Lead Teacher

Job Title: Lead Teacher – Full-Time Location: Carousel Child Care Center | 6370 Debarr Road, Anchorage, AK 99504 Pay: $17.00 – $20.00 per hour (based on experience) Schedule: Full-Time | Monday–Friday | Shifts available between 6:30 AM – 6:00 PM Job Type: Full-Time | In-Person

About Carousel

Carousel Child Care Center has been serving Anchorage families since 1968. We're licensed for up to 115 children ages 12 months through 12 years across seven classrooms, and we serve approximately 100 children every day. We participate in the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Alaska's Child Care Assistance Program, and thread's Learn and Grow quality improvement program. We implement the Pyramid Model for social-emotional learning center-wide — not as a checklist, but as the way we work with kids every day.

We're a real program with high standards and a team that takes the work seriously. If you're looking for a place where your skills and experience will actually be used, this is it.

The Role

As a Lead Teacher at Carousel, you own your classroom. That means you're responsible for the environment, the daily schedule, the learning plan, the children's safety, and your TA's development — not just during the good parts of the day, but all of it.

You'll work with children in one of our seven classrooms (ages 12 months through 12 years depending on assignment) and report directly to the Associate Administrator.

What you'll be doing:

• Running your classroom from open to close with a structured, intentional daily schedule
• Designing and entering lesson plans in Tadpoles at least one week in advance
• Maintaining line-of-sight supervision and completing name-to-face counts every hour and after every transition
• Completing CACFP meal counts accurately at point of service, every meal, every day
• Implementing Pyramid Model practices and ensuring your TA does the same
• Completing Behavior Incident Reports (BIRs) and accident reports with photos before end of shift
• Communicating daily with families through Tadpoles, including one positive photo per child per day
• Keeping the parent board current and your classroom environment aligned with RBPD assessment standards
• Maintaining ratio compliance and coordinating with the office when you're approaching room capacity
• Ordering classroom supplies with at least one week's notice

What We're Looking For

• Minimum 1 year of childcare experience — this is required, not preferred
• Current pediatric CPR and First Aid certification from an approved in-person provider (no online-only cards)
• Ability to pass an Alaska Background Check (NABCS) associated with Carousel's facility
• Willingness to complete thread Learn and Grow training within one year of assuming the Lead role
• Completion of Health and Safety training and Mandatory Reporter training within 30 days of hire
• Someone who shows up consistently, communicates clearly, and holds themselves to the same standard they hold their students

A CDA, AA, or degree in Early Childhood Education is a plus but not required if your experience and approach are strong.

Schedule

Full-time staff work five 8-hour shifts per week. Carousel also offers an optional 4x10 flexible schedule under Alaska's approved Flexible Work Hour Plan — four 10-hour shifts per week without daily overtime, for eligible employees who prefer it. Multiple shifts are available between 6:30 AM and 6:00 PM.

What Carousel Offers

• $17.00–$20.00/hr based on experience
• Paid sick leave accrual (1 hour per 30 hours worked, up to 56 hours/year)
• Paid vacation: 1 week after your first year, 2 weeks after three years of continuous employment
• 8 paid holidays after one year of continuous full-time employment
• Meals provided through USDA CACFP during your shift
• Annual performance review with merit raise consideration
• Professional development planning and paid training hours
• A stable, structured program that's been operating for over 55 years

How to Apply

Apply here on Indeed. Qualified applicants will be contacted directly and provided a paper application to complete as the next step.

Carousel Child Care Center is an equal opportunity employer.

Pay: $17.00 - $20.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance

Work Location: In person