Education Director

Description:

Director’s Role and Responsibilities: Administrators at Wonderforest Nature Preschool are professionals who are deeply passionate about creating safe, nurturing, play-based, child-led spaces for children, their families, and teachers. Administrators understand the value of working as a community to address the numerous and variable day-to-day logistics of managing staff, students, and our school space. Working closely with Wonderforest’s Executive Director and Ecology & Field Director, the primary role of the education director is to ensure the well-being of the students and staff through a clean, safe, and organized school space. Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

On-Site Day-to-Day

• Creation of daily schedules, including coverage for staff absences, local outings, breaks, and team meetings.
• Supervise and support teaching staff on-site
• Be the point of contact with staff for absences, schedule changes, and other concerns.
• Communicate with families as needed throughout the day to foster collaborative relationships.
• Ensuring DOHMH and Wonderforest policies and procedures are being practiced by staff members
• Provide class coverage, as needed
• Coordinate with the building superintendent and Operations Director for any repairs or maintenance.
• Maintain office space and ensure materials and supplies are stocked and available

Staff & Curriculum Development

• Create a collaborative, respectful, and engaging work environment for all staff members
• Revise in-house Wonderforest staff guides, as needed
• Plan and conduct staff training and orientation sessions
• Meet weekly with teaching teams to ensure the implementation of age-appropriate curricula and practices that meet Wonderforest’s mission and philosophy.
• Encourage the use of upcycled and sustainable materials in classroom curricula
• Observe classrooms and teaching staff
• Work with teaching staff to create support plans for individual children
• Organize and schedule professional developments throughout the school year.
• Conduct bi-annual check-ins with teaching staff
• Work with the administrative team to interview and hire new staff as needed

Family Engagement

• Foster a strong sense of community amongst Wonderforest families
• Lead family orientation sessions
• Conduct tours with potential new families
• Support Administrative Assistant, as needed, with family inquiries
• Plan and host seasonal community events
• Draft and send monthly administrative newsletter to families

` Licensing

• Ensure program compliance with all DOHMH Article 47/48 requirements, as well as other city/state/federal regulatory agencies
• Hold FDNY S95 and S07 Certification. Conduct and lead fire & emergency drills
• Maintain and ensure compliance with the school’s Written Safety Plan

Qualifications: