Director Early Learning Center

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Company: Temple Shir Tikva
Location: Wayland, MA 01778

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Temple Shir Tikva Director of Early Learning Center

These are exciting times and we are looking for YOU to partner with us as our Early Learning Center Director (ELC) and vital member of our Senior Leadership Team to help strengthen and continue to grow our thriving ELC, to engage families with young children, and to lead us into the future. Our Early Learning Center is a core part of Temple Shir Tikva in Wayland, MA.

As a leading synagogue in Boston’s Metrowest we are home to members of all generations providing them with a nurturing, engaging and warm community to call their own. These are exciting times in our community. Over the last two years through innovative programming, a welcoming community, and a real investment in quality education, our membership has grown by over 20%. With our exciting staff team and dedicated lay leadership we are fulfilling our vision to make Judaism relevant in the 21st century and for Shir Tikva to be the heart of Jewish living and practice in Metrowest.

What we seek:

  • A creative thinker and leader who is excited to dream, experiment and lead our ELC to the next stage of its development.
  • A kind, loving and empathic nurturer who builds meaningful connections and relationships with our staff, parents and children.
  • A team player who approaches work with a collaborative mindset and thrives as part of a dynamic team both in the ELC and in the wider synagogue community.
  • An inspiring leader who will support and motivate our teachers, guide and engage our families and foster a caring and nurturing environment for our children.
  • An organized, responsive and responsible administrator who will integrate high standards of excellence together with a commitment to the values of the synagogue and ELC.
  • A clear, compassionate communicator who frequently models best principles and best practices with the team and the community.
  • A connected educator with a finger on the pulse of the field, who can connect us with the best and most innovative practices in early childhood education. Some of the specifics:
  • Bachelor’s degree in an early childhood related field required; graduate degree and experience with special education preferred
  • State of Massachusetts Early Childhood Director I certification required, Director II certification preferred or willingness to obtain.
  • Knowledge of Jewish traditions and/or experience working in a Jewish early childhood setting preferred.
  • Strong communication skills
  • Knowledge of best practices related to Reggio-inspired and child-centered early childhood education.

Why you will want to join us:

Shir Tikva has a wonderful and caring team of professionals who work together collaboratively, support one another, and enjoy spending time together. We are a growing congregation generating a lot of excitement and buzz in the community about our new leadership team and the innovative directions in which we are moving. We have a proven track record of taking risks and innovating, and we do not let fear of failure block creative experimentation or bold steps. Some recent examples:

  • Over five years ago, we decided to take ownership of the preschool that had rented space in our facility for many years, as enrollment had continued to decline. We originally needed a minimum of 22 students for our TST Early Learning Center to be viable, and now as we approach our 6 th year, we have over 70 students between the ages of 18 months-5 years enrolled. ELC families are invited to become members of TST without paying dues while their children are enrolled, and our “graduates” are enrolled in our Religious School kindergarten class tuition-free. With this momentum, our ELC children and parents are becoming the young lifeblood of our community.
  • Six years ago, we established the TST Center for Jewish Spirituality, dedicated to offering our community the chance to delve into Jewish mindfulness, meditation, yoga, Mussar, and explore disciplines and practices that enable us to deepen our inner lives and strengthen our relationships.
  • In the past eighteen months we have added Alison Weikel as our Director of Education and Rabbi Jordi Schuster Battis to our senior team; both bring wonderful experience and creativity to our community, as experienced Jewish educators. We have also created new positions with a Digital and Social Media Specialist and a Development Manager. This is a statement of our commitment to engaging our congregation in a process of re-envisioning congregational education and programming.

We are excited for our new ELC Director to add their voice, expertise, leadership and vision to this conversation. We are excited and ready to continue that investment in the education of our youngest members. We recognize our sacred responsibility to provide the best and most innovative early childhood education possible and we will support it both financially and professionally.

Shir Tikva has a very strong relationship with Boston’s CJP (Combined Jewish Philanthropies), which provides significant support to all areas of synagogue life, especially in the areas of education. Our rabbis and cantor are active supporters of our ELC. Rabbi Burkeman wrote about his connection with early childhood education in his previous position: https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/rabbi-daddy-why-i-love-the-synagogues-early-childhoodcenter/ Most importantly, we look forward to fostering your passions and helping you strengthen and develop our ELC. We will support you and your ideas and invest in your professional development and growth.

What we’ll do together:

  • We are eager to partner with a motivated Early Learning Center Director who will join our collaborative team and provide visionary leadership in early childhood education, as we continue to grow and develop an inspiring, engaging and caring community for our youngest members and their families.
  • The last few years have been a period of transition, with the hiring of our new Senior Rabbi, the reorganization of our leadership structure, and the imminent completion of a visioning and strategic planning process. We are now enjoying a new and exciting phase for our community. We see this position as a vital part of our Senior Team and look forward to partnering with you as we look to our future.
  • Together we will support one another as we seek to build the best synagogue Early Learning Center that we can, always looking for ways to improve our educational offering as a synagogue.
  • We will have an impact on the lives of our member families. We recognize that education happens inside and outside of the classroom and we hope that together we will deepen the Jewish connections for our children, their parents and all of our community.
  • We look forward to finding ways to strengthen our family educational offerings as we recognize the importance of partnering with parents as the most important Jewish role models in their children’s lives.

Who we are:

  • Temple Shir Tikva is a growing 580 family strong congregation in Wayland, MA (about 30 minutes west of Boston).
  • At the heart of our vision, we aspire to make Judaism relevant in the 21st century and to be the heart of Jewish living and practice in Metrowest.
  • We have over 250 students in K-6 and about 120 students in our teen program. We anticipate more growth with the success of our Early Learning Center.
  • The synagogue was founded in 1978 by invested families who were looking to build a home for the Jews of Wayland, many of whom are now proud grandparents of our Early Learning Center children. Our community now boasts three generations of engaged community members.
  • We have a committed group of lay leaders who partner with the professional team to build community and lead the synagogue.
  • A competitive salary, 70K-80K, commensurate with experience * Medical Insurance * Dental and Eye Insurance available
  • Pension contribution * 4 weeks paid vacation * Parental leave * Sick leave * Disability insurance * Synagogue membership * Professional Development Line * Professional Organization Membership Costs * Relocation allowance * Start date is July 1, 2020, with the option to begin earlier

Job Type: Full-time

Salary: $70,000.00 to $80,000.00 /year

Experience:

  • Education Administration: 1 year (Preferred)

Education:

  • Bachelor’s (Preferred)

Work Location:

  • One location

Benefits:

  • Health insurance
  • Dental insurance
  • Vision insurance
  • Relocation assistance
  • Professional development assistance

This Job Is Ideal for Someone Who Is:

  • People-oriented — enjoys interacting with people and working on group projects
  • Adaptable/flexible — enjoys doing work that requires frequent shifts in direction
  • Innovative — prefers working in unconventional ways or on tasks that require creativity

Schedule:

  • Monday to Friday