices in Meriden, Torrington, Danbury and Thomaston for the convenience of those they serve. Annually, more than 61,000 individuals benefit from programs offered at this agency, guided by the New Opportunities staff who helped them find the way to meet their needs.

In accordance with the mission of New Opportunities, the Agency aims to increase the self-sufficiency of its customers and support their move out of poverty toward a more middle-class lifestyle.

In 1964, the Agency incorporated as a private non-profit corporation in the State of Connecticut and is a tax-exempt 501 (c) (3) organization. With an annual budget for 2014 in excess of $41 million dollars, New Opportunities administers more than 50 social service programs targeted to the low-income, elderly and disabled communities.

While the range of programs is broad, they fall into one or more of the following categories:

• Energy Assistance and Weatherization
• AIDS / HIV Prevention
• Fatherhood Initiative
• Employment Education and Training
• Child Welfare and Family Development Services
• Early Childhood Education Programs
• Elderly Services
• Homeless Shelter and Transitional Housing
• Ex-Offender Programs and Re-entry Services