Educational Director & Preschool Lead Teacher

Ready to inspire, lead, and grow? Join the vibrant teaching team at Imagine Early Learning Centers — a proud, 100% Employee-Owned Company where every team member has a voice and a stake in our shared success!

$500 Sign-On Bonus! (Taxable, paid after 3 months of successful employment)

Position: Educational Director & Preschool Lead TeacherLocation: Port Washington, NY

Imagine Early Learning Centers is looking for a passionate, dynamic NYS Certified B-2 Leader to bring energy, vision, and balanced leadership to our Port Washington center. Serving children from 2 months to 5 years old this exciting full-time role connects you with the heart of our community.

As an Educational Director & Preschool Lead Teacher, you'll enjoy the best of both worlds: staying directly connected to the classroom while rapidly accelerating your expertise in educational administration! You will split your time between overseeing daily center operations and actively serving as the Lead Teacher in our preschool classroom, maintaining classroom ratios and delivering a high-quality learning curriculum.

You won't step into this journey alone — you'll be warmly mentored by and partner with an exceptionally skilled team of long-tenured early childhood leaders who are dedicated to your professional growth!

We are seeking an enthusiastic, creative professional who is genuinely excited about providing world-class, nurturing childcare for working families, driving joyful center programming, and collaborating with upper-level management on transformative company-wide initiatives such as:

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Championing our ESOP program and cultivating a thriving Employee-Ownership culture

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Upholding highest-quality NYS OCFS, Quality Stars and NAEYC Standards

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Inspiring creative curriculum development, implementation, and collaborative staff training

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Building warm, meaningful, and lasting family relationships

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Driving passionate recruitment and community outreach for enrollment and talent

We love leaders who connect effortlessly with educators, families, colleagues, and the wider community! Strong familiarity with Developmentally Appropriate Practice and NAEYC standards is preferred. Previous experience in a leadership role combined with with preschool classroom experience is a huge plus! New York State Teacher Certification Birth-2 years is required.

At Imagine, we empower bold, creative leadership and celebrate the magical synergy of teamwork and collaboration.

Explore our culture and story at

Key Responsibilities:

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Lead and participate in designing and delivering dynamic, Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum (including Imagine's BLOOMING Curriculum) that sparks curiosity and wonder.

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Balance administrative director operations with daily classroom teaching responsibilities, ensuring seamless classroom ratio coverage.

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Uphold continuous compliance with DOH licensing, DOE guidelines, and NAEYC principles with excellence and care.

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Foster warm, open, and supportive communication with families, staff members, and advisory boards.

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Demonstrate exceptional written communication skills to inspire and inform our community.

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Embrace the requirements of active early learning — including lifting children, pushing strollers/buggies, sitting floor-level, and leading fun outdoor activities year-round!

What You'll Bring (Qualifications):

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Master's degree and NYS Teacher Certification in Early Childhood Education (B-2), Elementary, or Special Education.

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1+ years of leadership/supervisory experience (Program Director, Assistant Director, Program Coordinator, or Supervising Lead Teacher).

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2+ years of dedicated experience as an Early Childhood educator.