Certified Lead Preschool Teacher (Leave Coverage)

Role: Certified Lead Preschool Teacher (Leave Coverage)
Location: Tribeca, 88 Leonard Street, New York, NY 10013
Salary: $70,000-$80,000/year, prorated for the coverage period (based on a 10-month school year)
Start Date: ASAP
Coverage Period: November 9th - February 12, 2027
Reports to: Head of School
Schedule: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

About us:

New York Preschool is more than just a neighborhood preschool. It’s a year-round early childhood education program built for NYC families with children ages one to five. Every school shares one philosophy across three core programs: NY Preschool, Afternoon Club, and Camp Kids Club.

We put the child first, give working parents the flexibility they need, and treat New York City as an extension of the classroom. This is how we prepare city kids and families to thrive at the next level.

With 12 campuses across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, and over 20 years of serving the NYC community, families get the depth and support of an established network, delivered with the warmth of a neighborhood school tuned to the block it serves.

About This Opportunity

We’re looking for a certified Lead Teacher to join our Tribeca location. You’ll start in mid-December so you can get to know the children, families, and teaching team before stepping in to lead the classroom from January through March while a member of our team is on leave. And this doesn’t have to end in March. We’d love to keep you on as a full-time Floater Certified Teacher with full benefits, supporting classrooms across our locations, with the opportunity to move into a permanent Lead Teacher role based on school needs and performance.

About the Role

We’re looking for a dedicated, certified Lead Preschool Teacher to step into one of our classrooms this winter and keep our mission moving: giving New York City’s youngest learners a joyful, solid foundation for lifelong learning. In this role, you’ll lead an inclusive preschool classroom, using an emergent curriculum that is student-centered, child-led, and data-informed. More than just a teacher, you’ll be the architect of a culture that fosters inquiry, independence, and social-emotional intelligence, and inspires children to become lifelong learners.

What You’ll Do

• The Architect of Learning: Successfully facilitate our preschool curriculum, Tools of the Mind, focused on intentional play and small group academic instruction.
• The Developmental Guide: Use Tools of the Mind to nurture student self-regulation skills, cognitive flexibility, and social-emotional learning.
• The Insightful Observer: Observe and assess every child daily, using a data-informed approach to guide your instruction. You’ll document each child’s growth through Narrative Assessments and Teaching Strategies GOLD, then use what you learn to plan small groups, adjust activities, and meet every child right where they are.
• The Safety Anchor: Ensure every student’s health and safety is the top priority. You’ll maintain a “safe-to-fail” environment where children feel secure enough to take risks and explore their world.
• The Family Partner: Build trust with parents and caregivers through daily updates, sharing the successes and challenges of their child’s day, and building a bridge between school and home.
• The Lifelong Learner: Successfully participate in all professional development experiences, including in-person and virtual workshops, coaching sessions, teacher observations, and asynchronous coaching and learning experiences with the Tools of the Mind staff developers.

The statements in this job description are intended to describe the essential nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be all responsibilities or qualifications of the job.