POSTED ON May 21, 2025

Pre-K Head Teacher

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Central Synagogue's Vision:

Central Synagogue is one of the leading and largest Reform congregations in the country. Located in Midtown Manhattan, Central’s reach includes more than 3,300 member families, a livestream community numbering in the hundreds of thousands, and more than 800 students in our nursery and religious schools. Central has long played a significant role in the Reform movement and is known for its innovation and leadership in worship, leading to a greatly expanded audience over the last two decades.

Central Synagogue works toward a world in which Judaism is core to the lives of Central members and Jews everywhere and is a profound and positive force for humanity. Central continually redefines what it means to be Jewish today, both within the Synagogue community and far beyond our Synagogue’s walls. Our diverse clergy and professional team partner with lay leadership to build deep and enduring relationships among Central members, creating a caring, dynamic, and joyful community.

Central Synagogue is inclusive and welcoming. We encourage participation from all who seek a connection to Jewish life and want to be part of our sacred community, regardless of religious background, race, ethnicity, gender, ability, socioeconomic status, political affiliation, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Central is committed to being an open tent, a place that welcomes all people, including those who have been historically and institutionally marginalized or excluded from the Jewish community.

The Synagogue is well-resourced, has more than 100 staff, and is governed by a 30-member Board of Trustees. To learn more, please visit: https://www.centralsynagogue.org/.

Our Vision at the May Nursery School

Early childhood is a magical time of discovery for children and their parents. At Central Synagogue, we provide children with rich learning and growth experiences that establish them as lifelong learners and celebratory experiences that connect them to the joys of Judaism through an exploration of values, traditions, and rituals. Inspired by emergent curriculum and the Reggio Emilia philosophy of early childhood education and grounded by developmental milestones for each child, we help children achieve learning goals through a constructivist approach.

Job Summary/Objective

The Pre-K head teacher is a member of the Central Synagogue May Family Nursery School teaching team who shares in the education, care, and well-being of his or her assigned group of students. Under the guidance of the Nursery School administration, the head teacher is required to implement planned curriculum, maintain written plans and write reports (including those required for children applying to independent schools), provide a developmentally appropriate classroom environment, determine classroom and individual student goals, participate in team meetings and to uphold the objectives and overall philosophy of the Central Synagogue May Family Nursery School. The Pre-K head teacher reports to the Early Childhood Director.

We are looking for a dynamic head teacher who displays curiosity, creativity, flexibility, kindness, and warmth and likes to share their passion for Early Childhood with the children, families, and staff in our Central Synagogue community. She or he will partner with their classroom teachers on emergent curriculum and engaging activities to bring out the best in each child by noticing their unique interests and expanding upon them. They will assist in identifying and reporting children’s needs using observation, reporting, discussion, and follow-up as well as maintain positive communication with families on a daily basis.

Reports to Early Childhood Director

Date:

August 2025

Hours:

Full-time, 10-month position, Exempt and not eligible for OT
Your hours of employment will be as follows: Monday through Thursday 8:15 am – 3:30 pm and until 2:30 pm on Friday

Essential Duties/Responsibilities:

• Manage with your teaching team, all aspects of daily classroom life, including health and safety of all students, establishing comfortable classroom routines and transitions, and implementation of child-centered, developmentally appropriate, emergent curriculum that excites children about learning and prepares them for the next step in their education.
• Plan and implement activities to support and foster positive self-esteem, social skills, developmental growth, and independence for all students.
• Observe and record children’s progress, behavior, growth, and development on a regular and ongoing basis.
• Work collaboratively with teaching team, administrators, specialists, and consultants.
• Incorporate Shabbat, Jewish holiday celebrations, and Jewish values, customs, traditions, and rituals into the classroom.
• Manage any classroom allergies, coordinate with service providers such as OT, PT, or speech (as applicable), and address other individualized needs of students.
• Communicate effectively with parents through written daily, weekly, and monthly communication, in-person discussions at drop off and pick up, email correspondence, and parent-teacher conferences.
• Partner with Director in writing ongoing school reports.
• Actively participate in all team meetings, staff meetings, professional development days, teacher trainings, and workshops.

Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education or related graduate education degree
• Current New York State Teaching Certification in the following areas is acceptable:
  • Nursery – 6th Grade
  • Early Childhood (Birth – 2nd Grade)
  • Childhood Education (Grades 1-6)
  • Special Education-N-12th Grade
  • Students with Disabilities Birth – 2nd Grade
  • Students with Disabilities 1st-6th Grade
  • Pre-K – 2nd Grade
• Teaching experience in early childhood classroom (minimum three years teaching experience)
• Meet standards for licensing requirements (finger printing, child abuse check, etc.)

Other Duties:

Please note that the above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It should not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or requirements. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s rights to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

The expected salary range for this position is $60,000 to $71,000. Central Synagogue offers an extensive benefits package designed to meet the needs of our dedicated and diverse community. The salary is commensurate with experience based on several factors, including, but not limited to, skills, knowledge, training, education, areas of specialization, and depth and scope of experience. The above salary range represents the Synagogue’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the possible compensation range at the time of posting.

Application Process:

Please click the link to complete the Pre-K Head Teacher job application: Apply