Principal or Vice Principal Principal, AMS IV
Job Description
Position Summary
We are seeking an experienced, passionate and highly successful organizational leader to serve as the next principal for AMS IV as it embarks on its next phase of development. Currently in its fifth year, AMS IV serves approximately 500 students with 70 staff members. The principal is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the school provides students with the skills, knowledge and experience necessary to successfully transition to an articulated post-secondary plan. The principal must have the skills necessary to adeptly collaborate with faculty and staff including a deep understanding of adult learning; the ability to identify and use diagnostic and formative assessments in order to drive instructional improvement and programs; and the ability to engage in and support classroom as well as organizational level development. The principal is directly managed on a day to day basis by the New Visions Superintendent for Charter Schools and reports to the Board of Trustees.
The ideal candidate will have demonstrated successful school leadership experience. The winning candidate will have demonstrated alignment with the New Visions mission to empower young people by challenging them academically and providing them with the support they need to excel.
The principal must work closely with New Visions Charter Management Organization (CMO) and the network of schools to ensure that the school is aligned to the New Visions Charter model and the implementation of best practices in all instructional and operational areas.
Our Organization
At New Visions, we design, create and sustain great schools for New York City’s highest need students. Since 1989, New Visions for Public Schools has served as a laboratory of innovation within the city’s public schools, driving significant achievement gains for tens of thousands of students. We provide educators with the tools and training they need to analyze student performance, diagnose problems and design solutions to improve instruction. We partner with teachers and school leaders, parents and community organizations to provide ambitious, rigorous instruction and to design curricula that are relevant to students’ lives and aligned to college and job skills. And we freely share best practices and lessons learned, to enable others in New York City and across the nation to raise student achievement in schools at scale.
New Visions Charter High Schools are college and career preparatory high schools that are committed to helping all students gain the skills that they will need to succeed after they graduate. At our Charters, students benefit from access to personalized academic and socio-emotional support, opportunities to explore interests, internships and exposure to college and careers.
Our School
AMS IV graduated its founding class in 2019 with an 86% graduation rate and a 60% College Readiness rate. The school is in good standing and currently on track for charter renewal from NYSED. AMS IV is one of 10 Charter Schools in the New Visions Charter network. The school is located in Jamaica, Queens, and shares the August Martin Campus with five district schools and programs. Student enrollment is through a lottery system for 9th and 10th grade seats. On average, the school receives over 800 applications for approximately 130 seats each year. The AMS IV motto is: “Mediocrity is not accepted. Excellence lives here” and the school community uses P.R.I.D.E. to unite under its core values: Perseverance, Respect, Integrity, Discipline and Excellence. For more information on AMS IV, see the website.
Core Duties and Responsibilities
Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
- Lead a challenge-based curriculum that has embedded, community learning opportunities for students.
- Deliver the academic preparation and requisite support for all students to be prepared to succeed in college and career.
- Reinforce and institutionalize the implementation of New Visions Charter School Key Model Elements. Foster connections between academic learning, the community, and the natural world.
Staff Supervision and Development
- Hire and support the development of all school staff.
- Create a professional community that focuses on instruction and assessment as the primary vehicles for improving student achievement and school culture.
- Provide on-going observation, coaching and evaluation.
- Motivate teachers to continue to develop their content knowledge and instructional repertoire, and to provide the resources needed for them to do so.
School Culture
- Build a school culture that evidences high expectations for courtesy, respect, compassion and an intellectually-engaged environment for both students and adults.
- Ensure a safe, supportive and productive environment for students, staff and families.
- Model effective adult development practices in staff meetings, professional development sessions and team meetings.
Accountability
- Understand accountability metrics and annual reporting required of charter schools and oversee the submission of all accountability reports.
- Collaborate with the Board of Trustees to ensure the academic and fiscal success of the school. Prepare for and attend monthly Board Meetings.
- Implement all policies required for the school to remain in good standing and in accordance with CMO standard operating procedures.
- Fully participate in network-wide professional learning communities.
Qualifications
Education and Experience
- Masters degree in Educational Leadership, Management, or Administration
- School leadership training, certification, and/or experience that is consistent with the core concepts of the New Visions Charter School Model
- Possession of, or in the process of obtaining, the New York State School Building Leader certification
- Teaching experience, preferably at the high school level, with a strong record of improving student achievement
- Demonstrated leadership capabilities, including management and team-building skills
- Experience working in an urban school setting
- Experience with supervising, evaluating and supporting teacher development at all levels, but particularly for new teachers
- Experience implementing pedagogical strategies and developing rigorous curriculum practices aligned to the New Visions Charter School model including: challenge-based learning, data-driven decision making, student feedback protocols, classroom routines and structures, adolescent literacy strategies, differentiated instruction
- Experience leading a STEM or STEAM program at the high school level
- Experience with College and Career Preparatory curriculum and effective college access practices
- Experience developing schedules to maximize time and space use
- Experience managing organizational budgets
- Experience working in a shared DOE space, a plus
Required Skill Sets and Knowledge Base
- Demonstrated commitment to the school vision and mission
- Commitment to democratic governance and collaborative, data-based decision-making
- Rigorous approach to problem-solving – collecting all relevant information, consulting diverse perspectives, and creating feedback systems
- Recognition of self as a learner and reflective practitioner, able to identify areas for growth and commitment to working in these areas
- Experience and zeal for working in an entrepreneurial environment
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Passion for developing a strong school community that supports the development and achievement of all students, particularly those underserved and at risk in other school settings
Application Instructions
A letter of interest outlining the candidate’s specific skills aligned to the position description and a full resume should be submitted as soon as possible for initial screening. Please do not reach out to the school directly. For information or questions regarding the application process, please see our careers page. Only candidates with complete applications will be considered for this position. Upon initial review, eligible candidates moving on in the process will be notified of next steps.
New Visions for Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of New Visions that all employees and applicants for employment will be treated in all respects on the basis of their merit and qualifications and without regards to their race, color, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion, gender, military status, marital status, ancestry, or any other reason prohibited by law.
New Visions believes that our teams should reflect the diverse communities we serve and that our culture and internal structures should be inclusive and equitable for all employees. We also recognize that perspectives from communities that have been historically marginalized are critical to the work we do. Hence, we strongly encourage applications from individuals living in the communities that we serve or who are members of historically marginalized communities.
New Visions provides a comprehensive and competitive compensation and benefits package in addition to the opportunity to make a significant impact on education reform and in the lives of urban youth.
