Careers2019-01-15T22:38:10+00:00

Careers at CCS

Currently Open Positions

Morning teacher in the Juneberry classroom—see below

Afternoon teacher with 2–5 year olds—see below

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

TO APPLY, please read this entire posting, then email your résumé and cover letter to jarrod@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 that makes you think you would be a good fit for our school

We look forward to hearing from you!

CCS is looking for a teacher to join our Juneberry classroom starting in February, or as soon as possible, with children ages 3–5.

Morning teachers are committed educators and lifelong learners who work in teams to support children, families, colleagues, and the school. Morning teachers create a warm and welcoming environment for children and families; plan and implement emergent, project-based, play-based curriculum; holistically assess children; communicate with families; work collaboratively with colleagues; and work to improve the school and uphold its mission.

CCS is a NAEYC-accredited STAR 4 preschool in West Philadelphia committed to honoring and empowering children and building a community of lifelong learners, both adults and children. More information about us at childrenscommunityschool.org.

Responsibilities

  • Teach children—In collaboration with teammates, create and implement emergent, project-based, play-based curriculum; meet the physical, emotional, social, and cognitive needs of each individual child and of children as a group
  • Assess children—use holistic methods to assess children’s learning and development, and use those assessments to guide curriculum; communicate assessments to families through both in-person conferences and written reports
  • Care for children’s bodies—In collaboration with teammates, complete tasks such as feeding and bathrooming children; ensure a safe and healthy environment; supervise play
  • Support families—In collaboration with teammates, communicate daily with families about the activities of the classroom; communicate regularly with individual families about their children, according to each child and each family’s needs; share assessment information with families
  • 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—In collaboration with other staff, 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 school events

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 children
    3. Demonstrated view of children as active, powerful learners
    4. Demonstrated ability to work closely and collaboratively with colleagues
    5. Clear written and verbal communication skills
    6. View of teaching as a lifelong craft and ongoing learning experience
    7. CDA or 12 units in early childhood education; Associate’s degree or higher in early childhood education or a related field preferred
    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. Will pass and provide mandated background checks before beginning employment
  2. DESIRED CRITERIA—The ideal candidate will possess most of the following qualities.
    1. Experience teaching young children, especially in mixed-age groups
    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. Knowledge of child development (for instance, developmentally appropriate expectations)
    7. Skill in observing children and interpreting their behavior, and using observations to show children’s learning and thinking
    8. Experience using holistic methods to assess children’s development, and communicating assessments with families through both in-person conferences and written reports
    9. Experience implementing emergent or project-based curriculum (i.e., curriculum based on developing children’s interests)
    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. Demonstrated ability to be adaptive, flexible, and resilient in work situations
    15. Ability to speak more than one language
    16. Comfort using Google Docs, or other online tools for collaborative work

Schedule and calendar

  • This is a salaried, full-time position, averaging 35 hours per week.
  • The annual contract begins February 1st (or as soon as possible) 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)
    • “On the Floor”—Monday–Friday 8:30–12:45 (21.25hr/wk)
    • Prep—Monday–Friday 7:45–8:30 (3.75hr/wk)
    • Team Meetings—Monday–Friday (except Wednesdays) 12:45–1:30 (3.75hr/wk)
    • Staff Meetings—Wednesdays 1:30–3:30 (2hr/wk)
    • Daily email communication (~20 min per day, 1.75hr/wk)
  • Other Hours (approx. 100 hours total over the year)
    • Professional development days throughout the year (8:00–1:30)
    • Assessments—In addition to regular hours, teachers can expect to spend ~10hr in November, ~20hr in February, and ~30hr in June preparing assessments
    • 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

Supervised by

  • Curriculum Coordinator and/or Director

Afternoon Preschool Teacher

TO APPLY, please read this entire posting, then email your résumé and cover letter to jarrod@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 that makes you think you would be a good fit for our school

We look forward to hearing from you!

CCS is looking for an afternoon teacher to join our team starting in February, or as soon as possible, with children ages 2–5.

Afternoon teachers are committed educators and lifelong learners who work as a team to support children, families, colleagues, and the school. Afternoon teachers create a warm and welcoming environment for children and families; plan curriculum to support children’s learning; and work with colleagues to share information and make plans to meet the needs of individual children.

CCS is a NAEYC-accredited STAR 4 preschool in West Philadelphia committed to honoring and empowering children and building a community of lifelong learners, both adults and children. More information about us at childrenscommunityschool.org.

Responsibilities

  • Teach children—In collaboration with teammates, create and implement play-based curriculum; meet the physical, emotional, social, and cognitive needs of each individual child and of children as a group
  • Care for children’s bodies—In collaboration with teammates, complete tasks such as feeding and bathrooming children; ensure a safe and healthy environment; supervise play
  • Support families—In collaboration with teammates, communicate regularly with families about their children, according to each child and each family’s needs
  • 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—In collaboration with other staff, 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 school events

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. Demonstrated ability to be reflective, adaptive, flexible, and resilient in work situations
    3. Experience working to meet the emotional, social, and cognitive needs of children
    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. CDA or 12 units in early childhood education; Associate’s degree or higher in early childhood education or a related field preferred
    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. Will pass and provide mandated background checks before beginning employment
  2. DESIRED CRITERIA—The ideal candidate will possess most of the following qualities.
    1. Experience teaching young children, especially in mixed-age groups
    2. Demonstrated commitment to social justice
    3. Demonstrated ability to guide children’s behaviors, as individuals and as a group, using positive approaches to communication, boundaries, and routines
    4. An articulated view of learning as a collaborative process, driven by children’s interactions and relationships
    5. A demonstrated belief in the importance of children’s social and emotional development
    6. Awareness of child development and developmentally appropriate expectations for children
    7. Experience creating curriculum, activities, or projects based on children’s interests
    8. Experience working with communities of color, multicultural communities, or diverse groups
    9. Experience working with families or communities in West or South Philadelphia
    10. Comfort using Google Docs, or other online tools for collaborative work

Schedule and calendar

  • This is an hourly, part-time position, 34 hours per week
  • The annual contract begins February 1st (or as soon as possible) and ends August 14
  • Weekly Hours, September through June
    • “On the Floor”, prep, and team meetings—Monday–Friday, 11:30am–6:15pm
    • Staff Meetings—Wednesdays 10:00–11:30am
  • Other Hours
    • Professional development days throughout the year (8:00–1:30)
    • 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

Supervised by

  • Curriculum Coordinator and/or Director