Principal or Vice Principal Principal, 3-6 Expeditionary Learning School in Colorado Mountains
Job Description
GENERAL SUMMARY: Lake County Intermediate School is an EL (Expeditionary Learning) School striving to set high academic and cultural expectations for students. LCIS’s leader will embrace and lead the school in implementing EL Core Practices and Design Principles (http://eleducation.org/resources/core-practices). The LCIS faculty, staff and community have made significant progress working with EL as a partner. Collaborative leadership is foundational to the work at LCIS. The principal will work with established teacher and staff leadership committees as well as the entire staff to build upon previous successful efforts and structures. This position will begin in August 2018.
The school principal at LCIS is responsible for all aspects of running the school. The principal is responsible for overseeing instruction, curriculum, assessment, and professional development. The principal is expected to demonstrate leadership skills in all aspects of the job. He or she is responsible for the collective success of the school, including the learning, growth and achievement of both students and staff. She or he will create systems that maximize the utilization of resources and human capital, foster collaboration, and facilitate constructive change with a commitment to equity and continuous improvement.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
The LCIS Principal will work with teacher leaders, the faculty, staff, students, families and the community to pursue excellence in the following ways:
INSTRUCTIONAL & SCHOOL LEADERSHIP
- Provide exemplary leadership to all members of the school community to achieve outstanding performance in the school’s mission of ensuring each student meets grade level standards
- Work to dramatically improve student achievement by leading the educational program
- Effectively manage faculty and staff
- Continue to collaborate with faculty and staff to develop and communicate the school’s systems, culture, and vision, and create a plan to achieve that vision
- Oversee curriculum and assessment within the school
- Implement effective internal and external assessment systems and use data to inform decisions
- Ensure strong consistency within the school program and curricular alignment with state and other rigorous standards
- Select and share effective curricular and instructional practices from and with other schools
- Serve as point person for all students and families
- Lead work with partners including Expeditionary Learning, ANet and the Colorado Department of Education
- Work with the instructional leadership team (ILT) to plan and implement instructional supports across the school
- Help oversee school-wide strategic planning and problem solving
FACULTY AND STAFF SUPPORT/ADULT CULTURE
- Oversee faculty and staff of the school, including recruitment, selection, evaluation, supervision, retention, and dismissal
- Manage teaching staff, including professional development, staff observations, curriculum development, staff communication, and scheduling and program decisions
- Lead faculty to ensure that all staff are providing well-managed and rigorous daily lessons, reasonable and effective daily homework, and regular and productive afterschool tutoring
- Foster commitment among faculty and staff to the development and fulfillment of the school’s mission and objectives
- Model and expect a growth mindset
- Lead data processes including data meetings and data-driven instruction practices
- Hold teachers accountable for meeting high standards for student academic and behavioral performance
- Work with staff on all curricular, instructional, assessment, and professional development issues and activities to ensure data drives classroom instruction
- Work with staff to foster consistency among staff in upholding school-wide discipline policies
- Facilitate positive faculty dynamics
- Work with Special Education Coordinator to ensure 504 accommodations, IEP modifications, and counseling needs are met
FAMILY SUPPORT
- Maintain communication and relations with the families of the school, ensuring they are kept involved with and held accountable for their children’s academic and behavioral performance
- Communicate regularly with families regarding student performance and academic achievement
- Work with staff to correspond regularly with families regarding school policies, trips, events, and milestones
- Work with staff to plan, coordinate, and support family meetings and special events
- Respond to family concerns promptly and effectively
STUDENT SUPPORT/SCHOOL CULTURE
- Collaborate with school staff to maximize the ability of the school to support students’ academic and socio-emotional development
- Provide leadership to all staff and students in establishing a positive, structured, achievement-oriented, and fun school culture
- Oversee students’ academic and behavioral program, including disciplinary decisions, scheduling and class decisions, educational program, and assessment and accountability
- Ensure that traditions and rituals that support student achievement and the school’s Habits of a Learner are being maintained, grade by grade, year to year (http://www.lakecountyschools.net/blog/2015/02/18/habits-of-a-learner-collaboration-in-action/)
- Foster consistency in academic and behavioral expectations in and out of class
- Work with the building operations leadership team (BOLT), culture & operations manager and appropriate staff to ensure support for school culture
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Required knowledge, skills & abilities:
- Demonstrated leadership ability
- Strong organizational skills; extremely careful attention to detail and follow-through
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
- Strong communication skills
- Ability to work well in a team
- Exceptional ability to bridge and enhance cooperative working relationships
- Ability to create, monitor, and maintain systems that enhance organizational efficiency
- Committed to equity and access for all students
- Bilingual an advantage
- Minimum educational level:
- Bachelor’s Degree
- Principal license or appropriate credential/experience
- Experience required:
- 5 years teaching and working in classrooms, preferably in diverse schools and/or communities
- Experience as a principal, dean or instructional leadership role highly preferred
- Experience at a high-performing school highly preferred but not required
COMPENSATION:
We offer a competitive compensation package and comprehensive health benefits.
