Education Director

Family Star Montessori School

Family Star is currently seeking a kind, calm, objective, flexible, decisive and collaborative person to fill our Education Director position.

Family Star is a nationally recognized and unique program that implements an authentic and inclusive Montessori philosophy in all of our age ranges. We serve children 2 months – 6 years of age and families across the economic spectrum in a respectful and empowering community. We are unique in that we also receive funding through Head Start which allows for an exciting environment of children and families from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. We are an inclusive school that accepts and meets the needs of children with disabilities as well. Family Star is thriving and growing and currently has schools in Northwest and Northeast Denver. We have a positive student and staff culture, passionate commitment to authentic Montessori education and a warm, supportive parent community.

Ideal candidates are ready to join our exciting and innovative learning community which holds all children and their families in high esteem. They must be invested in and committed to providing an overall excellent program to our diverse and growing community. This person must have strong background in Montessori education but also have a broad perspective on education while remaining flexible and creative in their approach to guiding and supporting a comprehensive education program. This person must have the ability to communicate and collaborate well with a wide variety of key stakeholders throughout the organization including parents/families, teachers, managers and administrators, executive leaders, and governing bodies (Board of Directors and Parent Policy Council), and other community partners.

Major Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Assures fidelity to the Family Star model—guidelines, practices, and procedures that support implementation of Montessori practices to achieve the highest standards of uncompromising quality.
• Collaborates with a team to ensure that Family Star’s program delivery consistently achieves the highest levels of program quality, according to Head Star Performance Standards, Qualistar, and Montessori school standards.
• Actively participates in organizational planning efforts and prioritization as it pertains to training and professional development.
• Engages key Montessori leaders in supporting Family Star’s excellent education program.
• Promotes and represents the Family Star model of early childhood education at a local and national level in order to further the organization’s mission and vision.
• Leads collaborative efforts and key projects and ensures that communications support shared leadership, fulfillment of Family Star’s mission, and the advancement of the vision.

REQUIREMENTS:

· Minimum of a Master’s degree in education or related field, and 5 years of relevant experience.

· AMI Montessori certification.

· At least 5 years working with children 0-6.

· Expertise in Montessori philosophy and practice.

· Must be a highly motivated team player with excellent organizational and interpersonal skills.

· Demonstrated appreciation of diversity and programs seeking to increase social justice.

• Sophisticated communication skills, and the ability to match communication approach to match diverse audiences, from board members to managers to teachers to customers/ parents.
• Excellent customer service skills with diverse groups and populations.

· Must have working knowledge of computers and adept in commonly used software for email, internet, word processing, data collection, entry and management.

· Must have oral and written proficiency in the English language.

· Must be able to work the hours of the position based on the organization’s needs, including willingness to participate in school after-hours events, as needed.

· Must complete clearance of a background check, post-offer, pre-employment physical, and TB test.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS/LICENSES/CERTIFICATIONS:

· Experience as a supervisor/administrator of a related program.

· Experience working in Early Head Start or Head Start.

· Experience with dual language learning (Spanish/English).

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

This position may require the ability to perform the following job requirements, with or without reasonable accommodations:

-bending -raising arms above the head

-rising from kneeling/sitting position -twisting at the waist

-sitting at the computer for extend periods of time -kneeling

-standing/sitting for extend periods of time -sitting on the floor

-speaking for extended periods of time

Salary is dependent upon qualifications and experience. Generous benefits and paid leave offered!

Candidates that would like to be considered must send a cover letter, a resume, and salary requirements to adurlin@familystar.net. Please include the title Education Director in the subject line.

Candidates are strongly encouraged to visit our website to learn more about our organization: www.familystar.net.