About the Opportunity
Gilda’s Preschool Academy is seeking a dependable, caring Education Support Professional to support our LSU Early Head Start infant and toddler classrooms while completing LSU’s Child Development Associate Credential Support Program.
This is an early childhood career-development position for someone who wants meaningful classroom experience, structured training, individual coaching, and support toward earning a CDA credential.
Gilda’s Preschool Academy is a multigenerational early learning center serving families in New Orleans East. We believe that the whole child, every child, should be understood, included, and supported.
Position Summary
The Education Support Professional provides supplemental assistance to GPA’s Early Head Start classrooms. The ESP helps teachers maintain a safe and responsive classroom environment, supports scheduled breaks and planning periods, works as an additional caregiver, and participates in LSU’s structured CDA training program.
The ESP is a supplemental classroom support position. The position is not part of GPA’s permanent baseline 4:1 Early Head Start staffing ratio and may not be used as a long-term substitute for an unfilled EHS teacher position.
Classroom Responsibilities
- Work approximately 20 hours per week in support of LSU Early Head Start classrooms.
- Provide scheduled support during teacher breaks and lunches while GPA maintains all required staffing and ratio requirements.
- Serve as an additional caregiver in infant and toddler classrooms.
- Provide classroom coverage that allows teachers to prepare lesson plans, organize materials, and complete child assessments and documentation.
- Engage warmly and actively with infants and toddlers through play, reading, music, movement, conversation, and caregiving routines.
- Assist with classroom activities, transitions, outdoor play, meals, bottles, diapering, toileting, rest time, and cleanup.
- Maintain continuous active supervision and immediately report safety concerns.
- Help maintain an organized, clean, developmentally appropriate, and inclusive learning environment.
- Follow all GPA, LSU Early Head Start, Louisiana licensing, safe sleep, sanitation, health, confidentiality, and mandated reporting requirements.
- Support children with different developmental, communication, sensory, physical, and learning needs.
- Communicate professionally with classroom teachers, leadership, coaches, specialists, families, and partner-agency personnel.
- Complete required time records, effort certifications, checklists, and other program documentation accurately and on time.
- Attend all required professional development days and staff meetings.
- Be present when the LSU CDA Specialist is onsite so that coaching and progress monitoring can occur.
- Perform other appropriate classroom-support duties assigned by GPA leadership.
CDA Support Program Requirements
The selected applicant will be expected to enroll in the applicable LSU CDA Support Program cohort and complete all program requirements, including:
- Eight CDA Care Course books.
- Approximately 120 hours of early childhood education training.
- Weekly individual, in-person training and coaching sessions.
- Assigned coursework, quizzes, and reflective-practice activities.
- A minimum mastery score of 80% on required assignments and quizzes.
- A complete CDA Professional Portfolio.
- CDA exam preparation.
- Scheduling and completing the CDA examination.
- Scheduling and completing the required Professional Development Specialist observation or verification visit.
- Consistent communication with the LSU CDA Specialist, Education Coach, and GPA leadership.
- Maintaining satisfactory progress according to the assigned CDA Support Plan.
LSU will cover approved fees associated with the ESP CDA Support Program.
Required Qualifications
- High school diploma or equivalent.
- At least 18 years of age.
- Genuine interest in working with infants and toddlers and developing a career in early childhood education.
- Commitment to completing the LSU CDA Support Program and earning a CDA credential.
- Ability to attend scheduled coaching sessions, professional development days, coursework activities, and observations.
- Ability to pass the Louisiana Child Care Criminal Background Check.
- Ability to complete required health clearance and employment documentation.
- Pediatric CPR and first aid certification, or ability to obtain certification promptly after hire.
- Dependable attendance, punctuality, organization, and follow-through.
- Ability to accept coaching and apply feedback in the classroom.
- Ability to communicate respectfully and work as part of a team.
Preferred Qualifications
- Previous experience working with infants, toddlers, preschool children, or families.
- Previous child care, classroom, babysitting, family-caregiving, camp, church nursery, or youth-development experience.
- Some college coursework in education, child development, social work, psychology, or a related field.
- Experience supporting children with disabilities, developmental differences, sensory needs, or communication differences.
Physical and Professional Expectations
The employee must be able to supervise young children closely; sit and work on the floor; bend, kneel, stand, and move throughout classrooms and playground areas; and lift or assist young children with or without reasonable accommodation.
Employees must demonstrate calm communication, confidentiality, good judgment, respectful behavior, reliability, and willingness to learn.
Compensation and Career Development
- $14-16 per hour.
- Approximately 20 hours per week.
- LSU-supported CDA coursework, coaching, and credential preparation.
- Approved program fees paid through the LSU Early Head Start partnership.
- Practical infant and toddler classroom experience.
- Opportunity to become qualified for future credentialed early childhood teaching positions.
Gilda’s Preschool Academy provides equal employment opportunities to qualified applicants and employees. Employment decisions are made without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, family status, or any other legally protected status.
Pay: $14.00 - $16.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Life insurance
- Professional development assistance
License/Certification:
Ability to Commute:
- New Orleans, LA 70127 (Required)
Work Location: In person
