Pre-Kindergarten Teacher
Role Mission:
Pre‑Kindergarten teachers play a critical role in welcoming young children and their families into the IDEA community and building the foundation for long‑term academic and social success. In alignment with the Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines and developmentally appropriate practice, Pre‑K teachers create nurturing, language‑rich, play‑based learning environments where students develop essential early literacy, numeracy, social, and self‑regulation skills.
IDEA Pre‑Kindergarten teachers build trusting, collaborative partnerships with families and use ongoing communication to support each child’s growth. They set clear, age‑appropriate learning goals, design purposeful and engaging instruction, and facilitate hands‑on learning that meets students where they are developmentally. Teachers assess children’s progress through observation and authentic measures, analyze data to plan responsive instruction, and provide targeted support to ensure each student makes meaningful gains.
As part of the IDEA team, Pre‑K teachers demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement, cultural responsiveness, and excellence in early childhood education—laying the groundwork for future academic achievement and a lifelong love of learning.
What We Offer
Compensation:
- The starting teacher salary for 0 years of experience is $63,500. This role is eligible for various stipends based on certifications, credentials, and campus leadership ranging from $500-$4,000 each. We also offer additional performance-based compensation. For more information about our compensation and total rewards, visit our compensation and benefits page.
- Additional hourly compensation is provided for after-school tutoring or Saturday school as assigned.
Other Benefits:
We offer a comprehensive benefits plan, covering the majority of the employee premium for the base medical plan and subsidizing the majority of costs for a spouse/domestic partner and children. Some of the special benefits we offer at IDEA include:
- Paid Family Leave: Eligible staff may receive up to 8 weeks of paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child, based on their tenure with the organization and caregiver designation.
- Tuition Reimbursement: Staff members may apply for up to 50% of tuition paid toward a qualifying degree program, up to $5,250 maximum per year subject to manager discretion and budget availability.
- Employer-Paid Mental/Behavioral Health: 5 face-to-face counseling sessions within a year, unlimited 24/7 telephonic counseling, and other work-life services available at no cost.
Other benefits include dental and vision plans, disability, life insurance, parenting benefits, flexible spending account options, generous vacation time, referral bonuses, professional development, and a 403(b) plan. IDEA may offer a relocation allowance to defray the cost of moving for this role, if applicable.
What You Bring -- Competencies
Qualifications:
- High level of content-area proficiency as evidenced by teaching certification, field of study, or work-experience (strongly preferred)
- Education: Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited four-year educational institution (required)
- Experience: Experience in an early childhood education setting (strongly preferred)
- Licenses or Certifications: Early Childhood (EC) certification (required)
Knowledge and Skills:
- Knowledge of core academic subject assigned
- Knowledge of curriculum and instruction research-based instructional approaches to learning
- Knowledge of developmentally appropriate practices respective to this age group
- Ability to instruct students and manage student behavior
- Social-emotional learning strategies
- Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills
- Ability to adjust and adapt to a multitude of situations in the school environment
What You’ll Do -- Accountabilities
Responsibilities:
- Teach core content using a scripted curriculum
- Manage a classroom with approximately 30 students where groups of 12 or fewer rotate between teachers or work independently.
- Implement formal and informal assessments to track each individual student’s progress and learning needs, adjust lesson plans accordingly and update gradebook weekly
- Submit weekly lessons for manager feedback
- Communicate students’ progress with student and family on a weekly basis
- Effective facilitation and personal use of technology as a communication and educational tool to improve student achievement and manage work related tasks.
- Implement a clear and consistent behavior management system that aligns to campus- wide initiatives while developing students’ character and sense of community in the classroom
- Help shape and develop a school wide culture that fosters a productive and enthusiastic learning environment for each student
- Establish and maintain a cooperative working relationship with students and families based on trust, understanding and respect for the communities in which they identify.
- Strategically plan and facilitate intervention Host necessary tutoring sessions to meet all students’ needs
- Participate in weekly manager check-ins, grade-level meetings, before and after-school duties, and school wide meetings and functions
- Engage in summer and year-long district, school and personal learning and development
- Minimum of 40+ hours spent at school per week
- Additional responsibilities may include: after-school tutoring or Saturday school and are based on the needs of our scholarsAdditional responsibilities may include: after-school tutoring, Saturday school, school or region student recruitment events, based on the needs of our scholars, schools, and regions
We look for Team and Family who embody the followingvaluesand characteristics:
- Believes and is committed to our missionand being an agent of change: that all studentsare capable of gettingto and through college
- Has demonstrated effectiveoutcomes and results, and wants to be held accountable for them
- Has a propensity for action, willing to make mistakes by doing in order to learn and improvequickly
- Works with urgency and purpose to drive student outcomes
- Thrives in an entrepreneurial, high-growth environment; is comfortable with ambiguity and change
- Seeks and responds well to feedback, which is shared often and freely across all levels of the organization
- Works through silos and forges strong cross-departmental relationshipsin order toachieve outcomes
- We believe in education asa professionand hold ourselves to high level of conduct, professionalism and behaviors as models for our colleagues and students
About IDEA Public Schools
At IDEA Public Schools, we believeeach and everychild can go to college.Since 2000, IDEA Public Schools has grown from a small school with 150 students to a multi-state network of tuition-free, Pre-K-12 public charter schools.
IDEA Public Schools boasts national rankings on The Washington Post and U.S. News & World Report’s top highschoolslists. IDEA serves over 80,000 college-bound students in 143 schools across Texas, Florida, Ohio, and is on-track to maintain its legacy of sending 100% of its graduates to college.
When you choose to work at IDEA, you are part of our IDEA Team and Family. You will work alongside team members who set and reach ambitious goals every day, are excited to continue to grow with IDEA, and work relentlessly to make college for all a reality.
Staff Experience
At IDEA, the Staff Experience Team uses our Core Values to promote human connection and a culture of integrity, respect, and belonging for all Team and Family members. Learn more about our Commitment to Core Values here!
To Apply
Please submit your application online through Jobvite. It’s in your best interest to apply as soon as possible.
