Principal or Vice Principal Founding High School Principal
Job Description
Position Summary
Great Oaks New York City Charter School is seeking a dynamic, experienced, and focused High School Principal to lead the launch and growth of Great Oaks NYC High School (GO-NYC). The Principal is responsible for the overall performance, management and operations of the Great Oaks Charter High School on 38 Delancey Street in Manhattan. The Principal is responsible for ensuring the Great Oaks model for the high school is fulfilled daily on behalf of the students and families. Specifically, the Principal is responsible for the following:
- Plan the implementation of an effective high school strategy that enlists staff, families and students in a common effort for student college and career readiness aligned to the GO-NYC High School design and vision,
- Effectively lead the high school staff around instruction and culture, building a community organized around the GO-NYC HS vision,
- Ensure that the high school enacts the vision of the GO-NYC model, including the implementation of effective youth culture systems rooted in strengths-based development research, builds an effective and caring culture in the school, and promotes student voice and leadership,
- Ensure that high quality, student-centered curriculum and pedagogy are implemented across subject, content areas and tutorial settings,
- Ensure effective inclusion of diverse learner populations and effective support to ensure that all students meet Great Oaks standards,
- Oversee the systemic use by teachers and staff of daily, weekly and monthly assessment systems throughout the school aligned to state standards and designed to accelerate student outcomes and their passion for learning,
- Work with administrators, staff, Fellows, students and families to utilize the information to improve learning and teaching,
- Ensure that systems are implemented effectively to develop, support, coach and supervise teachers in a way that builds teacher knowledge, inspires and enlists them, and holds them accountable for student learning,
- Ensure that the school attracts and retains high quality staff,
- Ensure the implementation of effective youth culture systems that build off strengths-based leadership development research and enlist staff and students to establishing an effective and caring culture in the school,
- Implement and refine the Fellow Corps model in the high school, where every student receives effective tutoring, mentoring and enrichment each week that significantly improves their skills and abilities and orientation towards college readiness and increases intellectual engagement,
- Establish effective and regular ongoing systems of communication with teachers, Fellows, students and parents within the High School,
- Support the Executive Director in communication to the Board and State Education Department; this includes the following:
- All members of the school community are fully engaged and can bring their whole selves to the school;
- A warm, caring, and strengths-based culture is built, deeply committed to student learning and success, that values openness, hard work, and achievement;
- Ongoing work on diversity, equity and inclusion for staff, students, and families;
- Coordinate instructional, assessment, curricular, culture support with the Great Oaks Foundation and the Executive Director for the school,
- Support the Executive Director in implementing the policy, structures and systems to support effective management of the school in areas ranging from budget to enrollment, student data systems to state compliance,
- Collaborate with the Director of High School Design and the Executive Director to realize the vision and design of GO-NYC High School,
- Collaborate with the Middle School Principal and the Executive Director Team to ensure consistency between the middle and high school,
- Uses reflection and improvement in all aspects of work and in leadership of the school to reach all students and effectively drive student learning,
- Agrees to seek – through formal and informal feedback – to continue to develop and improve his/her job performance while employed by the School. At Great Oaks, an ongoing quest for improvement is considered essential for all staff members.
The Principal reports to the Executive Director of Great Oaks New York City. The Principal supports and coordinates with the Executive Director’s ongoing efforts in policy design and implementation, 6-12 curriculum coordination, budget and student enrollment management, communication with the Great Oaks Foundation and other crucial partners, and monitoring of compliance with all New York State policies and laws.
Competencies and Qualifications
The successful candidate will have proven success in implementing high-quality instruction that led to the improvement of student achievement in an urban school. S/he will possess exceptional relationship building skills and the ability to communicate clearly to multiple stakeholders. The successful candidate will also have:
- A strong academic record with a Bachelor’s degree from a competitive college or university required; advanced degree in subject area required
- At least 6 years in education and a minimum of two years of administrative experience leading student achievement at an urban high school
- School Leader Certification (strongly preferred)
- Extremely strong systems management abilities
- A strong belief that all students can succeed
- A do-whatever-it takes attitude including a willingness to work occasionally on the weekend or in the evening
- An exceptional ability to respond well to feedback and implement it immediately
