First Steps 4K Program Lead Teacher Qualifications: Teachers holding a four-year-degree or higher in Early Childhood Education are preferred. Each lead teacher employed in the First Steps 4K program shall possess, at minimum, a two-year degree in early childhood education or a related field. Teachers possessing a two-year degree must be enrolled and demonstrating progress toward the completion of a teacher education program within four years.
Teachers shall be employed for a minimum of one hundred eighty days (180 instructional days), seven and one-half (7 ½) hour days. Each lead teacher shall be compensated for at least one hour of unencumbered, instructional planning time daily (7.5 hour requirement = 6.5 hour instructional day + 1 hour daily for planning and preparation). During this portion of the day, he or she may not be responsible for any other task, including (but not limited to) the supervision of children. To ensure quality, teachers should be in attendance each day of the 4K program. Exceptions may be made at the discretion of the Center Director. Vacations should be taken outside of the 180 days of the 4K program
Teachers providing instruction and classroom support to students participating in the First Steps 4K program shall participate in at least 15 hours of professional development to include training in:
- Teaching children from poverty
- Curriculum embedded assessment
- Emergent literacy (oral communication, knowledge of print and letters, phonemic and phonological awareness, vocabulary, and comprehension development)
Training hours must be approved through the South Carolina Center for Child Care Career Development (CCCCD). Documentation of each staff member’s professional development hours shall also be maintained on-site and is subject to monitoring by First Steps. Trainings approved by SC Department of Education for CEU credit will also be offered.
Parents are a child’s first and most important teachers. Their involvement is critical to the success of their children. In an effort to strengthen parental involvement in the learning process, each provider shall be required to submit to South Carolina First Steps a Parent Education and Involvement Plan This plan must include provisions for:
- A family orientation at the beginning of the school year;
- At least two parent/teacher conferences during which assessment data on the child’s progress must be shared;
- Documentation of the parent(s)/guardian(s) efforts to participate in the parenting programming offered by the Center.
- The provision of parent resources (a parent education resource library, regular newsletters, etc.)
- Opportunities and written operating policies for ongoing parent involvement (volunteerism, classroom visits, etc.). In addition to two parent/teacher conferences, the provider shall offer at least two parent education workshops during the school year. The first of these workshops may be an initial orientation/open house. At least one of the two workshops shall focus upon interactive literacy. Documentation of these parent workshops, to include agendas and attendance records shall be maintained on-site, as shall documentation of all parent-teacher conferences.
Written lesson plans containing specific educational activities are required for a minimum of 5.0 hours per instructional day and should include educational experiences in the areas of language/literacy, math, science, social studies, fine arts (music, art and drama), social and emotional and physical development. The remaining 1.5 hours of the instructional day, consisting of meals, rest time and/or outside play, etc. may be included in the written plans at the teacher’s discretion and/or as they relate to instructional objectives.Lesson plans will be reviewed by First Steps staff during monitoring visits (both announced and unannounced). These plans must be maintained on site (within the 4K classroom) and will be reviewed for completeness, alignment with the South Carolina Content Standards and fidelity to the program’s selected curriculum model. Lesson plans will be completed on provided 4K Lesson Plan template.
Providers must comply with all applicable state laws regarding criminal background checks for employees and exclude from employment any individual not permitted by state law to work with children.
Job Types: Full-time, Contract
Pay: $14.00 - $20.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Professional development assistance
Work Location: In person
