Job Description

About Us: Apple Playschools is a unique, dynamic and Reggio Emilia-inspired early childhood organization that offers outdoor and Spanish immersion programs. We are seeking an experienced, open-minded, flexible, coaching-oriented, and organized leader to be the Program Director at our muddy and messy preschool. Currently, Green Apple Nature Playschool serves 20-25 children ages 30 months to 6 years old and a team of 6-7 teachers. Starting in January 2025, we will expand this program capacity and add 47 more spaces and 10 more teachers, including a GSRP classroom and/or an after school program. 

What Sets Us Apart:  

• Respecting Authentic Childhood: Our primary goal at Apple Playschools is always to support and respect authentic childhood experiences. Play is the most important work of the child.
• Equity & Inclusion: Anti-bias education is woven throughout the curricula and learning environments. Our employment practices are founded on a passion for intersectional feminism and inclusion.
• Global Citizenship: We equip children (and adults) with multiple languages so that they are better able to think flexibly and move through the global community with greater fluency, respect, and adaptability.  
• Environmental Education, Stewardship & Justice: At Apple Playschools, we are deeply committed to both restoring and preserving the Earth.
• Collaborative Community Involvement: We believe that we actively shape and are shaped by our communities, and strive to participate and contribute meaningfully to ours.

Your Role: The Program Director will collaborate with our administrative team, teaching staff, and families to support 4-5 classrooms of students 18 months-6 years old in service to the community. The successful candidate will be an excellent communicator, self-reflective, and able to balance collaboration with independent problem solving.

Your Impact:

• Teacher Coach & Manager: The Program Director will work with the leadership team to recruit, interview, select and hire full/part-time staff; provide written feedback, evaluate and discipline their teaching team; maintain transparent communication through one-on-one meetings and lead formal trainings as required; shaping a culture aligned with mission and vision and promoting a collaborative team environment. 
• Financial Manager: The Program Director will make business decisions that are financially responsible, accountable, justifiable, and defensible in accordance with mission and organization policies and procedures and allocate resources to meet developmental productivity and quality goals. 
• License and Compliance Manager: The Program Director will ensure all safety, health, licensing and policy rules are followed on a daily basis; coordinate with others on Great Start to Quality and act as a mandated reporter. 
• Family & Admin Liaison: Communicates appropriately with staff and families on a regular basis; coordinates efforts and support for our signature events and to support families and staff with neurodivergent children and children with disabilities.

• Salary will be set at $53,000-$56,000/year according to experience 
• Medical benefits provided for full time staff with a 70-80% employer cost-share depending on the plan you choose
• Over 4 weeks of paid holidays and paid school closures throughout the year
• Accrued PTO starting at 8 days a year
• Flexible schedule opportunities (full-time is required, with at least 6 hours/day in-person)
• Paid professional development including membership to the Washtenaw Early Childhood Directors’ Association, NAEYC and the North American Reggio Emilia Alliance.
• Progressive, anti-bias focused, feminist workplace on a highly collaborative and inclusive team

What You’ll Need – The Must-Haves:

• 21+ years of age
• Meet the requirements of an Early Childhood Program Director outlined on Page 7 of Licensing Rules for Michigan Child Care Centers Effective 12/18/2019 including 2 semester hours or 3.0 CEUs in child care administration, 30 hours of administrative training from MiRegistry, or another administrative credential approved by the department.
• 3+ years teaching experience in Early Childhood or Elementary education
• 2+ years management, coaching, or mentorship experience
• Creative and effective problem-solver focused on equity
• Able to pass background checks required by state licensing guidelines
• Makes sound decisions under pressure
• Demonstrates direct and empathic leadership
• Proficient in Google Suite apps, or similar, including spreadsheets, word processing, and email
• Familiarity with anti-bias and anti-oppression concepts, and a commitment to personal responsibility for unlearning biases around race, gender, sexual orientation, age, class, etc. Willingness to engage in conversations about bias/anti-bias with colleagues and with children.
• Supports collaborative, innovative, and inclusive organizational culture.
• Physical requirements include being able to comfortably bend, move around with young children, ascend and descend a flight of stairs, walk on uneven terrain, work outside in all weather conditions, be exposed to environmental allergens (dust, animals, etc), and lift up to 25 pounds. Less than 1% of time supporting care and maintenance of school and site including cleaning, yard work, moving furniture, etc.

What Will Give You an Edge – The Nice-to-Haves:

• Have a Bachelor’s degree or higher in early childhood education, elementary education, child development, or a child-related field
• GSRP management and/or teaching experience
• Nonprofit, administrative, and education experience is a plus.

Come Join Us and Transform Our Community through work and PLAY!

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