Preschool Lead Teacher

Pea Pod Co-Op Playschool Job Opportunity: Parent Coach of Three-Five year old Class, Playschool Co-Op Pea Pod Playschool is seeking a Parent Coach for its three-five year-old class which meets Monday - Friday from 9am-1 pm. The position will begin in Summer 2026 officially, but there is potential to begin as soon as March 2026. Our Parent Coach position differs from a traditional teacher role in that the Parent Coach, while providing structure and leadership, is working along-side parents in the classroom, in order to provide parents with a sense of agency and engagement in the classroom environment and working together with the Parent Coach as a team. Pea Pod Preschool is dedicated to providing a developmentally appropriate social-emotional and healthy conflict skills within a play-based curriculum. Pea Pod promotes an environment which encourages self-expression, creativity, curiosity and community, and embraces the role of life-long learner for children and adults. Pea Pod is committed to a strong home-school partnership, honoring the diversity of our families, upholding our community values, and welcoming the uniqueness of each individual. Pea Pod Playschool is located in Southeast Portland at Belmont & 54th Ave. Pea Pod was established in 2015 for children 18-36 months, and began a preschool aged cohort in 2024. The preschool cohort operates under the direction of its Parent Coach, who is employed by the Board of Directors on behalf of the parent membership. Your role would be to determine and deliver curriculum and maintain standard procedures for the preschool aged program. The Board of Directors of the cooperative is responsible for the organization: it’s funding, budget, overall structure, and administration of the school programs. Parents hold Board positions, attend monthly parent meetings, attend 2 work parties per year and engage in fundraising efforts. Parents also work together with the Parent Coach in the classroom on a rotating basis, maintaining a 4:1 ratio of adults to children present throughout the school day. Work with children (Up to 16-20): Plans, implements, and assesses a developmentally-appropriate program for three to five-year olds, using a play-based learning curriculum. Organizes the classroom and updates classroom materials to maintain an environment to interest and challenge children. Provides regular opportunities and consistent support for social, emotional, and intellectual growth. Acts as a consultant regarding typical growth and development of children. Work with families: Works closely with the Board and parent membership. Trains parent helpers and supervises their classroom participation. Attends monthly meetings of the Board. Leads a monthly parent meeting for the membership. Conducts parent conferences during the week we are closed in November. Work with Pea Pod: Maintains organizational communication including email and phone with the Board and co-op families. Pursues continuing professional development with reimbursement according to contract details. Engages with the Parent-Child Preschool Organization (PCPO) and other PCPO teachers. Minimum Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or related field OR minimum of 3 years hands-on experience in early childhood education Must complete CPR training and basic first aid training by start of position Must complete a Food Handlers Permit Must complete Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect Must complete Oregon Mandatory Reporting Certification Able to pass State of Oregon background check Able to provide references that relate to experience with early childhood education Preferred Qualities: Experience with cooperative preschools. High sense of responsibility and dependability. Willingness to solve problems, listen to constructive feedback, be patient, be a team player, remain unruffled, positive and fun. Job Type: Part-time Pay: $35,000.00 - $42,000.00 per year Expected hours: 30 – 32 per week Work Location: In person