Principal or Vice Principal Assistant Principal
Job Description
WHO WE ARE
Founded in 2010, SOAR is a K-5 public charter school serving 435 students in Denver’s Far Northeast. Our school offers a holistic approach to education that combines rigorous academic instruction with social-emotional learning and character-building so that our students develop the skills they need to thrive as learners and leaders.
At SOAR we believe:
● Students learn best when learning is purposeful, relevant, active, and joyful.
● Diversity of culture, thought, experience, and perspective is reflected in our work.
● Community is built through authentic, respectful, collaborative, and meaningful relationships.
● In cultivating and celebrating creative and critical thinking.
● In building upon every child’s strengths, talents, and potential.
● In the integration of academic and social-emotional learning.
● In individual and collective responsibility for the success of all students.
This year, SOAR is celebrating its 10th anniversary and we are seeking an Assistant Principal who can build upon student achievement gains and help lead SOAR’s students, staff, and community to the next level of academic, personal, and community excellence. SOAR’s Assistant Principal reports directly to the Principal and is a member of a strong collaborative leadership team.
WHO YOU ARE
● You hold an unwavering belief that all students can achieve at high-levels if given access to rigorous, culturally relevant content and the right support to access it.
● Through your instructional expertise you build, develop and empower teachers to ensure all students are engaged in joyful, rigorous, and personalized learning and can demonstrate high academic achievement.
● You have a track record of providing clear expectations for staff performance, use multiple methods to evaluate teacher effectiveness and celebrate their successes, and you provide timely, targeted and actionable feedback.
● You deeply value partnerships with families and have experience proactively engaging them to create a school community where students thrive and achieve academic success.
● You have a proven ability to react quickly, calmly, and decisively in high stress situations.
● You are self-reflective, an intent listener, and a strong communicator who is comfortable giving and receiving feedback and taking responsibility for successes as well as challenges.
● You have a demonstrated ability to build trusting and productive relationships with students, staff, and families.
● You have outstanding organizational skills and high attention to detail.
● You are a proactive problem solver who demonstrates initiative, takes ownership of projects and effectively works with your team and cross-functionally.
● You think strategically, value and prioritize the development and implementation of effective action plans, and can also adapt to changing circumstances and priorities.
● You model SOAR’s habits of respect, compassion, perseverance, responsibility, and integrity, and you have a deep commitment to SOAR’s vision and beliefs.
ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
As Assistant Principal you will provide leadership and support across SOAR’s instructional and cultural priorities, to teachers and students in designated grade-bands and you will oversee key academic priority areas across all grades.
In this role you will be:
● A member of the school’s instructional leadership team.
● A trusted leader, coach, mentor, thought-partner and deliverer of transformative professional development.
● A champion of student capability and success.
● A partner, resource, and guide for families.
● A model of culturally responsive teaching and the SOAR habits.
The essential responsibilities of this role include:
● Ensure that staff, students and families have the structures and resources to foster the environment required for all students to feel engaged in the school community and learning opportunities and to reach high levels of academic success.
● Ensure staff are held accountable for implementing the curriculum, coordinate assessments, and monitor student’s academic performance.
● Regularly facilitate data meetings and ensure data is used to inform decisions about resource allocation, instruction, professional learning, performance, and student learning.
● Set clearly defined, measurable and ambitious expectations for academic achievement and conduct, in order to create and reinforce a culture of achievement and support.
● Provide professional development, thought-partnership, mentoring and coaching to staff that supports their individual growth, and maintains a unwavering focus on implementation of Colorado Academic Standards and high-quality instruction.
● Regularly visit classrooms to support and monitor instruction and provide consistent feedback to teachers and coaches on progress toward instructional goals.
● Develop team norms and structures for collaboration in the development of metrics, analysis of data, and responsive practice improvement.
● Shape and lead SOAR’s culture building activities including developing structures and processes that are inclusive, embrace diverse perspectives and support students and staff in living SOAR’s core values.
● Manage school-wide positive student culture and assist staff with the development of strategies that increase student engagement.
● Co-create plans to achieve the school’s vision, habits, beliefs and culture and utilize evidence-based systems to regularly assess the success of these initiatives.
● Implement the school’s vision and provide coaching, resources, and best practices to staff to ensure SOAR has a culture of high student achievement, leadership and character
● Perform other duties as required to ensure SOAR is a healthy, happy, and high performing school community.
EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS
Required
● 3+ years of full-time experience working as a licensed teacher, in an urban school classroom delivering significant student achievement gains.
● Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree.
● An Initial Principal License in place by the time the position starts.
● Success in working with a diverse student population and second language learners.
● Demonstrated experience supervising and developing adults in a school environment.
● Experience in early literacy and math education.
Strongly Preferred
● 3+ years of experience as an Assistant Principal (or equivalent) or a similar leadership position at an elementary school serving a diverse student population.
● Bilingual skills in Spanish.
WHAT WE OFFER
SOAR is an equal opportunity employer (EEO) and offers a competitive salary commensurate with qualifications and experience, performance incentives, and comprehensive medical, dental and welfare benefits.
