Careers at CCS

Currently Open Positions

Morning teacher, various ages 2–5years (full time, salaried), starts August 2019—see details below

Afternoon teacher, various ages 18months–5years (part and full time, hourly), starts August 2019—positions will be posted week of May 13

We are always hiring substitute teachers—scroll down for details.

CCS strives to create a just and sustainable workplace where all teachers and staff can feel joy and satisfaction in their work and participate in lifelong learning.

General inks:

The Children’s Community School is an equal opportunity employer. Our policies, procedures, and practices are designed to prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, religious creed, disability, ancestry, national origin, age, marital status, sex, gender, or sexuality. We strive to create a just and diverse school community. We encourage people of color, men, and LGBTQ people to apply for all positions.

Subbing at CCS

Now seeking substitute teachers! Send your résumé and letter of interest to Stephanie; we will reach out to schedule an orientation in late August before school starts in September.

Do you get along well with young children? The Children’s Community School is always looking for substitute teachers. Sometimes we schedule subs in advance; other times we reach out for subs just the night before or the morning of. If you freelance or work part-time, subbing can be a great fit for you!

Subbing pays $12/hour; checks are mailed at the end of every week. School hours are 8am-6pm, typical shifts are 8am-1pm or 12pm-5pm (but can sometimes be flexible depending on your needs). Substitute teachers always work on a team with other teachers. Subs are required to attend a brief orientation before working, and are required to pass mandated background checks. If you are interested in helping out this wonderful community by spending enjoyable time with young children, please email Stephanie.

Morning Preschool Teacher

CCS is looking for teachers to join two of our morning teaching teams this August. Various age groups (2–5 years old) available.

The Children’s Community School is a learning community in West Philadelphia that honors and empowers children to engage their whole selves in education. Our children (18 months through 5 years old) engage their bodies, minds, and emotions to make meaning, form relationships, and develop an understanding of themselves as active members of a community. Our teachers value deep collaboration and ongoing learning, and our staff works together to support each other and build connections with families and our local community. For more information about our school, see childrenscommunityschool.org.

We’re looking for energetic, committed teachers to join us in creating the school community we envision. In addition to creating curriculum, observing and assessing children’s learning and development, and communicating with families, our staff works together to actively improve our school. We support each other in ongoing professional development to improve our teaching, and we work collaboratively on efforts to better our school community—for instance, our ongoing efforts to work toward racial and economic justice.

TO APPLY

Please carefully read the entire job description (below), then email your résumé and cover letter to hiring@childrenscommunityschool.org. Your cover letter should be between half a page and a page, single spaced, and include

  • what you view as the role of the early childhood educator
  • something specific from this ad or our website that makes you think you would be a good fit for our school

We look forward to hearing from you!

Position summary

Morning teachers are committed educators and lifelong learners who work as a team to support children, families, colleagues, and the school. Morning teachers hold primary responsibility for care of children in the mornings, creating high-quality curriculum, assessing and communicating about the needs of children, and communicating with families; they share responsibility for building relationships with children, teaching them, and guiding their behavior.

Responsibilities

  • Ensure health and safety—ensure that children are physically cared for and safe, including supervision, feeding, bathrooming, and ensuring a safe environment
  • Relationships with children—build trusting, communicative, supportive relationships with children; actively engage children in learning and school activities
  • Guide behavior—support children in learning to behave in self-controlled, socially-appropriate ways, using methods in line with the school’s teaching philosophy
  • Create positive environments—create classroom routines and culture that support a learning community; create physical environments (materials, layouts) that support a learning community
  • Create curriculum—plan and implement developmentally appropriate, play-based, emergent, project-based curriculum that continually supports children’s growth in all learning areas (mindfulness and emotional development; community and social development; inquiry and cognitive development; justice; literacy; math; and physical development); create documentation of learning
  • Assess children—observe and document children’s strengths and needs; communicate with families about their children’s development, both in planned formal contexts (conferences, written narratives) and unplanned or informal contexts (phone calls and meetings as needed); integrate plans to meet children’s needs through curriculum
  • Build relationships with families—serve as the primary point of contact between the family and the school; communicate with families as a group (e.g. writing daily emails, school events) and as individuals (e.g. assessment and other communication as needed); work to build relationships between families and the school, and between families and each other
  • Build relationships with staff—work collaboratively with teaching team, other teachers, and administrators; show leadership with non-staff adults (e.g. subs, student teachers, service providers, etc.)
    • In classrooms with an assistant teacher or student teacher, morning teachers serve as mentors and supports
  • Continually improve practice—in an ongoing manner, evaluate and improve existing teaching practices, and seek and implement new practices; learn collaboratively with colleagues and children
  • Care for the school—ensure that the school stays clean, organized, and safe
  • Communicate—Participate in frequent, regular, prompt, and respectful communication with colleagues and families, including in-person, phone, and email communications
  • Participate in the life of the school—Look out for the best interests of the school; build relationships with children, families, and colleagues; attend and participate in school events
  • Demonstrate good work habits, including reliability, flexibility, and leadership

Hiring Criteria

  1. REQUIRED CRITERIA—We will only consider candidates who meet all of the following criteria.
    1. Demonstrated ability to form strong relationships with children and their families
    2. Experience working to meet the emotional, social, and cognitive needs of young children, preferably in a school setting
    3. Demonstrated ability to be reflective, adaptive, flexible, and resilient in work situations
    4. Demonstrated view of children as active, powerful learners
    5. Demonstrated ability to work closely and collaboratively with colleagues
    6. View of teaching as a lifelong craft and ongoing learning experience
    7. Clear written and verbal communication skills
    8. Physical requirements: Ability to lift, move, and hold children and objects up to 40 pounds. Ability to engage in full range of motion to lift, reach, squat, climb, sit, and otherwise fully participate in classroom activities. Ability to supervise and interact with children outdoors for extended periods of varied weather conditions.
    9. Minimum of CDA or 12 college credits in early childhood education or a related field, or willingness and ability (with school support) to acquire those credits by summer 2020
    10. Will pass and provide mandated background checks before beginning employment
  2. DESIRED CRITERIA—The ideal candidate will possess most of the following qualities.
    1. AA or higher in early childhood education or a related field
    2. Demonstrated commitment to social justice
    3. An approach to teaching that centers on children as active, powerful learners who can drive curriculum and learning (for instance, a constructivist philosophy, experience with Reggio-inspired pedagogy, etc.)
    4. An articulated view of learning as a collaborative process, driven by children’s interactions and relationships (for instance, a social-constructivist philosophy, experience with Waldorf or Reggio-inspired pedagogy, etc.)
    5. A demonstrated belief in the importance of children’s social and emotional development
    6. Demonstrated ability to guide children’s behaviors, as individuals and as a group, using positive approaches to communication, boundaries, and routines
    7. Knowledge of child development (for instance, developmentally appropriate expectations)
    8. Skill in observing children and interpreting their behavior, and using observations to show children’s learning and thinking
    9. Experience implementing emergent or project-based curriculum (i.e., curriculum based on developing children’s interests, Reggio-inspired curriculum, etc.)
    10. Experience working with communities of color, multicultural communities, or diverse groups
    11. Experience working with families or communities in West or South Philadelphia
    12. Strong skills and experience in communicating through writing
    13. Experience with reflective practices (for instance, mindfulness, yoga, teacher research, etc.)
    14. Ability to speak more than one language

Schedule and calendar

  • This is a salaried, full-time position, averaging 35 hours per week.
  • The annual contract begins August 15 (August 14 for new staff) and ends August 14.
  • The annual contract includes paid vacation (2 weeks winter break, 1 week spring break, 6 weeks summer break)
  • Weekly Hours, September through June (Total: ~32.5hr/wk)
    • 7:45am–1:30pm Monday–Friday (8:30–12:30 “on the floor”)
    • 1:30–3:30pm Wednesdays—staff meeting
    • Average 20min/day or 1.75hr/week for communication with parents and colleagues, planning and prepping curriculum, etc.
  • Other Hours (~100 hours total over the year)
    • Orientation—August 14 through the first day of school, Monday–Friday, 8:00–4:00
    • 6 professional development days throughout the year (8:00–1:30)
    • Assessments—In addition to regular hours, morning teachers can expect to spend ~15hr in November, ~15hr in February, and ~30hr in June preparing assessments. These hours are rough estimates and will vary teacher to teacher
    • Family-Teacher Conferences—On two evenings (November and February) teachers are expected to stay until at least 8pm to hold conferences with families; they will be granted a morning off the same week.
    • Presence is required at Back to School Night, and at least one other school event outside regular hours (the Pancake breakfast, the Spring Thing, the Campfire Singalong, etc.—see school calendar for dates)

Compensation guidelines

The Children’s Community School is an equal opportunity child care provider and an equal opportunity employer. Our policies, procedures, and practices are designed to prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, religious creed, disability, ancestry, national origin, age, marital status, sex, gender, or sexuality. We strive to create a just and diverse school community. We encourage people of color, men, and LGBTQ people to apply.