Morrow Memorial Preschool seeks a dynamic Director to lead our play-based, co-operative school. The school offers half- and full-day programs for children ages 2.5-5 and recently celebrated 50 years in operation. This is an exciting opportunity to shape the school’s next phase working in partnership with passionate staff members and dedicated caregiver volunteers serving on the school’s Board. While the school operates without denominational emphasis, you’ll also collaborate with the leaders of Morrow Memorial Church to ensure our organizations continue to flourish together. This full-time position is available immediately in preparation for the 2025-2026 school year.

QUALIFICATIONS

Personal Qualities

• Enthusiastic partner: You’re excited to see and support children and caregivers. Whether you’re greeting a current family in the hallway, giving a tour to a prospective family, or representing the school at a town event, you’re eager to answer questions and build community.
• Visionary leader: You’re committed to fully understanding our business and the landscape in which it operates, including the intricacies of our budget and the details of our enrollment management software. You’re ready to use all of that knowledge and your experience to chart the path forward, engaging the school community along the way. You own your decisions, and you seek the best solutions, not necessarily the most familiar.
• Excellent communicator: Our teachers and Board members aren’t often available at the same time, so you understand the importance of liaising effectively within and between groups to ensure that everyone is informed and supported in their projects. You’re equally comfortable leading productive staff meetings and writing flawless school newsletters. You embrace difficult conversations as an opportunity for you and our school community to continue learning.
• Organized multi-tasker: You plan ahead, keep track of details, and do what you said you would across initiatives and timelines. You develop and maintain processes so, for example, our teachers can spend less time ordering supplies and more time making art.
• Experienced educator: While you won’t have your own class for the 2025-2026 school year, you’re passionate about early childhood education and can’t wait to see our classrooms in action. You recognize the importance of creating a safe, compliant environment for our students. You value meaningful professional development for yourself and your staff, and you look forward to supporting our teachers.

Education And Experience

• A bachelor’s degree (master’s degree preferred), ideally in early childhood education or a related field
• At least two years of managerial or supervisory experience, ideally in a preschool setting
• At least two years of classroom teaching experience, ideally in a preschool setting

Any offer is contingent upon your ability to pass a background check.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Business and Financial Management

• Develop and communicate a strategic vision for the school and set interim goals and priorities accordingly.
• Develop and implement the school’s budget on an annual basis in partnership with the staff Bookkeeper and/or Board Treasurer.
• Determine the school’s course and enrichment offerings on an annual basis, synthesizing budget projections; enrollment projections; and input from staff members, Board members, and the school community.
• Develop, communicate, and enforce registration and payment policies to safeguard our business.
• Direct the school’s marketing strategy and the creation of its marketing communications and collateral, leveraging the Board Marketing Chair, Board Communications Chair, and vendors as appropriate.
• Coordinate and conduct tours of the school for prospective families, leveraging staff and Board members as needed. Track prospective caregivers’ contact information and relevant family details and liaise with staff and Board members to execute timely follow-up plans.
• Determine the school’s calendar on an annual basis, coordinating with staff and Board members to set initiative and event dates for the following school year.
• Oversee the planning of initiatives and events, allowing ample time to meet deadlines, proofread communications, and respond to the unexpected.
• Serve as the primary representative of the school at school and community events. This includes attending certain events outside of your normal working hours.
• Order instructional materials, supplies, and equipment with input from staff members.
• Collaborate with Church leaders, including through attendance at monthly Church Council meetings and quarterly Executive Council meetings.
• Negotiate vendor contracts in partnership with Church leaders as appropriate, including for cleaning and painting.
• Build a culture of continuous improvement by soliciting feedback from the school community and partnering with staff and Board members to do the same.

People Management

• Lead a cohesive and professional team, including directly supervising all paid staff members.
• Prepare for and lead monthly staff meetings and oversee the timely completion of the action items discussed.
• Meet with staff members one-on-one at least every quarter to guide their professional development, including discussing and documenting goals; observing classes; gathering, delivering, and documenting feedback; and conducting and documenting performance evaluations. Between meetings, provide support, training, and feedback on a continuous basis.
• Collaborate with teachers to provide professional development opportunities for the group, including yourself. For those completing this requirement elsewhere, encourage and facilitate teachers sharing their learnings with each other.
• Develop and maintain staff succession plans and use them to guide hiring, training, and staff development plans.
• Recruit and train staff members as needed, including developing and circulating written overviews and expectations. Plan for and train a staff member to execute your responsibilities in the event of your absence.
• Recruit, train, and oversee substitute teachers as needed.
• Review, track, and secure coverage for staff members’ absences and for classes in which caregivers have opted out of assisting in our classrooms.
• Oversee caregiver volunteers serving on the Board in partnership with the Board President.
• Attend monthly Board meetings and with the Board President, oversee the timely completion of the action items discussed.
• Recruit and train Board members and Class Parents in partnership with the Board President.
• Between meetings, keep staff and Board members apprised of day-to-day happenings, event plans, strategic discussions, and other topics to keep the school operating smoothly.

Program Management

• Structure a developmentally-appropriate educational experience in compliance with the New Jersey Manual of Requirements for Child Care Centers.
• Oversee the school’s curriculum development and support teachers in implementing the curriculum.
• Maintain knowledge of and communicate developments and best practices in early childhood education.
• Oversee the creation and innovation of developmentally-appropriate indoor and outdoor spaces so that they align with the school’s philosophy and comply with health and safety requirements.
• Use instructional materials and equipment that respect diversity in developmental ability, family composition, and cultural background.
• Oversee and direct the daily operations of the school.
• Develop and maintain relationships with students and caregivers so as to serve as a trusted resource on school and developmental matters.
• Develop and communicate the school’s expectations of caregivers in support of our co-operative model. Inspire caregiver engagement, maintain the Parent Handbook and other documentation, and enforce associated policies accordingly.
• Write, design, and distribute a monthly newsletter and other communications to build community and engagement.
• Determine students’ classroom assignments on an annual basis with the dual goal of meeting each student’s needs and achieving balance in every class.
• Communicate with and support students, teachers, and caregivers navigating students’ behavioral and learning challenges.
• Develop, communicate, and enforce health and safety policies, including those pertaining to student health and vaccinations, student allergy plans, teacher background checks, teacher first aid and CPR training, and caregiver background checks. Maintain the Parent Handbook, Employee Handbook, and other documentation accordingly.
• Develop, communicate, and enforce safety and security protocols, including executing fire and lockdown drills on a regular basis.
• Maintain and safeguard documentation, including reports on students, school operations, and incidents as well as staff member files.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit a resume and cover letter to Board President Ariel Dutra at [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you.

About Morrow Memorial Preschool

Morrow Memorial Preschool offers a play-based curriculum inviting children ages 2.5-5 to explore and discover. Our lead teachers, most of whom have been with the school for more than 17 years, use their deep knowledge of early childhood education and their boundless energy to nurture our students’ social, emotional, physical, and intellectual growth. Every day, our teachers create opportunities for our students to engage purposefully with a variety of materials, and our classrooms and playground buzz with the joy of self-directed learning. For 50 years, the school’s co-operative structure has enabled our students, staff members, and caregivers to grow together. Caregivers assist in our classrooms on a rotating basis and govern the school as members of the Board. The school is a mission of Morrow Memorial Church and uses four main classrooms in the church building for a combination of half-day and full-day programs. The school aims to impart the Methodist values of developing a positive self-image, practicing kindness toward others, and participating in charitable activities without denominational emphasis. The school welcomes families of all backgrounds from Maplewood, South Orange, West Orange, and surrounding towns.

Connections working at Morrow Memorial Preschool