Head Start Teacher Jobs in South Carolina
Head Start Teacher jobs in South Carolina are consistently active, with steady demand across public school districts, community action agencies, and federally funded early childhood programs at every experience level from entry-level classroom assistants to lead educators. The highest concentration of openings is in Columbia, Greenville, and Charleston, where organizations like the South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness, Palmetto Community Action Partnership, and Charleston County School District maintain ongoing hiring. The most in-demand specialties include early literacy instruction, special needs inclusion support, and bilingual early childhood education. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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The Associate Teacher assists in the instruction of preschool-aged children in activities designed to promote social-emotional, physical, and cognitive growth. Associate Teachers are also responsible for assisting the teacher in the Head Start classroom’s daily operations.
General Responsibilities:
- Engage with children during all activities throughout the day; provide constant supervision of children during all learning activities indoors and outdoors and ensure a safe environment.
- Assist in planning and conducting activities with Head Start Teacher to meet the individual needs of children in accordance with the daily schedule.
- Guide and facilitate activities with Head Start Teacher, including classroom projects and field trips.
- Provide a safe and developmentally appropriate learning environment; interact with children one-on-one and in small groups.
- Protect the safety of children by implementing active supervision techniques to ensure no child is left alone or unsupervised at any time
- Assist in creating ways to engage parents in their children’s education, including encouraging classroom involvement and home activities.
- Participate in parent-teacher conferences to discuss children’s individual development and progress.
- Eat with and assist children with eating at mealtime to teach social and self-help skills and sound nutritional practices.
- Assist children in healthy personal habits, such as resting, brushing teeth, and toilet habits.
- Assist the Head Start Teacher in record keeping; conduct and document observations, assessments, and screenings.
- Maintain confidentiality regarding children.
- Participate in staff meetings, committees, and training sessions.
- Assist in the mobilization and documentation of matching in-kind activities, goods, and services.
- Will be required to take the lead in the absence of the teacher.
- Act as a bus monitor to ensure appropriate supervision of services and safe transportation for children and adults, i.e., includes boarding and existing, emergency evacuation, securing safety restraints, and appropriate child and adult behavior.
- Assist bus driver with checking bus at the end of the route to ensure that “no†child is left on the bus
- Maintain required training hours for licensing and job employment within the school employment year.
- Other related duties as assigned.
Qualifications / Skills / Experience and Abilities:
· Associate in ECD/four-year Degree in human relations or other related fields/ECD Cert./ECD Diploma.
· Minimum of three years experience in working with children, families, and the community preferred.
· Ability to pass background checks and health screening.
· Excellent verbal, reading, writing, and typing//computer/data entry skills.
· Sit on the floor and interact with children
· Visually observe and hear children from all areas of the classroom and playground at all times
· Lift at least 50 lbs.
See All 8 Head Start Teacher Jobs in South Carolina
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Find Head Start Teacher JobsHead Start Teacher Jobs by City in South Carolina
Where South Carolina roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Head Start Teacher Job Market in South Carolina
A snapshot from current South Carolina openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring

What South Carolina Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in head start teacher jobs across South Carolina.
- Active South Carolina early childhood educator credential or Child Development Associate certification recognized in South Carolina
- Bachelor's degree in early childhood education or a closely related field preferred
- Experience working with preschool-age children in a structured classroom setting
- Knowledge of Head Start performance standards and federally required program outcomes
- Ability to conduct developmental screenings and maintain required child progress documentation
- Strong communication skills for family engagement and mandatory parent partnership activities
Head Start Teacher Jobs in South Carolina: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a head start teacher in South Carolina?
To become a head start teacher in South Carolina, you need at minimum a Child Development Associate credential, though most programs now require a bachelor's degree in early childhood education. South Carolina's Head Start grantees follow federal workforce requirements, and many state-funded programs also align with the South Carolina First Steps credentialing framework. Completing coursework approved by the South Carolina Department of Education and gaining documented classroom hours with preschool-age children strengthens your candidacy significantly.
Which companies hire head start teachers in South Carolina?
Employers hiring head start teachers in South Carolina right now include Waccamaw Economic Opportunity Council, Carolina Community Actions, and Spartanburg County First Steps, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. South Carolina's network of community action agencies, school district-operated Head Start programs, and First Steps partnerships creates a distributed hiring landscape reaching both urban centers and rural counties.
Which South Carolina cities have the most head start teacher jobs?
Longs, Clover, and Conway have the most head start teacher openings in South Carolina. Columbia leads due to its concentration of state agency headquarters and community action organizations, while Greenville's rapid population growth has expanded early childhood program funding, and Charleston's large school district and established nonprofit sector sustain consistent demand across the metropolitan area.
Are there remote head start teacher jobs in South Carolina?
Yes, but they're rare. About 0% of head start teacher openings tied to South Carolina are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, reflecting the hands-on, in-classroom nature of the role. The portions of the work most likely to be done remotely include family case management coordination and some administrative or coaching roles within larger program offices.
How can I get hired as a head start teacher in South Carolina with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is applying as a teacher assistant or classroom aide within a South Carolina Head Start or Early Head Start program, where on-the-job mentorship is built into the federal program model. Community action agencies such as Palmetto Community Action Partnership and school district Head Start sites regularly hire candidates without lead-teacher experience for support roles. Earning a Child Development Associate credential while working puts you on a direct path to a lead teacher position, and completing coursework through South Carolina technical colleges strengthens your application considerably.
Where can I find and apply to head start teacher jobs in South Carolina?
You can find and apply to head start teacher jobs in South Carolina on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from employers actively hiring in the state. Search the listings to find roles that match your experience level and location, then apply directly to the ones that fit.
See All 8 Head Start Teacher Jobs in South Carolina
Find roles in South Carolina that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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