Job Posting

Assistant Pre-K Teacher

We Are:

  • Mainspring Schools: the little school doing big things

  • Changing the lives of at-risk young children and their families—and with it, the future of Austin

  • A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization on a mission to provide children and their families with a community for high-quality early education and holistic support

  • A small, motivated, energetic staff of educators who prepare kids ages 0-5 for success in school and life through high-quality early education, nutrition, family services, and community building

  • An in-district charter campus within Austin ISD

  • An Early Head Start provider

  • One of only 8% of early childhood centers in the US to be accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

You Are:

We are looking for a full-time Assistant Teacher for one of our 3-year-old rooms. The ratio is 2 teachers to 12 children. The Assistant Teacher is responsible for helping to execute the daily curriculum and building a strong, secure attachment with the children in the class.

We want someone who is outgoing, who speaks well and often, and who is comfortable interacting with parents, caregivers, and adult volunteers (which are fairly common at Mainspring).

We hold teacher-child interaction above all else when evaluating classrooms and teachers, so the perfect candidate should know how to engage with, affectionately care for, and provide supportive structure for our children.

At Mainspring, you’ll experience low ratios, less paperwork, and a hard-but-rewarding opportunity to make a real difference in kids’ lives. Good things happen here every day, so if you are inspired by the mission and want to feel challenged and fulfilled by your job, we hope you’ll be part of the team. 

We need you to have:

  • Ability to take direction and support the Lead Teacher

  • Availability for 40 hours a week

  • Experience working in a licensed child care center

  • Have or be willing to obtain CPR certification

  • Be willing to complete an FBI background check

  • Patience!

  • A desire to serve low-income children and their families

You’ll Wow Us With:

  • An Associate’s or Bachelor’s in Child Development, Social Work, or Educational Psychology (or enrolled in college and progressing toward an Associate’s or Bachelor’s)

  • Experience working with low-income and diverse populations

  • Experience with children dealing with trauma

  • Experience working in NAEYC-accredited center

  • AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and other national service alumni are encouraged to apply.

We Can:

  • Pay you an annual salary of $39,000

  • Provide health, dental, and vision insurance

  • Provide an Employee Assistance Program that includes onsite counseling and support

  • Give you paid time off, sick time, and holiday pay

  • Match up to 3% of your 401(k) retirement

  • Offer trainings in TBRI, Conscious Discipline, classroom environments, and other professional development topics

  • Pay all upfront costs for CPR certification, fingerprinting, etc.

  • Provide a relaxed work environment (friendly admin staff and NO uniforms!)

  • Connect you with a pool of substitute teachers and a full-time floater to cover breaks and time off

  • Welcome you to an impactful work environment where you’ll make a difference every day

To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter to our Education Director, at education@mainspringschools.org.

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A Deeper Look at Mainspring

At our core, we are a preschool for 95 children in Austin, ages 0-5. But our larger program is built on three pillars: 

  1. High-quality early education

  2. Health and nutrition

  3. Comprehensive family support

Each year, we produce some of the highest kindergarten readiness rates in the state and we help entire families develop a foundation for future success. This is the little school doing big things.

A few accomplishments:

  • Mainspring is among the 8% of centers in the U.S. to achieve accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). 

  • We have the highest 4-star rating from the Texas Rising Star program, which is run by the Texas Workforce Commission. 

  • Our school was the first early childhood program in Texas to achieve in-district charter status (with the Austin Independent School District). 

  • We were recently selected by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to be part of its exclusive Replicating Great Options program.

Mainspring has earned the above accolades because of effective leadership, efficient organizational dynamics and long-standing partnerships. We believe in fiscal responsibility that takes advantage of multiple streams of revenue (including fundraising) and closely monitors expenses and investments. We also strive to operate efficiently and effectively, taking advantage of progressive processes and technologies. In addition, we believe in partnering with organizations to maximize the capabilities of all parties.