Associate Teacher Jobs in Portland, OR (NOW HIRING)

Salary: $19.56 - $21.69 Hourly
Location : Assigned Head Start location, OR
Job Type: Full-time
Job Number: 2025-00090
Division: CDFS
Department: Head Start
Opening Date: 08/17/2026
Job Summary and Responsibilities/Duties
Please note:

• Location: We are hiring for positions at our Head Start locations in East Portland, Gresham & surrounding areas.
• We are hiring for multiple vacancies and applications will be reviewed as they are submitted.

Job Summary
Assists with the planning and conducting of an educational program, and develops strong nurturing relationships with children and families and quality partnerships that encourage family engagement in their child's learning. Provides children with a developmentally appropriate learning environment in preparation for school success. Meets performance standards, and follows the agency licensing policies, procedures, rules, and regulations.
Essential Job Duties

1. Assists with the planning and conducting of the educational program and weekly curriculum. Works directly with children individually and in small and large groups.
2. Participates in the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) process for children with special needs, and assists with implementing IFSP goals.
3. Supports daily observations. Assists with taking notes, videos, and enters data as needed.
4. Maintains accurate and timely written and electronic records and reports (i.e., meal counts, staff sign in, child attendance, etc.).
5. Provides assistance with developmental screening and assessments for children.
6. Develops partnerships with parents in regards to their child/children.
7. Attends and participates in staff meetings, planning meetings, classroom team debriefings, and training.

Additional Duties

1. Administers medications, and diapers as needed.
2. Assists teachers with conduction of home visits and family conferences as appropriate.
3. Assists in general upkeep of center facilities, equipment, and materials.
4. Participates in regular training and technical assistance activities.
5. Rides school bus as needed.
6. Represents agency on various committees and projects as directed.
7. Performs other related duties as assigned

Minimum and Desired Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
Education:
A Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential (Infant/Toddler; Preschool)
OR An Infant/Toddler Professional Credential through Oregon Center for Career Development
OR Step 7 or higher in the Oregon Registry
OR Be enrolled in a program to complete a CDA or equivalent within two (2) years of hire
Experience/Training:

• Minimum (1) year of experience working with children age birth to (5) years
• Minimum (6) months of experience working within an early childhood and/or elementary classroom
• Experience working with diverse backgrounds of the College's community, students and employees; demonstrated commitment to promoting access and diversity

Additional Qualifications and/or Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs)
Additional Qualifications

• Must be enrolled in the Oregon Central Background Registry prior to beginning employment and enrollment must be maintained throughout employment
• Post-offer fitness for duty evaluation, must be obtained within 30 days of hire date:
  1. TB screening
  2. Health appraisal
• Complete required Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) licensing within 30 days of hire
• Must possess or obtain current Infant/Child First Aid/CPR certification within 60 days of hire
• Must possess or obtain Food Handlers Certificate within 30 days of hire
• Must be able to works occasional evening hours as needed (i.e., parent meetings, home visits, etc.)

Skills in:

• Excellent inter-personal, verbal and written communication skills
• Leadership and staff training
• Organizational skills

Ability to:

• Apply the understanding of developmentally appropriate activities of children
• Meet and promote the social-emotional, physical and cognitive development needs of children
• Provide and model best practices in ECE and to facilitate team development
• Problem-solve
• Multi-task
• Make sound judgments and demonstrate appropriate role modeling
• Maintain full attention and awareness of children at all times
• Work as a team member and to be self-directed.

Knowledge of:

• Basic computer skills

Working Conditions and Important Information
Schedule:
-Full-time, 40 hours per week, Monday - Friday.
-This a partial year role at .86153 FTE - Program runs August - June
Physical Requirements: Ability to lift/carry up to 50lbs a distance of 10 feet. Ability to push/pull up to 50lbs. a distance of 10 yards Sufficient mobility and range of motion to perform repetitive standing, walking, balancing, stooping, bending, crouching, crawling, sitting on the floor, reaching, squatting, kneeling, and twisting for up to 8 hours per day. Sufficient stamina to perform job duties at frequency required. Ability to react quickly to the physical actions of children. Sufficient vision and hearing to perform job duties. Sufficient manual dexterity and eye-hand coordination to perform job duties.
Exposure to Hazards: Unpredictable child and family behavior, hazardous chemicals, contagious conditions, work with office equipment. Driving and riding in motor vehicles. Working conditions include indoor/outdoor environments, preschool center classrooms, playgrounds, offices, frequent local and occasional out-of-town travel.
Salary Placement
Initial salary placement will be based on applicable education and/or years of relevant full-time equivalent experience at the sole discretion of the College, per the guidelines in the Collective Bargaining Agreement and in accordance with all applicable state and federal laws. Please include all relevant education and full and part-time experience (including unpaid and volunteer experience) in your application that you want the College to review towards potential placement. Hired employees will not have an opportunity to update past education and/or experience or appeal initial placement after the time of hire.
Associate Teacher I - OSEA Range 9 - $19.56-$20.63 Per Hour - Infant/Toddler CDA or ORO Step 7
Associate Teacher II - OSEA Range 11 - $20.55-21.69 Per Hour - Associate's Degree
The following is a brief description of the benefits offered by Mt. Hood Community, this is intended to be a summary only - any errors or omissions are unintentional. Please refer to benefit booklets, plan documents, college policy and regulations for more detailed information.
COLLEGE PAID BENEFITSHealth Benefit Options
MHCC is a member of the Oregon Educators Benefit Board (OEBB) which administers Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D), Long Term Disability (LTD) and Employee Assistance Plan (EAP). The effective date of employer-provided benefits is the beginning of the month after the employee's date of hire at MHCC, unless otherwise indicated.
MHCC will only pay the premium portion for medical, dental and vision coverage for your spouse/domestic partner and/or eligible dependents if they are not covered under another policy.
If you elect to have double coverage for a spouse/domestic partner or eligible dependent, you will be required to have the premium associated with the double coverage deducted out of your payroll check each month.
Retirement Exception: The College will waive the double coverage premiums when an employee is adding a spouse/domestic partner and/or eligible dependents during open enrollment prior to the employee's anticipated retirement date for that plan year.
Other College Paid Insurances

• Life Insurance Coverage = $50,000
• Accidental Death & Dismemberment(AD&D) Coverage = $50,000
• Long Term Disability (LTD)

Approved benefit claims begin after 90-day elimination period. Maximum benefit is 66 2/3 of monthly salary; benefit may be adjusted based on other income received by retirement benefits.
Public Employees Retirement Plan (PERS)On behalf of the employee, MHCC contributes 6% of their gross salary into an Individual Account Program (IAP) with PERS. At the time of retirement, based on one of the following programs, a monthly pension benefit is calculated. Please refer the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) website for detailed information on retirement benefits:

• Public Employees Retirement System - Tier One/Tier Two Hired by a PERS employer before August 28, 2003 and have an active account.
• Oregon Public Service Retirement Plan - OPSRP Hired on or after August 28, 2003 and do not have active account in the PERS Program.

Tuition Waiver PlanFull time employees, their spouses, domestic partners and children through the age of 23 who qualify as legal dependents will be entitled to tuition-free enrollment in MHCC courses. All fees are the responsibility of the employee. The employer will pay the following fees for hiring requirements and renewals: health appraisal, First Aid/CPR, Recognizing Reporting Child Abuse & Neglect, CDL, School Bus License, CDA application fees and Food Handler's Card, as authorized through designated provider. The employer will pay for the initial enrollment and the cost of renewal in the Criminal Background Registry for all eligible employees.
*Part-time hourly employees who worked a minimum of four hundred (400) hours in the immediate past fiscal year (July-June), and who reasonably expect to continue at that same level of employment, are eligible for a three (3) credit waiver during each term of employment.
*Part-time hourly employees (non-substitute employees) may apply for optional training through the employer's Child Care Resource and Referral program. If approved, up to two (2) classes will be made available per year at no cost to the employee. These training programs are on non-paid time.
*Substitute employees who have completed fifty (50) hours of work in a fiscal year may apply for one (1) optional training class per year through Child Care Resource and Referral program at no cost to the employee. This training program is on non-paid time.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
MHCC's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is through Canopy which provides services to help people privately resolve problems that may interfere with work, family, and other important areas of life.
The EAP provides FREE (no charge for utilization) and confidential services to employees and their dependents, living at or away from home, and all household members, related or not MHCC employees, spouses/domestic partner, dependents and their eligible household members have eight (8) free EAP services per new issue, including relationship, family, stress, anxiety, and other common challenges. Employees must get a referral from the EAP for each issue for services to be covered.
More information on the Employee Assistance Program
Use of MHCC Swimming PoolFull-time employees and dependents have free access to the MHCC swimming pool during open recreation sessions. Swimming classes through the American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim program are not free under the tuition waiver plan or the swim pass. Employees are responsible to pay for the classes.
Sick AccrualsNew full-time employees will receive 80 hours of sick leave upon hire to the College. Full time employees working 1.0 FTE will accrue sick leave at the rate of eight (8) hours per month. Full time employees who work less than 1.0 FTE but more than .50 FTE will accrue leave on a prorated basis. For example, an employee working .75 FTE receives six (6) hours per month (8 hours x .75 FTE= 6 hours).
All other employees working less than .50 FTE will earn sick leave consistent with Oregon law (currently 1 hour for every 30 hours worked up to 40 hours per year).
Vacation
Full time Head Start employees will accrue paid vacation on a monthly basis. Employees working less than 1.0 FTE but more than .50 FTE will accrue paid vacation on a prorated basis. An employee must work 75% of their possible work schedule for the first and last month of employment to receive accruals for that month. The vacation accrual rates are as follows for full-time 1.0 FTE employees:
Months Employed
Annual Accrual
0 - 23 Months15 Days24 - 47 Months16 Days48 - 71 Months
17 Days
72 - 95 Months18 Days96 Months+20 Days
An increase in the accrual amount will begin on the first day worked of the year in the chart. For example, once an employee works 24 months (2 years) the next month they will begin accruing at a rate of 16 days per year.
HolidaysFull-time employees shall be paid eight (8) hours for each of the following holidays which fall within their service calendar: Independence Day, Labor Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President's Day, Memorial Day, and Juneteenth (June 19th). If a holiday falls on a Saturday, Friday will be the observed holiday. If a holiday falls on a Sunday, Monday will be the observed holiday.
Additional Information
Detailed information regarding all Head Start - OSEA benefits are available in the Head Start and Oregon School Employees Association Bargaining Agreement.
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We are currently hiring for Teachers to support our Head Start (Age 3-5) and Early Head Start (0-3) programs.Please specify which position you are