Early

Childhood Director

Bright Water Montessori Preschool

Minneapolis, Minnesota
Start Date: June, 2015, or sooner

Bright Water Montessori seeks an Early Childhood

Director to work collaboratively with the Bright Water
Elementary Director while leading an established
Montessori preschool program in North Minneapolis.
This is a new position, reporting to the Preschool Board of
Directors. Formerly, one head of school oversaw both
our preschool and our charter elementary programs. The
new Early Childhood Director will oversee one toddler
room and three Childrens House rooms. The Early
Childhood Director will additionally oversee two administrative staff and run the after-school
enrichment program for both schools. As the preschools executive officer, the Early Childhood
Director supports the schools Mission and Vision and implements its academic program and policies.
The Early Childhood Director oversees all aspects of the schools operations including staffing, training,
and evaluation; educational programming; regulatory compliance; fiscal management; fund
development; enrollment and admissions; and outreach and marketing. With the Elementary Director,
the Early Childhood Director will have responsibility for strategic planning, facilities planning and
management, community building, and equity.
This new position presents the unique opportunity to improve and regulate the internal systems of an
established preschool while working alongside a partner elementary school.
Please refer to the next page for qualifications and application process. We look forward to hearing
from talented leaders who wish to join our unique school community.

Bright Water Montessori

5140 Fremont Ave North
Minneapolis, MN 55430
Phone: 612.302.3410
www.brightwatermontessori.org

Early Childhood Director Search:

Heather Peterson
Chair, Preschool Board
preschooldirector@brightwatermontessori.org

Early Childhood Director Qualifications

A strong background in early childhood education or

child development
Bachelors Degree
Administrative, management, or supervisory experience
Cultural competency

Additional desired qualities:

AMI Montessori early childhood teaching credential

Montessori classroom experience
Proven leadership abilities
Highly effective communication skills (verbal and written)
A collaborative management style with strong team-building skills
An understanding of financial operations and budgeting processes
Experience with non-profit or educational fundraising
Knowledge of Rule 3 (Minnesota preschool regulations)
Bilingual in English and Spanish

Compensation and Benefits

The Early Childhood Director is a full-year salaried position. Salary is commensurate with qualifications
and experience. Benefits include a defined contribution toward medical insurance, life insurance,
dental insurance, and paid personal and vacation time.

Application Process
To apply, please submit:

A cover letter stating your interest in the position and relevant experience
A resume with 3 references
A short written statement regarding your ideas on how to fulfill our mission of equitably serving
an intentionally diverse school community

Please email documents, preferably as PDFs, to preschooldirector@brightwatermontessori.org.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis and we encourage you to
submit your application as soon as possible.
To obtain a more detailed position description, please contact Heather Peterson
at preschooldirector@brightwatermontessori.org. Additional information
about Bright Water is available at www.brightwatermontessori.org.
Bright Water Montessori is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Education should no longer be mostly imparting

knowledge, but must take a new path,
seeking the release of human potentials.
Maria Montessori
Bright Water Montessori offers these programs:
Toddler Community: Joyful and spontaneous, our Toddler
Community consists of 13 toddlers ages 16 months to 3
years, a Montessori-trained teacher and two assistants.
Childrens House (Preschool and Kindergarten): Two
Montessori-trained teachers and an assistant guide about
27 children in each beautiful classroom where everything is
designed to meet the developmental needs of the children. In three Childrens Houses, our private
preschool includes 48 3- and 4-year-olds and our free public charter elementary school includes 30
Kindergarteners.
Founded in 2004, Bright Water Montessori is an AMI-recognized non-profit preschool serving children
ages 18 months to 6 years in North Minneapolis. Bright Water Elementary, a charter Montessori for
grades K-6, was established in 2008 as our partner school. Our wonderful staff includes seven AMI-
trained guides and five assistants, most of whom have been with the school for
more than five years. Our families come largely from the neighborhoods of North
Minneapolis, but many travel from surrounding communities as well. Intentional
diversity is a critical and unique component of a Bright Water education, and both
our staff and our student body reflect this. Of our preschoolers, 45% are
Caucasian, 40% African American, 7% Hispanic, 6% Asian and 2% Native American.
About 40% of our preschoolers qualify for free or reduced lunch. Bright Water
students learn to respect and celebrate the differences among people and they
develop the ability to work cooperatively with one another.
Bright Water Montessori Schools are housed in the three-floor school building at Our Lady of Victory
church. We have a gymnasium space and a beautiful natural outdoor playscape. Our preschool
program is a 10-month school year with a 2-month optional summer program.

MISSION
Bright Water
inspires passion for
learning in an
intentionally diverse
Montessori
community.

VISION
Bright Water seeks to be a school without an achievement gap and a model
for North Minneapolis. Bright Water School is inspired by the educational
philosophy of Dr. Maria Montessori and sets high expectations for all
children. In partnership with parents we guide children to develop their
individual gifts while preparing them for life in a cooperative community and
a changing world. We nurture independence, a love of learning, cooperation,
creative thinking, and respect for self, others and the environment.