Associate Teacher, Head Start

Direct Reports: 

None 

USC’s School for Early Childhood Education is dedicated to providing comprehensive, high-quality early childhood education services to children and their families in the South Los Angeles area. Founded in 1970 as a teaching school for future early-childhood professionals, the USC School for Early Childhood Education (USC SECE) seeks to promote school readiness, health/nutrition, mental wellness, and family engagement. Today, our licensed Head Start and Early Head Start centers serve more than 500 infants and pre-school children and their parents each year. We are seeking enthusiastic, creative, dynamic, and team-oriented individuals who enjoy working with children while fostering a supportive learning environment. 

Job Overview: 

The Associate Teacher, Head Start assists in planning, supervising, and implementing the education program within the classroom in accordance with the policies, procedures, and philosophy of Head Start Federal and State regulations. In addition, the Associate Teacher, Head Start works closely with Teachers on delivering daily personal care, educational and recreational activities to infant or toddler children under the age of 3. Position may or may not be assigned to a specific location or classroom. 

Responsibilities and Duties: 

• Provide relationship-based care in daily routines such as mealtime, toileting, hand washing, and napping for preschool age children. 

• Assist in planning and implementing developmentally appropriate curriculum. 

• Assist and collaborate with teaching team on developing and implementing daily lesson plans. 

• Assist teaching team on conducting assessments, developing individual development plans, and recording ongoing observations of children in assigned groups. 

• Help prepare and conduct parent-teacher conferences for each child in the assigned group according to schedule of requirements. 

• Assist teaching team in scheduling and conducting home visits for enrolled children in the classroom setting. 

• Utilize classroom materials and routines to promote an environment conductive to appropriate levels of development, interests, and specific needs of the children. 

• Maintain effective and professional relationships with enrolled families. 

• Assist and help maintain a safe and healthy classroom environment in accordance with Head Start Program Performance Standards, Title 5, and Title 22 Regulations. 

• Attend regular staff meetings as scheduled by Teachers, Education Center Supervisors and Administration. 

• Perform additional duties as assigned by Head Teacher, Site Supervisor, and Administration. 

• Encourages a workplace culture where all employees are valued, value others and have the opportunity to contribute through their ideas, words and actions, in accordance with the USC Code of Ethics. 

Minimum Qualifications:  

• Associate's degree in early childhood education, child development, or related field; combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education. 

• 1 year of work experience. 

• Twelve or more units in Early Childhood Education (ECE). 

• Six months of field study or directly-related job experience. 

• California Child Development Associate Teacher Permit or California Child Development Associate (CDA) credential or permit eligible. 

Preferred Qualifications:  

• 2 years of experience in the classroom.  

• Ability to assist in creating and implementing daily lesson plans.  

• Ability to work well harmoniously in a multi-cultural team.  

• Ability to promote a feeling of security and trust in infants and toddlers, and preschool age children by being warm, supportive, and comforting.  

• A caring, compassionate approach to working with children and families as well as maintaining an open, friendly, and cooperative relationship with each child’s family.  

• Assist in spreading awareness of safe lifting techniques for lifting children, supplies and furnishings and commitment to using preventive health measures in the classroom to prevent the spread of disease, and maintain care and supervision is the main priority. 

Physical Requirements:

Must be able climb stairs, reach, bend, lift 20-30 pounds, crawl, kneel, stoop, twist, grasp with hands and fingers materials, use arms and legs, able to walk, climb ladders if applicable. 

Pre-Employment Requirements:

• Physical exam  

• TB test  

• LiveScan/fingerprint clearance  

• MMR and Tdap vaccinations  

• CPR  

• Child Abuse Mandated Reporter Training 

The hourly rate range for this position is $18.00 - $21.00. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.