Early Childhood / Head Start Academic Coach / Lead Support

Job Description

Job Description

Position Summary :

The Early Childhood / Head Start Academic Coach / Lead Support plays a pivotal role in supporting classroom staff, advancing school readiness goals, and ensuring high-quality learning environments. This position serves as a critical communication liaison between the Director, classroom staff, and Head Start / Porter Leath administrators. The Academic Coach assists with curriculum implementation, compliance with Head Start Performance Standards (including Health and Safety), and provides classroom management support. Additionally, this role monitors program quality and offers guidance to ensure children’s developmental, social-emotional, and academic needs are fully met.

Key Responsibilities :

• Act as a support and communication liaison among the Director, classroom teams, and Head Start staff.
• Deliver data-driven, modeled instruction aligned with Brigance, Creative Curriculum, CLASS, Eckers, and Kindergarten readiness standards.
• Conduct regular observations in nine Head Start classrooms, assessing instruction quality, classroom environment, health and safety compliance, and child engagement.
• Ensure classroom quality assurance through routine walkthroughs, monitoring compliance with Head Start Performance Standards, state licensing regulations, and internal policies.
• Serve as a curriculum leader by assisting teachers with implementation of developmentally appropriate practices aligned with school readiness and Kindergarten curriculum standards. Provide coaching and constructive feedback to classroom staff.
• Maintain strict adherence to Head Start Performance Standards, state licensing requirements, and agency policies.
• Collaborate with family service, health, and special education teams to support integrated services for children and families, coordinating with three principals and the Director.
• Oversee classroom documentation, including lesson plans, attendance records, child assessments, and health documentation.
• Manage Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) log documentation and reporting for nine classrooms.
• Assist with onboarding and orientation for new teaching staff.
• Lead and facilitate staff training sessions and ongoing professional development initiatives.
• Coordinate classroom coverage during teacher absences or staffing shortages.
• Provide temporary classroom support in cases of staff absences, behavioral challenges, or high-needs situations.
• Support student transitions from Head Start to Kindergarten.
• Promote student retention from Pre-K to Kindergarten with a target retention rate of at least 80%.

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