Teachers,
Assistant Teachers,
and Substitutes
Apply Below!
Pay
- Pay is determined using our set pay scale of $16-$26 per hour, and depends on your experience, skill, and position.
Lead teachers make more than assistants, for example, and have much more responsibility.
Completely inexperienced assistants: $16 ($17 if you have an ECE degree)
Experienced assistants: $18 ($19 if you also have an ECE degree)
Experienced teachers: $20-$21 ($22 if you also have an ECE degree)
Lead teachers: $23 experienced OR degree/$24 experienced AND degree/$25 bilingual, experienced/skilled, and ECE degree
+$1 more per hour if bilingual in Spanish and English, after successful three month probationary period
+$1 more per hour for all wages after successful completion of the six month probationary period
Benefits
- 5 weeks of paid vacation time per year, when we're closed for spring, summer, and winter breaks.
- 12 paid holidays off per year.
- $300 off your child's tuition if they join our program during your work hours.
- Sick pay/PTO for up to 40 hours per year. Any unused is paid out in your Dec. 20th paycheck!
- $1 per hour wage increase if you are bilingual and help us teach the children Spanish/English and communicate with families.
- Annual raises once you've worked here for a year to help keep up with the cost of living.
- Anniversary bonus that increases each year in the month that you started with Happy Steps!
- ALL weekends off. Full-time employees (32+ hrs weekly) can usually have a regular weekday or half day off. The owner believes in having a healthy work-life balance.
- Oregon Saves Roth IRA for retirement savings.
- 10 minute paid rest breaks, unpaid 30+ minute lunch break, following state requirements.
- Two paid professional development days annually.
- Birthday and holiday parties, surprise coffee and pastries days, annual potluck, and more!
Job Duties
Assistant Teacher
Working under the supervision of other teachers, assistants follow their lead, cover our teachers during their breaks and take over their duties, change diapers and help with bathroom assistance, assist the children in learning and exploring, provide constant social-emotional guidance, and occasionally substitute for staff as we're a small team.
Teacher
Teachers no longer need supervision and can care for the group of children as needed. Teachers facilitate activities, run circle time, follow our curriculum, do meal prep and cleaning, change diapers and do potty-training, provide constant social-emotional guidance and nurturing, give Lindsay feedback on how the children are doing, discuss a child's day with their parents as needed, assist Lindsay in training new hires, and substitute for other staff as needed.
Lead Teacher
In addition to teacher duties, Lead Teachers also develop curriculum, lead a class on their own, collaborate with Lindsay on observations and goals for each child, and discuss needs and goal progress of students with families. We would love to hire someone who would be interested in running the program long-term as the Head Teacher in the future (after extensive training). Apply if interested!
Bilingual Spanish-speaking Assistant Teacher or Independent Contractor
Help model the language for the children and communicate with Spanish-speaking families as needed.
We're seeking a Spanish speaker to demonstrate the language at Circle Time on Wednesday mornings! 1 hour weekly.
Substitute Teachers
Be trained in our program and then available when we are understaffed and need a teacher or assistant.
Independent Contractors
Teach yoga, music, and/or gardening!
*We specifically seek teachers who are warm, attentive, kind, consistent, and respectful with the children, respectful of co-worker's and the owner's boundaries, good non-violent communicators, and good at maintaining the cleanliness of the environment on a daily basis. Our program philosophies align well with the values of the Pyramid Model and with Conscious Discipline. We prioritize an inclusive and supportive environment that is child-centered, and are looking for employees who are compatible with these approaches. Preferably long-term for the stability provided to children in having consistent teachers.
Assistant Teacher
Working under the supervision of other teachers, assistants follow their lead, cover our teachers during their breaks and take over their duties, change diapers and help with bathroom assistance, assist the children in learning and exploring, provide constant social-emotional guidance, and occasionally substitute for staff as we're a small team.
Teacher
Teachers no longer need supervision and can care for the group of children as needed. Teachers facilitate activities, run circle time, follow our curriculum, do meal prep and cleaning, change diapers and do potty-training, provide constant social-emotional guidance and nurturing, give Lindsay feedback on how the children are doing, discuss a child's day with their parents as needed, assist Lindsay in training new hires, and substitute for other staff as needed.
Lead Teacher
In addition to teacher duties, Lead Teachers also develop curriculum, lead a class on their own, collaborate with Lindsay on observations and goals for each child, and discuss needs and goal progress of students with families. We would love to hire someone who would be interested in running the program long-term as the Head Teacher in the future (after extensive training). Apply if interested!
Bilingual Spanish-speaking Assistant Teacher or Independent Contractor
Help model the language for the children and communicate with Spanish-speaking families as needed.
We're seeking a Spanish speaker to demonstrate the language at Circle Time on Wednesday mornings! 1 hour weekly.
Substitute Teachers
Be trained in our program and then available when we are understaffed and need a teacher or assistant.
Independent Contractors
Teach yoga, music, and/or gardening!
*We specifically seek teachers who are warm, attentive, kind, consistent, and respectful with the children, respectful of co-worker's and the owner's boundaries, good non-violent communicators, and good at maintaining the cleanliness of the environment on a daily basis. Our program philosophies align well with the values of the Pyramid Model and with Conscious Discipline. We prioritize an inclusive and supportive environment that is child-centered, and are looking for employees who are compatible with these approaches. Preferably long-term for the stability provided to children in having consistent teachers.
Requirements for Our Staff
- You must be active on the Central Background Registry. Apply for free: https://secure.emp.state.or.us/ccd/
- You must be Teacher Qualified within 30 days of hire (meaning you are current on all the required certifications, like pediatric CPR & 1st Aid [up to 90 days for this certification], Reporting Abuse & Neglect, Food Handler's Card, etc.) and maintain your required certifications and training hours every year. Find the required trainings at https://www.oregon.gov/delc/providers/pages/required-training.aspx
- Experienced with teaching ages two through five. (Assistants & Subs can be trained. No experience needed.)
- You must be good at taking guidance from the Program Director, communicating with co-workers, honoring how our program is run, and being respectful and positive with the children and their families.
- Those who are unvaccinated, in our program, won't be allowed on the premises when there is an outbreak of disease that immunization protects us against. This may mean unpaid time off for unvaccinated employees. We prioritize the health and well-being of the whole group.
- You're looking for a long-term position.
- You support and respect diversity.
(We are also a secular program, with pets in the home. The pets are separated from our program, but may not be suitable for someone with allergies to cats and dogs.)
Follow These Instructions to Apply
Email [email protected] and include
- Your current résumé AND references for the organizations/people listed on it.
- Your CBR number and expiration date.
- Your letter of interest in joining the Happy Steps team, including something specific about our program that you like.
- What you love most about working with children.
- Your availability, your preferred amount of hours per week, and if you meet the staff requirements listed above.
Employee Testimonials
"I've been a teacher for Happy Steps for six years and I'll share a few things that I love most about working here. The program is child focused and prioritizes the children's needs and what they're interested in learning while still prepping them for elementary school, the environment is structured and organized while still allowing creative exploration, the students form friendships that grow outside of school and last beyond their time at Happy Steps, and frankly I make a lot more money and benefits than I would anywhere else. In particular, I like the flexibility in scheduling. I love that the owner has been doing this for so long I can trust her guidance!" ~ B.C.
"I've been working at Happysteps for a bit now and I have to say I love it. With how the whole day is scheduled it feels like everything just falls into place and the days go by smoothly. I really appreciate the comunication I have with my co-teachers and the families that go here and how we work together to fix any problems that might pop up. The curriculum is fun and engaging its based off of what the children are interested in and what we need to teach them in order for them to succeed in kindergarten. That being said the biggest thing that drew me to Happysteps is the children that go here they have such amazing personalities and opinions and im honored to be able to teach them every day." ~ T.R.
"Happy Steps is a wonderful place to work, tight-knit, and consistent! The communication between the staff and owner is amazing, kind, and inclusive. The children are obviously comfortable, and this allows them to be kind, welcoming, and explore their program environment/friendships with ease. I feel incredibly valued and integral to the running of the program, and my input is not only welcomed, but encouraged! I feel free to utilize my strengths without undue pressure, and my personal well-being is obviously important to the owner." ~ H.S.
"I've been working at Happysteps for a bit now and I have to say I love it. With how the whole day is scheduled it feels like everything just falls into place and the days go by smoothly. I really appreciate the comunication I have with my co-teachers and the families that go here and how we work together to fix any problems that might pop up. The curriculum is fun and engaging its based off of what the children are interested in and what we need to teach them in order for them to succeed in kindergarten. That being said the biggest thing that drew me to Happysteps is the children that go here they have such amazing personalities and opinions and im honored to be able to teach them every day." ~ T.R.
"Happy Steps is a wonderful place to work, tight-knit, and consistent! The communication between the staff and owner is amazing, kind, and inclusive. The children are obviously comfortable, and this allows them to be kind, welcoming, and explore their program environment/friendships with ease. I feel incredibly valued and integral to the running of the program, and my input is not only welcomed, but encouraged! I feel free to utilize my strengths without undue pressure, and my personal well-being is obviously important to the owner." ~ H.S.
Teachers & Substitutes Apply Now!