Careers

Universal Essential Functions:

• Be familiar with and adhere to the Head Start Program Performance Standards, State of Michigan licensing requirements, Education and Children’s Services (ECS) policies and procedures and agency personnel policies and procedures.
• Maintain an open, friendly, professional relationship with all staff and families, to include respect for culture, diversity and ethnicity.
• Assist families as needed to ensure quality, comprehensive services.
• Maintain confidentiality at all times.
• Attend training, planning and regular meetings as needed/required.
• Foster communication among staff and families to promote strong, supportive teams and resolve conflict in an appropriate problem solving manner.
• Maintain accurate documentation and complete written reports as required by position.
• Be familiar with and adhere to the child/elder abuse and neglect reporting laws.
• Encourage volunteerism and maintain accurate documentation of In-Kind contributions.
• Must be able to maintain consistent and regular attendance and punctuality based on designated work schedule.
• Receives daily assignments from Assistant Director, ECS. Must be mobile to work at all ECS sites based on staffing needs.
• Work cooperatively with the regular classroom staff and follow all daily classroom activities.
• Must be available to work any classroom shift depending on the needs of the program.
• Compliant with Agency’s Mission and Culture Statements.

General Essential Functions:

• Follow classroom guidelines and rules regarding the health and safety of children.
• Follow the ECS service plans for job specific functions.
• Promote learning and social skills.
• Assist in planning, preparing, and caring for the classroom and outdoor environment.
• Encourage experimentation, exploration, problem solving, cooperation, socialization, and choice making in the classroom and outdoors.
• Interact with all children with dignity and respect, ask open-ended questions, listen carefully to their answers, be aware of non-verbal cues and understand each child’s individual communication style.
• Share information and assist other classroom staff in maintaining accurate written records; including anecdotal observations and records on each child.
• Assist with the daily evaluation of children’s health status, hygiene, social-emotional and physical well-being.
• Knowledge of typical behaviors and developmentally appropriate expectations of children birth-5 years.

Position Specific Essential Functions:

• Assist with planning and implementation of the daily program according to the principles in the Creative Curriculum.
• Assist in implementing large and small group activities.
• Assist in providing a variety of ways to ensure frequent and consistent contact with families.
• Assist in the continuity of care for all children.
• Assist classrooms in the distribution, delivery and clean up of meals.
• Perform duties as assigned to maintain clean, organized and inviting classroom such as food service, washing dishes and organizing supplies.

Professional Competence and Job Knowledge:

• Demonstrates good judgment and decision making.
• Participates in training opportunities in addition to required agency training.
• Reliability, dependability and attendance.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit and talk, bend, stoop and kneel, see and hear, use hands and arms to lift up to 60 lbs. and walk around the classroom, outdoor play area and school facilities.
• Work is performed in a classroom setting and school environment where the noise level is moderate to high.
• Be able to with stand different temperatures through the winter, spring, summer, and fall to be able to provide supervision and engagement with children in outside play per program temperature guidelines.
• Work is performed in a classroom setting and school environment where the noise level is moderate. The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education: Minimum of a high school diploma or GED is required.  CDA is preferred. Bilingual language speaking a plus.