Lead Infant Teacher - Orono Schools Discovery Kids

Lead Infant Teacher - Orono Schools Discovery Kids JobID: 2454 Position Type: Community Education/Community Education for Early Learning PreschoolDate Posted: 10/19/2026Location: Orono Schools Discovery Center Additional Information: Show/HideLead Infant Teacher - Orono Schools Discovery Kids Schedule: Full-Time (40 hours per week, Monday Friday)Program Status: 4-Star Parent Aware & NAEYC AccreditedDo you love cuddle time, milestone celebrations, and making a genuine difference in a child's foundational early months? At Discovery Kids Childcare, part of Orono Public Schools, we believe early education should be joyful, nurturing, and collaborative. As a Lead Infant Teacher, you are the heart of our infant classroomcreating a safe, responsive environment where our youngest learners thrive. If you are passionate about early childhood development and want to lead a classroom in a supportive, NAEYC-accredited, 4-star Parent Aware program with a dependable Monday-through-Friday schedule (hello, free weekends!), we would love to have you on our team.The Opportunity: What You'll DoYou will lead your classroom team in providing a nurturing, high-quality learning environment while guiding infant development and partnering closely with families.Curriculum, Assessment & InstructionDevelopmental Activity Planning: Plan and implement developmentally appropriate daily activities tailored to infant growth based on program guidelines.Authentic Assessment: Incorporate authentic assessments into weekly lesson plans to differentiate instruction for each child's individual needs.Progress Checkpoints & Conferences: Complete Teaching Strategies GOLD checkpoint assessments and conduct parent-teacher conferences with written progress reports twice per year.Classroom Schedules & Sub Plans: Post and follow the daily classroom schedule consistently, draft detailed routines for substitute folders, and prepare lesson plans and staged materials in advance for seamless transitions.Infant Health, Care & EnvironmentSafe & Clean Space: Keep the physical classroom environment clean, orderly, and conducive to optimal infant development, picking up at the end of the day for custodial staff.Sanitation Standards: Sanitize mouthed toys daily and wash/sanitize classroom toys on a rotating basis.Ratio & Safety: Maintain required staff-to-child ratios while offering support to neighboring classrooms when ratios permit. Limit screen time strictly to age-appropriate and developmentally necessary content.Team Leadership & Family ConnectionsClassroom Leadership: Guide, mentor, and supervise Assistant Teachers and Aides assigned to your classroom team.Family Engagement: Send a monthly newsletter covering upcoming learning goals and post daily photo updates on Seesaw.Respectful Partnerships: Build warm, collaborative relationships with families while honoring diverse parenting styles and maintaining strict confidentiality.Holistic Support: Collaborate constructively with office staff, Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) staff, and the Early Learning Student Support Specialist.Operations & Professional ConductCommunication: Regularly check your Orono email, connect to the Early Learning Staff Google Calendar, and promptly notify office staff of student absences via Google Chat.Professional Growth: Attend all scheduled staff meetings, Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), and Professional Development Days.Core Values & Organization: Model character traits of trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship while keeping shared storage spaces clean and organized.What You Bring (Qualifications)Early Childhood Expertise: Strong background in early childhood education, with experience leading a classroom and caring for infants.Assessment Knowledge: Experience using authentic assessment tools (such as Teaching Strategies GOLD) and implementing developmentally appropriate infant curricula.Leadership Skills: Proven ability to guide, mentor, and collaborate effectively with assistant teachers and classroom aides.Professional Standards: High standards for confidentiality, organizational skills, and a commitment to honoring diverse parenting styles.Reliability: Full-time availability Monday through Friday (40 hours per week).What We OfferWork-Life Balance: A consistent full-time schedule with no weekend shifts.Professional Pride: The opportunity to lead a classroom in a top-tier, NAEYC-accredited, 4-star Parent Aware program within Orono Public Schools.Collaborative Community: A supportive, team-oriented culture with built-in PLC time, dedicated support staff, and continuous professional development.Compensation: $21.62 - $23.84 per hour DOQBenefits: InsuranceSingle Health: 90% Covered by DistrictEmployee + 1 Health: 75% Covered by DistrictFamily Health: 75% Covered by DistrictDental: 100% covered by DistrictLife insurance equal to annual wages: 100% Covered by DistrictLTD insurance: 100% Covered by DistrictEmployee Assistance Plan (EAP)VACATION AND HOLIDAYSVacation: 10 Days.Holidays: 11 Paid Holiday/YearOTHER BENEFITSIncentive Pay: 1%RETIREMENT/PENSIONPositions covered by Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) Application Procedure:All applicants must apply online at: http://bit.ly/oronojobsDistrict Website: www.oronoschools.orgContact:Kaela Gallup, Program Coordinator952-746-5892 kaela.gallup@orono.k12.mn.usorDr. Scott E. Alger, Executive Director of Human Resources952-449-8370 scott.alger@orono.k12.mn.us