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DIRECTOR OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Reports To: Chief Learning Officer
Classification: Exempt
Supervisory Responsibilities: Early Childhood Education Staff and Food Service Associate

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of Early Childhood Education provides strategic, operational, instructional, and compliance leadership for Grace Place’s Early Childhood Education Program.

The Director is responsible for ensuring high-quality, developmentally appropriate programming; strong staff performance; meaningful family engagement; achievement of program outcomes; and full compliance with Department of Children and Families (DCF), Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK), National Accreditation Commission (NAC), and other applicable requirements.

The Director works collaboratively with program, operations, finance, development, human resources, and enrollment teams to strengthen systems, maintain audit-ready documentation, and ensure early childhood programming remains aligned with the Grace Place Family Literacy Model and mission.

As Grace Place expands to multiple sites, the Director holds responsibility for DCF licensing compliance and NAC accreditation at every location. The Director is also responsible for ensuring classrooms consistently achieve a CLASS® Classroom Assessment Scoring System rating of 5.5 or higher through a strong staff training, observation, and coaching infrastructure.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

STRATEGIC PROGRAM LEADERSHIP

• Set the strategic direction, annual goals, performance measures, and implementation plans for the Bright Beginnings Early Childhood Education Program in alignment with Grace Place priorities and the Family Literacy Model.

• Provide overall leadership and direction for Grace Place early childhood education programs, ensuring consistent quality, safety, and alignment across all locations.

• Oversee a developmental playgroup for children demonstrating developmental, behavioral, or social-emotional concerns, including targeted interventions, parent support, referrals, and follow-up.

• Collaborate with the Chief Learning Officer, Director of Adult Education, and other program leaders to ensure early childhood programming is aligned with the educational and two-generation elements of the Family Literacy Model.

CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTIONAL QUALITY

• Oversee developmentally appropriate curriculum, lesson planning, classroom environments, differentiated instruction, home-learning supports, and VPK programming.

• Oversee assessment, data review, instructional improvement, and compliance with Florida VPK requirements to advance each child’s academic, developmental, behavioral, and social-emotional growth.

• Oversee the planning, implementation, staffing, enrollment, and evaluation of the annual Rising VPK Summer Camp for students transitioning into VPK.

• Provide instructional leadership and support staff in curriculum implementation, classroom management, child guidance, assessment, family communication, and professional growth.

• Conduct or coordinate classroom observations, data reviews, coaching, and professional learning to strengthen instructional quality and consistency.

• Ensure instructional materials, classroom environments, schedules, and routines are inclusive, culturally responsive, safe, and appropriate for the ages and needs of enrolled children.

STAFF LEADERSHIP AND PROGRAM OPERATIONS

• Supervise, coach, evaluate, and develop Early Childhood Education staff.

• Establish clear performance expectations and address performance or conduct concerns in collaboration with Human Resources.

• Oversee staffing plans, classroom assignments, schedules, coverage, and daily operations to maintain required ratios, continuity of care, and safe program operations.

• Maintain high visibility and a hands-on presence with staff, children, volunteers, and families throughout all aspects of the program.

• Lead regular team meetings, professional learning sessions, data reviews, and operational check-ins to strengthen quality, communication, and accountability.

• Design and deliver a structured onboarding and orientation program for new early learning staff across all locations.

• Ensure onboarding covers DCF requirements, curriculum expectations, CLASS® standards, child safety, and Grace Place culture.

• Build and maintain an annual training calendar that includes required in-service hours, CLASS®-aligned coaching cycles, and NAC- and DCF-required professional development.

• Develop and supervise site-based coaches and coordinators who provide classroom mentoring, modeling, and feedback tied to CLASS® domains.

• Support staff credential advancement, including Child Development Associate credentials, Director Credentials, and degree attainment, in partnership with Grace Place workforce development and adult education programs.

ENROLLMENT, ASSESSMENT, AND FAMILY SUPPORT

• Maintain annual enrollment and attendance targets through effective recruitment, family retention, community outreach, tours, information sessions, and follow-up with prospective families.

• Ensure required child assessments, developmental screenings, attendance records, referrals, home visits, family conferences, and program documentation are completed accurately and on time.

• Establish effective systems for communicating with parents and caregivers regarding schedules, expectations, child progress, assessment results, available resources, and program changes.

• Guide families of children with developmental, behavioral, or social-emotional concerns through evaluation and referral processes.

• Follow up with families and service providers to help ensure children receive appropriate support services.

• Monitor barriers to participation and coordinate supports, interventions, or referrals that strengthen child attendance, family engagement, and program retention.

PROGRAM SYSTEMS, COMPLIANCE, AND QUALITY ASSURANCE

• Serve as the lead director for DCF licensing across all Grace Place-operated early childhood and applicable school-age program locations.

• Coordinate DCF requirements, inspections, inquiries, submissions, renewals, updates, and corrective action follow-up for each location.

• Maintain a standardized, multi-site compliance framework that includes shared policies, forms, procedures, checklists, and recordkeeping practices.

• Ensure each location’s licensing file, staff credentialing documentation, background screening records, and facility documentation remain current and inspection-ready.

• Lead the DCF licensing process for new Early Learning Centers as Grace Place expands, including facility approval, staff qualification verification, required documentation, and initial licensing surveys.

• Develop and deliver required annual DCF training for DCF-credentialed classroom staff across Grace Place program sites.

• Maintain training attendance records and documentation to demonstrate staff completion for compliance purposes.

• Stay current with DCF training requirements and update training materials as regulations and standards change.

• Ensure effective systems and assigned accountability are in place for classroom records, child and staff records, required postings, safety drills, attendance, transportation, health and safety documentation, food service requirements, and other inspection-ready standards.

• Conduct regular internal compliance audits and maintain organized, accurate, and audit-ready records.

• Ensure identified deficiencies and corrective actions are addressed and documented within required timelines.

• Maintain a comprehensive compliance calendar for licensing, accreditation, staff credentials, background screenings, certifications, required training, safety drills, VPK requirements, and policy review cycles.

• Stay current on DCF, VPK, NAC, CLASS®, and related requirements.

• Communicate regulatory changes and update policies, training, checklists, procedures, and compliance systems as standards change.

• Ensure ongoing compliance with NAC standards and lead accreditation and renewal processes across all locations.

• Prepare staff, classrooms, facilities, and documentation for accreditation reviews and site validation visits.

• Establish and maintain a regular cycle of calibrated CLASS® observations.

• Hold classrooms accountable for achieving a CLASS® rating of 5.5 or higher across Emotional Support, Classroom Organization, and Instructional Support domains.

• Use CLASS® results to develop individualized teacher coaching plans and site-level quality improvement plans.

EVALUATION, OUTCOMES, AND REPORTING

• Establish and monitor child, classroom, family engagement, enrollment, attendance, and program performance indicators in alignment with organizational goals.

• Work toward ensuring at least 90% of enrolled children demonstrate measurable progress in developmental, social-emotional, and school-readiness outcomes as measured by program assessments and screenings.

• Ensure 100% completion of required child assessments, developmental screenings, referrals, home visits, family conferences, and program documentation within established timelines.

• Review data and program results to identify trends, address gaps, guide continuous improvement, and communicate achievements, challenges, and recommendations to the Chief Learning Officer.

• Produce accurate and timely dashboards, grant data, outcome summaries, compliance reports, and other information for leadership, funders, partners, and the Board.

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

• Build strong relationships with parents and caregivers and help families support children’s learning and development at home.

• Support the Parent Leadership Council and work toward annual participation targets for conferences, home visits, parent education activities, and family events.

• Collaborate with outside agencies, schools, health providers, and community partners to expand developmental, behavioral, health, educational, and family support services.

• Represent Grace Place professionally at meetings, coalitions, conferences, and community events related to early childhood education and family services.

VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT

• Lead volunteer involvement in Early Childhood Education, including orientation, training, placement, scheduling, coaching, and retention.

• Collaborate with the Volunteer and Community Engagement Coordinator to ensure volunteer assignments support program needs.

• Ensure volunteers receive appropriate guidance, supervision, and feedback.

• Place volunteers in roles that support child safety, classroom quality, and program operations.

BUDGET AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

• Develop and manage the Early Childhood Education budget.

• Monitor expenditures, purchasing, inventory, technology, facilities, staffing, and instructional resource needs.

• Collaborate with Finance and Development on grant budgets, proposals, reporting, documentation, and donor or Board presentations related to Early Childhood Education.

• Maintain responsibility for compliance, reporting, documentation, and program deliverables associated with Early Childhood Education grants and any additional grants submitted for related programs or services.

• Ensure responsible stewardship of program resources.

• Promptly communicate significant budget, staffing, facility, compliance, or operational needs.

• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION AND CREDENTIALS

• Bachelor’s degree required.

• Concentration in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Educational Leadership, or a related field preferred.

• Equivalent advanced early childhood credentialing and experience may be considered.

• Active Florida Child Care Director Credential required.

• Florida Voluntary Prekindergarten Director Credential or Endorsement preferred.

• Willingness and ability to obtain required VPK credentials if not currently held.

EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in an early childhood education setting, including direct teaching experience.

• Minimum of three years of supervisory or program leadership experience in Early Childhood Education strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated experience with DCF licensing, inspections, compliance documentation, staff credentialing, corrective action follow-up, and audit readiness required.

• Experience leading or maintaining NAC accreditation strongly preferred.

• Experience overseeing VPK curriculum, assessments, outcomes, and compliance strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated success using the CLASS® tool to improve classroom quality, with a track record of reaching or exceeding a 5.5 average score, strongly preferred.

• Experience managing multiple priorities, programs, or locations and collaborating across departments preferred.

• Experience overseeing DCF licensing and program quality across multiple physical locations strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated experience working effectively with diverse cultures and populations preferred.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Strong knowledge of early childhood development, developmentally appropriate practices, classroom quality, family engagement, and child safety.

• Strong knowledge of Florida DCF regulations, VPK requirements, NAC standards, and CLASS® domains.

• CLASS® Reliable Observer certification required.

• CLASS® Trainer certification preferred.

• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, records, and projects independently.

• Ability to move work forward with urgency, follow-through, accountability, and sound judgment.

• Strong leadership, coaching, problem-solving, written communication, and verbal communication skills.

• Ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and experience levels.

• Bilingual skills preferred.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel.

• Experience with databases, compliance tracking systems, assessment systems, and reporting tools preferred.

• Current First Aid and CPR certification or the ability to obtain and maintain certification.

• Ability to maintain all required credentials, continuing education requirements, and DCF Good Moral Character standards.

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