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BR

Lead Teacher (Early Childhood 0-3 or 3-5)

Brightpoint·Carpentersville, Illinois

$57,000 - $59,000/yr·Full Time·On Site·2-5 yrs·
Posted 2 months ago
Practice for this role

About the role

The Lead Teacher implements individualized learning plans to meet the social, emotional, and developmental needs of children while maintaining Head Start and NAEYC standards. They also mentor classroom staff, conduct developmental assessments, and facilitate parent-teacher communication.

Brightpoint invites you to join our team of mission-driven staff who share a common vision: an equitable world where all children and families thrive in strong communities. As a leader in the human services sector for 140 years, we aim to advance the well-being of children by investing in families and strengthening communities through data-informed, collaborative, and preventative solutions.

As Lead Teacher, you will implement Head Start standards for children, age 0-3 or 3-5, and their families, ensuring that services are individualized and meet the social, emotional, developmental, and intellectual needs of your students. As an Early Childhood Education Center with both COA and NAEYC accreditation and ExceleRate Gold Circle of Quality designation, you’ll be proud to be part of the Brightpoint Child & Family Center in Carpentersville team, and with our cohesive team style and supportive, high-quality supervision, you’ll look forward to coming back each day.

Candidate qualifications

For Lead Teacher 0-3 year olds

Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education or related field with a minimum of 24 hours of Early Childhood Education classes required.

Illinois Gateways to Opportunity Early Childhood Education Level 5 Credential required and Illinois Gateways to Opportunity Infant Toddler Level 5 Credential required.

A minimum of two years working with children and/or families required.

Bilingual in Spanish preferred.

For Lead Teacher 3-5 year olds

Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education or related field with a minimum of 24 hours of Early Childhood Education classes required.

Illinois Professional Educators License (PEL) required or must be obtained within 24 months of employment and Illinois Gateways to Opportunity Early Childhood Education Level 5 Credential required.

A minimum of two years working with children and/or families required.

Bilingual in Spanish preferred.

(Candidates without the required degree/credentials may be considered with an approved educational plan).

Job Responsibilities

  • Develops and implements individualized learning that meets the social, emotional, developmental, and intellectual needs of all children in the classroom.
  • Maintains knowledge of Center philosophy and classroom operations, including Head Start program performance standards, ISBE requirements, and NAEYC requirements, when applicable.
  • Implements classroom curriculum to support high quality teaching and learning practices which reflect mandated elements and components, and parental and cultural influences, as well as promote the social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development of children.
  • Conducts developmental screenings and regular assessments and uses information for lesson planning.
  • Enters all required information on children, including assessment results, into data management system.
  • Identifies children who may require additional assistance and works with supervisor to make appropriate referrals.
  • Completes weekly child observations and enters them into the organization’s assessment tool; ensures that observations are completed by classroom staff and assists them as needed.
  • Meets weekly with classroom and other staff as required to review lesson plans, share teaching strategies, and discuss children’s progress.
  • Mentors and trains Teachers, Classroom Support Aides, student interns, and volunteers assigned in the classroom in basic child development and classroom techniques.
  • Assists supervisor in completing annual performance reviews and other performance management activities for classroom staff
  • Leads integration of supplemental learning initiatives for parents and children into classroom and plans and implements regular activities for parents to connect home and classroom learning.
  • Completes and submits required monthly reports, monitoring reports, and all other documentation to supervisor, as assigned.

Job details

Compensation: Salary range is between $57k-$59k; offers are commensurate with experience and bilingual candidates may receive additional compensation. The salary range provided represents our current estimate for this role at the time of posting and is subject to change. The final salary will be determined based on a range of factors, including but not limited to, a candidate's relevant experience, education, qualifications, skills, certifications, and alignment with organizational needs. We are dedicated to fair and equitable compensation practices and are committed to fostering a diverse workforce while providing equal opportunities for all candidates.

Benefits: Medical/dental/vision insurance, three scheduled weeks of paid time off each year (Spring, Summer, Winter), and additional flexible paid leave that accrues based on tenure; 11 paid holidays, supplemental insurance options, 401(k) with match, (more benefit details here [https://brightpointbenefits.com/]).

Location: Classroom setting (Brightpoint Child & Family Center [https://www.google.com/maps/place/229%20Lake%20Marian%20Road+Carpentersville+IL+60110]).

Schedule: Full-time, salaried; center is open

Mon-Fri, 7:30am-5:30pm; assigned shifts will vary.

Student

Loan

Forgiveness: Brightpoint is an approved agency for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) [https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service].

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education or a related field with at least 24 hours of relevant coursework. An Illinois Professional Educators License (PEL) and Illinois Gateways to Opportunity Level 5 Credential are required, along with two years of experience working with children.

  • bachelor degree
  • Mentoring
  • Data management
  • Lesson planning
  • Staff training
  • Performance management
  • Parent engagement
  • Referral coordination
  • Classroom management
  • Child observation
  • Early childhood education
  • Curriculum implementation
  • Developmental screening

Benefits

  • Dental insurance
  • Vision insurance
  • Medical insurance
  • Paid holidays
  • Paid time off
  • Supplemental insurance
  • 401(k) with match
  • Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Posting details

Employment type
Full Time
Work arrangement
On Site
Experience
2-5 yrs
Salary
$57,000 - $59,000/yr
Location
Carpentersville, Illinois
Posted
Apr 27, 2026
Application
Employer website
BR

Hiring organization

Brightpoint

Brightpoint is a distinguished child and family service organization. We started our journey as Children’s Home & Aid and have been serving Illinois since 1883. Children’s Home & Aid was founded on the belief that we had a responsibility to find homes for children. We evolved...

Salary listed on 9 jobs
IndustryIndividual and Family Services
TypeNonprofit
Size501-1,000 employees
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Market context

Illinois early childhood lead teacher role

Illinois early childhood programs often need lead teachers who can meet licensing and credentialing requirements while supporting infant-toddler or preschool classrooms. This role is competitive because it requires a bachelor’s degree, an Illinois PEL, a Gateways Level 5 Credential, and classroom experience; the listed benefits include medical, dental, vision, paid holidays, and paid time off. Review the AI-summarized requirements and benefits here to save time, then confirm your license, credential, and coursework details before applying.

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