How to hire a lead and assistant teacher

How to hire a lead and assistant teacher, step by step

Here's a step-by-step lead and assistant teacher hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a lead and assistant teacher job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new lead and assistant teacher
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the lead and assistant teacher you need to hire. Certain lead and assistant teacher roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect lead and assistant teacher also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents lead and assistant teacher salaries for various positions.

   Type of Lead And Assistant Teacher	Description	Hourly rate
   Lead And Assistant Teacher	Preschool teachers educate and care for children younger than age 5 who have not yet entered kindergarten. They teach reading, writing, science, and other subjects in a way that young children can understand.	$11-18
   Teacher Aide	Teacher aides help lead teachers in managing the classroom. They assist teachers in conducting classroom sessions by setting up the classroom in advance, sourcing materials needed for class activities, helping in presentations, and guiding students during class activities... Show more	$11-17
   Day Care Teacher	A Daycare Teacher is a professional who educates young children and toddlers with lessons and daily activities. Daycare Teachers perform various tasks that include grading student assignments and worksheets, encouraging good manners and positive behavior, and stimulating students intellectually using different learning methods such as games and stories... Show more	$10-20

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Childhood
   • Classroom Management
   • Child Care
   • Child Development
   • Emotional Development
   • CPR
   • Classroom Environment
   • Pre-K
   • Infant Room
   • Social Development
   • Physical Development
   • Learning Environment
   • Montessori
   • Early Childhood Development

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Assist in creating IEP goals.
   • Develop lesson plans, assessments, and matrices for the children in the pre-k setting.
   • Train new staff in ABA principles, implementation of individualize student behavior plans and IEP execution
   • Help implement Montessori curriculum and programs.
   • Become knowledgeable with Montessori terminology and methods.
   • Develop and implement age-appropriate curriculum for toddler program, ensuring that appropriate opportunities are provided in order to maximize learning potential.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your lead and assistant teacher job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A lead and assistant teacher salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, lead and assistant teachers' average salary in alabama is 54% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level lead and assistant teachers earn 39% less than senior-level lead and assistant teachers.
   • Certifications. A lead and assistant teacher with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a lead and assistant teacher's salary.

   Average lead and assistant teacher salary

   $14.63hourly

   $30,424 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level lead and assistant teacher salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

4. Writing a lead and assistant teacher job description

   A job description for a lead and assistant teacher role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a lead and assistant teacher job description:

   Lead and assistant teacher job description example

   KinderCare Education is the nation's leader in early childhood education. We nourish curiosity through purposeful experiences to create a future full of lifelong learners. From our National Support Center, to the classrooms where learning comes to life, we're united by a passion to create a world of learning, joy and adventure for more than 161,000 children ages six-weeks through 12 years every day.
   
   Our Teachers bring warmth, patience, and understanding to the classroom every day, encouraging children to learn and grow. They inspire children to be lifelong learners using our nationally recognized curriculum that promotes social, physical, verbal, and cognitive development. Our Teachers are committed to making their center successful and know that creating meaningful relationships with children, families, and their team play a crucial role in that success.
   When you join our team as an Assistant Teacher you will: Assist teachers with the implementation of KCE's curriculum in a way that is consistent with the unique needs of each child Create a safe, nurturing environment where children can play and learn. Partner with parents with a shared desire to provide the best care and education for their children Support your center's success by partnering with center staff and leadership to achieve goals around enrollment, accreditation, and engagement Cultivate positive relationships with families, teachers, state licensing authorities, community contacts and corporate partners Qualifications: Required Skills and Experience: A love for children and a strong desire to make a difference every day Ability to build relationships with families and coworkers and create a dynamic environment where play and discovery go hand-in-hand Outstanding customer service skills CPR and First Aid Certification or willingness to obtain Must meet state specific guidelines for the role Must be physically able to use a computer with basic proficiency, lift a minimum of 40 pounds, and work indoors or outdoors. Must be able to assume postures in low levels to allow physical and visual contact with children, see and hear well enough to keep children safe, and engage in physical activity with children. Ability to speak, read, and write English. Our highest priority has always been to keep our employees, children, families, and communities as safe and healthy as possible. Starting October 18, 2021, we began requiring COVID vaccinations or weekly COVID testing for all unvaccinated employees. We are also subject to state law, local ordinances, and Health Department requirements for child care workers or school staff.
   
   The benefits our career professionals enjoy:
   
   In addition to a rewarding career where you help shape children's futures, KinderCare Education provides a competitive compensation package. Benefits include: Medical, dental and vision Discounted child care Generous paid time off Education assistance and reimbursement Medical expense reimbursement/ Life insurance/Disability benefits/ Health and wellness programs 401(k) savings and investment plan with employer match
   KinderCare Education employs more than 32,000 team members across 1,700 locations nationwide. Our devoted family of education providers leads the nation in accreditation and includes KinderCare Learning Centers, KinderCare Education at Work , Champions Before- and After-School Programs, Cambridge Schools , Knowledge Beginnings and The Grove School .
   
   KinderCare Education is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, military or veteran status, gender identity or expression, or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal law.
   
   Primary Location : Seekonk, Massachusetts, United States
   
   Job : Teacher and Center Staff

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find lead and assistant teachers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your lead and assistant teacher job on Zippia to find and recruit lead and assistant teacher candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with lead and assistant teacher candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new lead and assistant teacher

   Once you've decided on a perfect lead and assistant teacher candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new lead and assistant teacher. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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