Teacher - Head Start

Position Function:

This position is responsible for a Head Start classroom of 3 to 5 year old children. Position works collaboratively with an assistant teacher, family members and other staff to achieve positive outcomes for children of all abilities.

Salary Grade: 10

Please see or for salary ranges. For salary grade UC, these positions are "Unclassified" and salary ranges are determined by the hiring department.

Department Profile:

Throughout its history, Mississippi State University-Extension (MSU-ES) has demonstrated a deep and abiding commitment to programs that directly impact young children and their families. In the past decade, MSU-ES has distinguished itself as Mississippi’s premier infrastructural support of high-quality early childhood education.

Area of Specialization:

MSU-Extension Head Start Programs - Harrison County

Anticipated Appointment Date:

January 2026.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

The following examples are intended as illustrations only of the various types of duties assigned to this position. The absence of specific statements of duties does not exclude those tasks from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment of the position.

• Primary teacher for a classroom of 3 to 5 year-old children.
• Demonstrates a warm, calm, and unhurried manner.
• Serves as a role model for children and families.
• Provides for the education, care, safety, and well-being of all children in the group.
• Meets the children’s emotional, social, physical, and intellectual needs.
• Plans and implements developmentally appropriate learning activities.
• Maintains a cooperative relationship with children, co-workers, and parents.
• Demonstrates increasing understanding of child growth and development in working with children, in talking with parents, and in recording activities.
• Attends staff meetings, reports problems of child or room management to the Center
Director promptly.
• Attends in-service training, keeps current on developments in field of child development.
• Follows personnel policies of the MSU-ES Head Start Program and the University.
• Stays up-to-date and adheres to MS Child Care Licensing Standards and Head Start
Performance Standards.
• Manages a safe, clean, and pleasant environment for young children.
• Provides peer coaching to other teachers, assistant teachers, floaters, and substitute
teachers.
• Models exemplary classroom practices for other teachers especially those detailed in the Teacher Success Rubric and CLASS.
• Assists in on-boarding new staff
• Plans and facilitates PLCs under the guidance of the Center Director.
• Provides individualized plans for each child in classroom to promote the development of each individual child.
• May serve as bus monitor when needed.
• Schedules home visits and parent-teacher conferences as necessary and properly
documents these meetings.

The teacher is responsible for a Head Start classroom of 3-5 years old children. S/he
works collaboratively with an assistant teacher, family members and other staff to achieve
positive outcomes for children of all abilities. The teacher’s role encompasses effective
practice in the following as outlined in our Teacher Success Rubric (TSR):

• CLASS teacher-child interactions
• Learning environment
• Curriculum
• Child assessment
• Meeting all children’s needs
• Working with families
• Professional growth and collaboration

Performs any related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education:
• AA/AS in Early Childhood Education or related field.
Substitution:
• An equivalent combination of related education and related experience may be considered for this position.
Licensures:
• Valid driver’s license
• Certification in CPR and First Aid – Will be required to obtain within the first nine (9) months of employment. Certification must be maintained.

Preferred Qualifications:

• BA/BS in Early Childhood Education, Child Development or related field, or state awarded preschool teacher certification with experience teaching preschool-aged children, or BA/BS in related field with at least six college courses in Early Childhood Education plus experience teaching young children.
• Experience teaching preschool children including group experience with children four
years and younger.
• Certification in CLASS

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Current understanding of MS Child Care Licensing requirements
• Current understanding of Head Start Performance Standards
• Able to anticipate the needs of children
• Must be able to organize and execute daily activities
• Works well with other staff
• Intermediate computer literacy skills in email, Microsoft Office

Working Conditions and Physical Effort

• Subject to background check and finger printing as required by the State Department of Health/Child Care Licensure Standards for staff.
• A physical exam is required for this position.
• Travel required locally or long-distance up to 10% of the time for work-related meetings
and other functions.
• Able to lift a child weighing 40 pounds, 20 times a day if needed.
• This position will be inside and outside supervising children as weather permits as well as monitoring.
• Due to the primary work with young children, some exposure to communicable disease is likely.
• Moderate to loud noise levels.