Nursery School Head Teacher

Job Title:         Head Teacher

Department:   Nursery School

FLSA Status:   Full Time - Salary Exempt

Schedule:       Monday – Friday

Reports to:     Nursery School Director

Salary Range: $62,00-$67,000

About Us

Congregation Emanu-El offers a warm and majestic environment to congregants while also acting as a bold leader in the greater New York Jewish community. The synagogue features a top-rated nursery school, an award-winning religious school, the Stettenheim Library, the Herbert & Eileen Bernard Judaica Museum, and the Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center with Judaic, cultural, and socio-political adult educational programming.

Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York is the oldest Reform synagogue in New York City, grounded in a rich history of Jewish communal leadership in the city and beyond. Our congregation is dynamic and forward-looking, and as our current membership of 2,200 families grows, we remain committed to ensuring that new and current members alike, of varied ages, backgrounds, and interests, continue to have the highest quality experience in all aspects of synagogue life.

Head Teacher Position

Seeking candidates who love to work with young children. Candidates must be empathetic, kind, and energetic, and willing to work with all colleagues across the school and the administration as a team. Candidates should also demonstrate organization, patience, temperament, flexibility, initiative, spontaneity, and enthusiasm.

Candidates will participate in all aspects of the classroom and the life of the school.

Core Job Functions:

• Understanding and supporting the school’s play-based educational philosophy
• Creating a curriculum that is process-based and child-centered
• Teaching within the classroom daily to support the cognitive, social, and emotional growth of the students
• Mentoring associate and assistant teachers and creating a working environment to further the professional development of their colleagues
• Collaborating with colleagues and the school’s administration
• Being open to feedback from colleagues and administrators
• Developing warm, caring, and respectful relations with students, colleagues, and parents
• Maintaining the classroom and creating a positive environment for learning
• Ensuring the physical safety of the students
• Planning Parents’ Night and classroom events
• Documenting student interactions and behaviors for conferences and reports
• Organizing and leading parent-teacher conferences
• Writing school reports and completing requested forms by specialists
• Participating in professional development workshops
• Keeping medical forms and professional development certifications up to date

Physical Job Requirements:

• Bending
• Standing
• Stretching
• Lifting (minimum 40 lbs)

Educational Requirements:

Degree in early childhood education or a Baccalaureate or higher degree in one of the following:

• Child Psychology must have 12 credits specific to early childhood
• Child Development must have 12 credits specific to early childhood
• Elementary Education
• N-6 Elementary Education
• Special Education, Students with Disabilities (B-2), or Students with Disabilities (1-6)
• General Education, so long as the person has 12 credits specific to early childhood

For teachers who are fully certified, NYS Certifications in the areas below are acceptable:

• Nursery – 6^th Grade
• Early Childhood (Birth – 2^nd Grade)
• Childhood Education (Grades 1-6)
• Special Education-N-12^th Grade
• Students with Disabilities Birth – 2^nd Grade
• Students with Disabilities 1^st-6^th Grade
• Pre-K – 2^nd Grade

Candidate Requirements:

• DOH Background Check, including fingerprinting
• CBC + SCR Clearance
• DOH Medical
• Previous head teacher experience preferred
• Be flexible, punctual, organized, and able to embrace change
• Strong interpersonal skills
• High level of proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint), Zoom

  Major Benefits:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Legal
• Retirement Plan
• Tuition Reimbursement* after completing one full year of employment

Please send a cover letter and resume to Gabrielle Savoldelli, [email protected]

Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York requires all employees to be fully vaccinated. The temple will continue to work with its medical advisor to maintain health and safety policies in accordance with CDC and NYS/NYC Department of Health best practices.

Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. The Congregation does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided based on qualifications, merit, and business needs.