Lead Early Childhood Teacher ( Infant, Toddler, or Twos)

At Kïdo, we are redefining early childhood education by blending the world’s most respected philosophies, Reggio Emilia and Montessori, into a modern, globally inspired framework. We build beautifully designed, high-quality centers where children aren't just cared for, but are empowered to lead their own journeys of discovery, independence, and lifelong learning.

What truly sets us apart is our dual commitment: we build cutting-edge, inspiring spaces for our children, and a deeply supportive, "people-first" professional culture for our educators.

As we establish our brand footprint in the Chicago market, joining our team means stepping into a collaborative, forward-thinking environment where your creativity is valued, your professional growth is actively funded, and you can play a pivotal role in shaping a world-class early learning community from the ground up.

Locations: Chicago, IL (River North & New West Loop Location Coming Soon!)

Job Type: Full-Time, Daycare & Preschool

Be Part of the Founding Team in Chicago!

We just opened our River North early childhood center and are preparing to launch Kïdo West Loop! We are seeking exceptional, passionate Lead Teachers / Early Childhood Educators who want to help shape our classroom culture, curriculum implementation, and community from day one.

If you are a strong educator who thrives in a collaborative childcare environment and is excited to build something special, we want to meet you.

Current openings are specifically for our Infant, Toddler, and Twos classrooms!

Lead Teacher Responsibilities

• Curriculum & Learning: Plan and facilitate engaging, developmentally appropriate learning experiences using Kïdo’s rich, easy-to-use curriculum, with plenty of room to incorporate your own creative ideas.
• Classroom Management: Provide responsive child care while confidently managing a dynamic, safe, and nurturing preschool classroom environment.
• Family Engagement: Build meaningful relationships with children and families through excellent communication, daily updates, photos, and regular parent-teacher conversations about each child’s social-emotional and cognitive growth.
• Nurturing Environment: Foster an inspiring early learning environment where young children thrive and hit key developmental milestones.
• Team Collaboration: Collaborate closely with assistant teachers and fellow staff members as part of a supportive, professional teaching team.

Minimum Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED.
• Experience: Proven experience teaching or working in a licensed preschool, daycare, or childcare setting.
• Age Requirement: At least 19 years of age (to meet state licensing guidelines for lead roles).
• Licensing: Lead Teacher Qualified per Illinois DCFS (Department of Children and Family Services) regulations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE), Child Development, Elementary Education, or a related field; or a valid Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential.
• Background: 5–10 years of teaching experience in a licensed childcare program, or 2–3 years of experience in a Montessori school setting.
• Language Skills: Bilingual (fluent in Spanish and English) is a plus (reading, writing, and speaking).

Why Join Kïdo?

We are a people-first childcare organization—our early childhood educators are at the heart of everything we do.

What we offer our teaching team

• Competitive Pay: Based on education, ECE credentials, and experience.
• Career Growth: Direct pathways for advancement into curriculum specialty or assistant director roles.
• Childcare Benefit: Free tuition for your children (18 months–5 years).
• Classroom Support: Smaller teacher-to-child ratios than Illinois state requirements to support meaningful interactions and stress-free planning time.
• Resources: Fully stocked teacher lounge with healthy snacks and a classroom supply cabinet with bi-weekly ordering options.
• Professional Development: Tuition reimbursement, comprehensive paid training, and two dedicated school-wide professional development days each year.
• Referral Perks: $500 referral bonus when you refer a new team member.

Full-time team members also receive

• Your birthday off!
• Up to 3 weeks of paid time off (PTO) in your first year.
• Paid holidays.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance with generous employer contributions.
• Free short-term disability and life insurance.
• Annual tenure bonuses.

If you’re a passionate preschool teacher ready to help build and lead a high-quality program from the very beginning, apply today to join our Chicago founding team!

Discover more About Kïdo by visiting our website at : https://kidoschools.com/us/

Apply on our website at: https://apply.workable.com/kidoschools/j/E62360A541/

As part of our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in our care, the successful candidate is expected to undergo an enhanced fingerprint-based background check. Kido is an equal opportunity employer.

The pay range for this role is

19 - 26 USD per hour(Chicago)

Pay: $19.00 - $26.00 per hour