School Director

Educare Lincoln is a state-of-the-art, full-day, year-round school designed to serve approximately 200 children from birth to five years of age who are at risk of failure in school. Building on the program foundations of Early Head Start and Head Start, Educare promotes school readiness by implementing effective programming aimed at preventing the achievement gap from taking root in the early years. Educare Lincoln is one of 21 Educare Schools coast-to-coast that make up the national Educare Learning Network, which serves as a platform for broader change—inspiring high-quality programs in communities, improving public policies within each state, and demonstrating a comprehensive approach to the first five years of life and learning. Educare Lincoln is one of four Educare Schools in the state, and is grounded in a unique partnership between the Lincoln Public Schools, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the Nebraska University Foundation, Community Action Partnership of Lincoln and Lancaster Counties, and the Buffett Early Childhood Fund – all who share joint commitment to and accountability for the success of the Educare Lincoln school.

The Educare School Director is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Educare School; providing instructional leadership and program management to approximately 50 Educare staff in the implementation of the Educare model and its core features. The School Director is responsible for planning, implementing and supervising all operations as well as fiscal management and program evaluation. The School Director reports directly to the Educare of Lincoln Board of Directors.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES AND KEY TASKS
 Provide overall leadership to all Educare staff and provide direct supervision to the Director’s administrative team
 Ensure implementation of the Master Teacher model and reflective supervision, and full implementation of the Educare model’s core features
 Facilitate the work of the Board of Directors and build and staff a cross-agency management team to ensure integrated planning and implementation across all Educare Lincoln partner organizations
 Serve as the point of contact with local evaluators and coordinate their work in the school
 Ensure a performance evaluation system that promotes staff development and teamwork, and embeds a positive, respective work culture
 Ensure full compliance with all applicable local, state and federal regulations and all private funders’ expectations
 Develop and strengthen positive working relationships with all Educare Lincoln partners and funders and ensure full compliance with related partnership agreements and contracts
 Ensure Educare-specific policies and procedures are in place and implemented
 Develop Educare-specific program plans with short and long-range goals in collaboration with the Director’s administrative team
 Lead the development and monitoring of the Educare budget to ensure financial viability and sustainability of the school
 Represent Educare Lincoln to visitors and speak articulately about the effectiveness of high-quality early childhood education and the unique role of Educare Lincoln

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
 Master’s degree in early childhood education, elementary education, elementary administration, child development, social services administration or related field required
 Current administrative certification preferred or eligibility to obtain a Nebraska certification
 Minimum of five years of experience as an educational or child care administrator or equivalent, including supervisory, mentoring and management experience, with demonstrated success in achieving measurable objectives related to program performance required
 Experience working with young children birth to five and their families, preferably in an early childhood center-based or elementary school setting
 Substantial knowledge of early childhood development, assessment, and evaluative methods and tools preferred
 Experience developing and sustaining collaborative work relationships within and/or across organizations
 Knowledge in budgeting and fiscal management required

REQUIRED SKILLS/ABILITIES
 Strong leadership skills and supervisory experience
 Knowledge of developmentally appropriate practice for early childhood education
 Commitment to Educare’s mission, vision, and values
 Knowledge of relevant funding streams and regulatory guidelines, or a commitment to learning them
 Sensitivity to the experiences, needs, and strengths of low-income and diverse populations, and individuals with disabilities
 Demonstrated competence in working with diverse staff and varied community cultures
 Ability to lead an interdisciplinary team of professionals
 Ability to utilize and provide reflective supervision
 Ability to communicate in a manner that demonstrates and fosters cooperation, respect, concern and openness to change
 Familiarity with community resources and services
 Must be able to read, write, and communicate English effectively
 Knowledge of applicable licensing and accreditation requirements
 Must be able to protect the confidentiality of enrolled families
 Advanced knowledge of computer software, including but not limited to Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel, and the ability to learn new office software

Competitive salary and benefits package commensurate with experience.
Please submit cover letter and resume to Eva Lester, Search Committee Chair, at EducareSearch@buffettearly.org. Open until filled – first review of resumes January 21st.