VPK INSTRUCTOR/PKY

You belong at a K-12 teaching and learning environment that’s leading the way!

The Opportunity and Job Description

P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School (DRS) is seeking to hire a VPK Instructor for the 2024-2025 school year. Instructor responsibilities include: 

• Direct teaching of assigned students. 
• Maintain a learning environment that is supportive of children's growth, development and learning through age and developmentally appropriate lessons and activities.
• Create, prepare, and implement weekly lesson plans that address social, emotional, physical, and cognitive areas and demonstrate respect and support of diversity in language, culture, and learning styles.
• Maintain a safe, healthy, and hygienic environment for all children (ages infant to 5 years).
• Supervise safety and educational learning while on field trips around UF campus and the Gainesville community.
• Communicate and support parents to ensure the needs of children and families are met.
• Support special activities and research at UF's Early Childhood Collaboratory at Baby Gator
• Demonstrate a high level of professionalism by maintaining confidentiality of child and family information, adhering to policies and regulations, and maintaining professional communication with colleagues and supervisors.
• Administer and analyze formative assessments to monitor student progress and plan instructional shifts to increase achievement and success for all students.
• Design appropriate curriculum, instructional, and assessment accommodations to support academic success for a diverse group of students including both striving and advanced learners.
• Incorporate effective and innovative uses of technology to support teaching, learning, and collaboration.
• Maintain regular parent communication (virtually, face-to-face).
• Engage in annual cycles of professional learning. 
• Participate in practitioner inquiry (research) to support professional learning and inform continuous program improvement.
• Analyze the impact of teaching practice and implemented curriculum on student learning.
• Child Development Teachers must be physically able to perform all duties related to the care and teaching of young children with reasonable accommodations, including repeated bending, kneeling, sitting on the floor, lifting children up to 40 lbs., and frequent hand washing.
• It is recommended that child care personnel are current with all immunizations routinely recommended for adults by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).    

For more details about UF benefits, please visit www.hr.ufl.edu/benefits.

To learn more about P.K. Yonge, please visit www.pkyonge.ufl.edu.

If you are interested in being a part of this dedicated team of professionals, we invite you to submit your curriculum vitae or resume and application.

About P.K. Yonge

P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School (DRS) is a public school established in 1934 with the mission to design, test, and disseminate innovations in K-12 education through serving a student population representative of Florida’s economic, racial, gender, and academic diversity. P.K. Yonge seeks to attract a faculty that reflects the diversity of our student population. Affiliated with the College of Education at the University of Florida, P.K. Yonge faculty may partner with members of the college to develop, and test teaching solutions grounded in our shared values of inclusivity, accessibility, equity, and student agency while educating approximately 1250 students on campus.

P.K. Yonge | Best School EVER!

P.K. Yonge: Re-imagining School – Opening the Secondary Building

P.K. Yonge boasts a small community-like atmosphere that fosters deep and impactful relationships with students and families from all walks of life over many years. P.K. Yonge is committed to creating an equitable and inclusive environment for all as we seek to generate new ideas for advancing equity and inclusion at P.K. Yonge and beyond through research, teaching, and/or service. Teachers work closely in a collaborative environment that cultivates diversity of thought, perspectives, and ideas on matters that impact K-12 schools. As practitioner-researchers, P.K. Yonge faculty are constantly working to bridge theory and practice. P.K. Yonge attributes our successes to the contributions of teachers from all backgrounds and nationalities who find teaching, research, and investigation inspiring, who value the opportunity to reach outside the bounds of the classroom, and who are open to sharing on a broader scale.

P.K. Yonge teachers enjoy greater professional autonomy.  P.K. Yonge faculty engage in professional learning opportunities each year though webinars, workshops, learning communities, and teacher research aimed at increasing knowledge of diversity and equity in inclusive learning environments. Teachers are fully supported to explore and learn within their subject areas; encouraged to present and attend national conferences; and inspired to refine and improve their current practices.  

P.K. Yonge | About Our School | Faculty Voices

Learn more about the Gainesville community

Commensurate with education & experience

1. A Master's Degree (candidates with a Bachelor's degree will be considered, but will be required to obtain a Master's degree within three years of hire) + Child Development Associate Certificate (CDA) or Florida Child Care Professional Credential (FCCPC), or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
2. A current Clearinghouse Background Screening with an “Eligible” status for the DCF General and Child Care items.
3. Completion of the DCF course called “Implementing the Florida Standards in Preschool Classrooms: 3 Years Old to Kindergarten” (VFSP or SPC3TK).” This must appear on the DCF transcript. (If in progress, candidates will be required to obtain within 90 days.)
4. Completion of 3 approved 5-hour emergent literacy courses (or 1 of the approved 20-hour courses) from the “VPK Lead Teacher Emergent Literacy Requirement DEL Flyer.” There are only 3 emergent literacy courses from this flyer that are fully online: Emergent Literacy for VPK Instructors (VPK21), Language and Vocabulary in the VPK Classroom (LVPK21) and Building a Strong Foundation for Emergent Literacy (VIEL). The other options require in-person and virtual instructor-led components which take longer to complete. Once this requirement is met, the EMERGENT LITERACY REQUIREMENT section at the bottom of the DCF transcript will show “Yes” with effective and expiration dates. (If in progress, candidates will be required to obtain within 90 days.)
5. A current Staff Credential indicated as FCCPC, NECC, or Formal Education on the DCF transcript. If it is not on the DCF transcript, you may upload a diploma or college transcript as proof of a degree in an approved field. (If in progress, candidates will be required to obtain within 90 days.)

Excellent oral and written communication skills

Interested applicants must apply online at https://jobs.ufl.edu and include:

1. A cover letter or letter of application
2. A complete resume or curriculum vitae 
3. Three letters of recommendation providing evidence of effective teaching experience and ongoing collaboration with teaching colleagues
4. An Affidavit or Attestation of Good Moral Character Form with all required fields completed.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

The University of Florida is committed to nondiscrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations, genetic information, and veteran status in all aspects of employment including recruitment, hiring, promotions, transfers, discipline, terminations, wage and salary administration, benefits, and training.

Resources

• University of Florida Benefits
• Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics
• Accessibility at UF

Final candidate will be required to provide official transcript to the hiring department upon hire.  A transcript will not be considered “official” if a designation of “Issued to Student” is visible.  Degrees earned from an education institution outside of the United States are required to be evaluated by a professional credentialing service provider approved by National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), which can be found at http://www.naces.org/.

The University of Florida is An Equal Employment Opportunity Institution. If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call 352/392-2477 or the Florida Relay System at 800/955-8771 (TDD). Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the US. Searches are conducted in accordance with Florida's Sunshine Law.