EARLY CHILDHOOD DIRECTOR

JOB DESCRIPTION

Plan, direct, or coordinate academic or nonacademic activities of preschools or childcare centers and programs, including before- and after-school care.

OTHER JOB TITLES

Childcare Director, Early Head Start Director, Education Coordinator, Education Director, Education Site Manager, Preschool Director, Preschool Program Director, Principal, Site Coordinator

JOB TASKS

  • Confer with parents and staff to discuss educational activities and policies and students’ behavioral or learning problems.

  • Monitor students’ progress and provide students and teachers with assistance in resolving any problems.

  • Recruit, hire, train, and evaluate primary and supplemental staff and recommend personnel actions for programs and services.

  • Teach classes or courses or provide direct care to children.

  • Set educational standards and goals and help establish policies, procedures, and programs to carry them out.

ANNUAL SALARY

  • Workers on average earn $23.63/hr. – $49.160 annual.
  • Projected Growth (2019-2029) Slower than average (1%-2%)
  • Projected job openings (2019-2029) 4600

REQUIRED EDUCATION

High school diploma/GED, Minimum of a bachelor’s degree

LOCAL CAREER SPOTLIGHT

INDIRA HERSCOVICI

Assistant Vice President of Early Childhood Education Programs

COMPANY DETAILS

JCC of Greater Boston

At JCC Greater Boston, you can engage in a rich array of high quality educational, fitness, cultural and social programs – all while connecting to a vibrant Jewish community.

I attended Framingham High School in Framingham, MA. During high school, I volunteered at the daycare center located within the high school building. I have always been passionate about working with young children, but the ability for the high school to provide me with hands-on experience at a young age confirmed my passion for this field. After high school, I attended Fitchburg State University for one year to study Early Childhood Education and then transferred to Lesley University where I received my Bachelor’s degree for Leadership in Early Childhood Education. In addition, I also studied for and received my Master’s degree from Lesley in Early Childhood Education, and acquired my teaching license in Massachusetts. At Fitchburg State University, I built the foundation of my interest in this field, while at Lesley, I enrolled in practicums and internships in schools, teaching 1st grade and Kindergarten, and then in my Senior year, I worked in an Early Childhood center. Again, hands-on experience was vital in enabling me to grow and develop my interest in Early Childhood Education. I also was fortunate to have mentors that were pioneers in Early Childhood Education and were very passionate about the field.

Since high school, I had thought about being a director or opening my own daycare, and thus, I always knew where I wanted to end up in my career, but I knew that I needed to take the adequate steps to build a career rooted in experience. I began as an Assistant teacher supporting a group of 2 year olds. I then had my own classroom of 2 year olds, and later went on to oversee a cohort of toddler teaching teams. Afterwards, I moved on to become the director of a preschool, overseeing a program of 70 children and 15 staff members, and then I was promoted to the position I hold now. Today, I am the Assistant Vice President of the Early Childhood Education Department of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Boston. In my position, I manage and oversee almost 400 students, ages infant to 5 years old, and I manage over 100 people with the support of a phenomenal and supportive leadership team. In this role, it is vital to have the ability to work with others, to be flexible, to adapt to others’ personalities, to be open minded with staff and families, and to be able to meet in the middle.

REFLECT ON THE CAREER

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RESOURCES

O*NET ONLINE

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OCCUPATIONAL OUTLOOK HANDBOOK

The Occupational Outlook Handbook is the government’s premier source of career guidance featuring hundreds of occupations.

MY NEXT MOVE

My Next Move is an interactive tool for job seekers and students to learn more about their career options.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER EDUCATION

We are from all across the United States and countries around the globe. We are joined together by our common interest in Early Childhood Teacher Education.

STEP THREE – PLAN

Hopefully you found at least one career that looks interesting to pursue. If you found a lot or none at all, don’t worry! The next step is to make a plan and take action!