Working Title: Lead Teacher, Four-Year-Old Classroom - Young Children's Program

State Role Title: N/A

Position Type: Administrative & Professional (Non-teaching Faculty)

Position Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Exempt: Not Eligible for Overtime

College/Division: College of Education

Department: 100085 - Young Children's Program

Pay Rate: Commensurate with Experience

Specify Range or Amount:

Is this a JMU only position? No

Is this a grant-funded position? No

Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? No

Beginning Review Date: 08/07/2025

About JMU:

Mission
We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.

Vision
To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.

Who We Are
Located in the heart of Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA. With a population of just over 53,000, Harrisonburg is one of the most diverse communities in the Commonwealth of Virginia. JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and inclusive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 20,000 undergraduate and 1,900 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.

JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. The university is committed to expanding diversity, fostering equity and inclusion, and supporting superlative teaching and scholarship. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.

General Information:

The Young Children’s Program (YCP) is seeking a Lead Teacher for a four-year-old classroom. The YCP is an inclusive early childhood education community dedicated to growing life-long learners through high quality teaching, research, and outreach.

We collaborate with our community, leveraging support and access to quality resources, diverse skill sets, and a broadened knowledge base. We honor intentional experiences and interactions that provide a solid foundation for high quality early childhood education. We build positive, respectful, lasting relationships with our families, students and community partners. We believe that learning should be student-centered and built upon the needs and interests of all learners. We are an inclusive program where all students have the opportunity to be full and active participants.

This is an 10-month, full-time position with a recurring rest period of June 10th - August 9th.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Create and implement lesson plans according to Early Learning Developmental Standards that will foster children's growth, assess student learning, and implement daily activities according to the curriculum.
• Establish a classroom culture that maintains a safe and positive atmosphere while encouraging children to explore through both structured and unstructured activities.
• Promote open communication and collaborate with students, parents, and colleagues.
• Maintain an understanding of VDOE regulations in accordance with all VDOE licensing standards and be able to update as necessary to maintain compliance.
• Responsible for state assessments.

Qualifications:

Required:
• Previous teaching or assistant teaching experience in a licensed early childhood program
• Excellent communication skills and demonstrated aptitude for working with young children
• Ability to communicate effectively with students, parents, and colleagues
• Demonstrated evidence of self-motivation and willingness to be a team player
• Bachelor's degree in early childhood education or child related field
• Virginia State license in Early Childhood Education

Preferred:
• Experience in Early Childhood Education

Additional Posting Information:

JMU’s Dual Career and Community Resources Program is available for candidates that will be relocating to the area. For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/2OTF1NG.

Conditions of Employment:  

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check and central registry background check. Requirements of the VA Department of Social Services for criminal background checks, fingerprint checks and a TB test must be met as a condition of initial and continued employment.

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.

E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. James Madison University uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.

EEO Statement:

James Madison University is committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.

We promote access, inclusion and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission. The university is interested in candidates whose experience and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to this core quality.

Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity: (540) 568-6991.

Reasonable Accommodation:

If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance searching or applying for jobs please contact us at (540) 568-3597 or jobs@jmu.edu. You may also visit the JMU Human Resource Office, located at 752 Ott Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 and we will be happy to assist you.