Early Childhood Assistant Teacher

Company: DREAM
Location: New York City
Posted on: February 16, 2026

Job Description:

Job Description Job Description Originally founded in 1991 as Harlem RBI, DREAM has grown to annually serve more than 2,500 youth across East Harlem and the South Bronx through a network of seven PreK-12, extended-day, extended-year DREAM Charter Schools and community sports-based youth development programs. Through our commitment to rigorous academics, social-emotional learning, deep family and community engagement, and health and wellness, we create lifelong learners who are equipped to fulfill their vision of success in and out of the classroom. We dream big, as well, with an aggressive five-year plan to expand to serve 3,500 students across seven schools —growing our organization’s impact and leveling the playing field for all children. To learn more, visit wearedream.org . Reporting to the Site Director, the Early Childhood Assistant Teacher will be responsible for working with the lead teacher to drive student outcomes. This is an exciting opportunity for an individual who has a desire to make a difference in the lives of our students, families and community and has a commitment to working with diverse populations. Responsibilities Assist the lead teacher in all aspects of teaching and learning including preparing for and implementing daily activities, events, and lesson plans; Create and foster a safe, warm, and inclusive classroom environment through following school-wide practices for behavior management and individual behavior plans, encouraging positive social interactions, engagement in learning, and self-motivation; Assist the lead teacher with administering assessments and analyzing and act on data, in partnership with; Establish and maintain strong relationships and regularly communicate students’ progress towards academic, social-emotional, and behavioral goals and with families; Attend and be an active participant in all professional development opportunities; Support with meals through “family style dining” and supervise naptime; Collaborate regularly with Early Childhood Education teammates to share pertinent information and coordinate services; Gather and maintain individual, family, health, educational, and classroom data as needed; Participate in ongoing reflective coaching and self-assessment; Serve as the classroom leader during “after school” hours, between 3:00pm-5:45pm; Additional duties related to the running of the school as assigned. Qualifications Education Qualifications - Eligible Early Childhood Assistant Teachers must meet one of the following three criteria to fulfill the education requirement: 1) Bachelor's Degree State Teaching Certification: Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education or a related field AND a valid NYS Teaching Certification, OR 2) Bachelor's Degree Experience: A Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education or a related field AND two years of supervised, documented teaching experience in a preschool program, OR 3) Approved Study Plan: On track to meet qualification 1 or 2, with proof of enrollment in a college program and a timeline to complete within 7 years of hire AND one of the following: an Associate's Degree in early childhood education, 90 college credits plus one year of classroom experience teaching PreK-2nd grade, OR a Bachelor's Degree in any subject plus one year of classroom experience up to 3rd grade. Success in working collaboratively with staff on culture and instruction in an early childhood setting; Strong work ethic and solutions-oriented mindset, with a desire and ability to solve problems; Excellent teamwork and interpersonal communication skills; Strong organizational skills, including attention to detail; Bilingual (English/Spanish), preferred; A strong belief in the mission and values of DREAM, including the belief that all students can succeed, and a deep desire to make a difference in the lives of our students, families, and community; A physical exam, fingerprinting, and a federal background check are required for this position. Working Expectations This role requires on-site work 5 days a week Hours: 9:45am - 5:45pm, daily A physical exam, fingerprinting, and a background check are required for this position. Physical Demands of the Position: This section describes the physical requirements that are necessary to successfully perform the essential responsibilities and functions of the position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions. Frequent movement, including standing, walking, sitting, and transitioning between floor and standing positions. Ability to lift, carry, push, pull or position items up to 50 pounds. Ability to engage in activities at child level, including bending, kneeling, crouching, and sitting on the floor. Ability to receive and respond to oral communication with students and adults in both quiet and active environments. Ability to reach with hands and arms and use hands and fingers to handle objects and operate tools, computers, and/or controls. Benefits and Paid Time Off We offer comprehensive benefits including: Flexible Medical Health Plans, subsidizing the majority of costs for the employee, their spouse/domestic partner and children; The ability to select between a variety of medical plans according to what best suits the employee’s needs; Dental and vision plans; Disability benefits; Life insurance; Up to 12 weeks fully paid of Parental Leave; Flexible spending account options; Pre-tax commuter benefits (parking and transit); Fitness and entertainment discounts; A variety of support through our employee assistance program (EAP); 403(b) retirement plan with employer match starting at 4% after one year, with increases tied to DREAM tenure; Referral, performance, and tenure milestones bonuses; Discounted school meals through our in-house Scratch Food Program; Tuition reimbursement support; Access to a professional development fund; School-based Head Start staff have approximately 50 days off throughout the school year including holidays, school breaks, and personal days. Benefits are subject to change. Compensation DREAM offers a competitive salary commensurate with relevant experience. The incoming annual salary range for this position is $65,000. New hires are typically brought into the organization at a salary closer to the start of the range depending on qualifications, internal equity, and the budgeted amount for the role. All regular employees receive annual compensation increases and have the opportunity to earn both performance- and tenure-based bonuses. Because we value tenure in each role, our salary ranges are not capped. DREAM Maxims All Kids Can. This Kid Can. DREAM is Family. Fun is a Serious Value. Teamwork Makes the DREAM Work. Fail. Persist. Exceed. DREAM Big. Applying to DREAM We know applying for a new job can be a daunting process. In addition, studies have shown that historically underrepresented individuals often only apply to roles if they meet 100% of the qualifications. We encourage all applications! You may be just the person we need. If you have any questions about your application or interview process, do not hesitate to ask your recruiter; we are here to help! DREAM provides reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and applicable state and local laws. If accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact your recruiter. If you are a current DREAM employee, please click here to review our Internal Selection Process before applying. We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

Keywords: DREAM, Edison , Early Childhood Assistant Teacher, Education / Teaching , New York City, New Jersey