We FOUND Someone Spectacular!
Valley Parent Explorers Co-Teacher
Due to an internal promotion, Valley Parent Preschool is hiring for a part time Co-Teacher for Explorers, our unique outdoor nature program! This position works closely with our Lead Explorers Teacher, Teacher Debi, as well as our Directors and campus Teachers.
Although the position doesn’t officially begin until fall, we are looking to hire soon and will provide flexible paid training this spring with our Teachers at Explorers, as well as paid time to learn in our VPP classroom on campus.
VPP Explorers generally runs four sessions a school year; Fall 1, Fall 2, Winter, and Spring. Each session is 6-7 weeks long. In addition, time is offered for preparation, planning, weekly cleaning of supplies, and ongoing teacher development.
Hours can vary greatly based on the session but are typically between 10-20 hours a week when classes are in session. Flexibility is very important, but set up, class, and clean up times typically fall between the hours of 9:00 and 12:00 Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 9:00-2:15 on Wednesday. We mostly follow the SRVUSD school year calendar.
Our Ideal Candidate:
• Someone who loves working with children ages 1-6 and their families! Valley Parent Preschool is a parent cooperative school and our Explorers classes are all parent and caregiver participation.
• Someone who loves working and teaching exclusively outdoors in ALL types of weather, and thinks a classroom without walls is better than an indoor classroom any day…our beautiful classes are held in the forest, creeks, pastures, and on trails. We believe there is no such thing as bad weather, just inadequate clothing, so even cold or rainy days don’t stop us!
• A nomadic person who likes visiting many different locations and doesn’t mind getting dirty, holding bugs, exploring creeks, identifying poison oak, climbing rocks, and playing with mud! Our classes are held at different locations each week, so driving and transporting supplies to and from class is required, as is helping setup and take down camp each day. Lifting heavy supplies, walking long distances, and navigating uneven terrain in all weather is required.
• Someone who is highly organized, playful, and extremely reliable. Being comfortable with programs such as google docs, excel, and word is helpful to keep track of the daily attendance, roster changes, and name tags for classes.
• Someone who has reliable transportation to get to our Explorers locations, as well as can occasionally pop onto campus to pick up or drop off supplies.. VPP is located at 935 Camino Ramon in Danville. The locations for Explorers tend to be within 35 minutes of our school, and are often in Dublin, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Danville, Alamo, Walnut Creek, Castro Valley, Hayward etc.
• Someone who meets all state requirements to teach preschool and has a background in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Nature Education, or a closely related field, as well as a willingness to participate in ongoing continuing education.
• Someone who holds a California Naturalist Certification, or who would be excited to take the class and become certified.
• Someone with a genuine love for working with families, a deep appreciation for nature, and who wants to be actively involved in our school community for years to come! The Explorers program is a core part of Valley Parent and the Explorers Teachers are an important part of our close-knit team!
Additional Requirements if Hired:
• Maintain CPR, Wilderness, and Basic First Aid certification.
• Obtain a physician’s clearance and TB test, and provide proof of MMR, TDap, and Covid immunization and booster.
• Livescan fingerprinting and DOJ background check clearance.
• Complete Mandated Reporter training and all other requirements from Community Care Licensing.
• Provide Valley Parent Preschool with an official set of educational transcripts.
Compensation
$30.00 an hour. Paid holidays, PTO, an annual continuing education stipend, monthly technology stipend, and access to a 403b are also provided. Once hired, if the candidate is not already a California Naturalist, VPP will pay the tuition for them to take the class and become certified.
To Apply
Interested candidates are asked to carefully read our website (www.valleyparent.org), visit our active Facebook and Instagram pages (@ValleyParentPreschool) and thoroughly read the information above to see if we might be a good fit. Valley Parent Preschool celebrates diversity and does not discriminate on any basis. All interested and qualified candidates are encouraged to apply.
To express interest, please email a letter of introduction sharing your experience and why you think you would be a good fit for this position, along with your resume, to director@valleyparent.org. We look forward to hearing from you!
