POSITION DESCRIPTION
POSITION: Founding Principal
ORGANIZATION: 100 LEGACY Academy Charter School
REPORTS TO: Board of Trustees
LOCATION: Newark or Irvington, New Jersey
START DATE: Immediate
BACKGROUND
The 100 LEGACY Academy Charter School, developed by the 100 LEGACY Academy Charter School Board in
partnership with the Board of The 100 Black Men of New Jersey, aims to educate, encourage, mentor and prepare young people of Newark and Irvington for higher education and the career of their choice. The school will initially open in August 2012 with grades 6 through 8 (approximately 300 students) and expand in the fall of 2013 by adding grade 9. The school will then add a grade per year until The 100 LEGACY Academy Charter School is a fully articulated 6-11 school serving students in the region of residence of Newark and Irvingtoncontiguous districts in Essex County. Contingent on the charter renewal, the school will add Grade 12 by the first year of the charters renewal.
Core to our proposed school is the LEGACY Framework and a strong base of research in Positive Youth Development (PYD) as well as successful practice in educating and empowering adolescents. Researchers like Urie Bronfenbrenner, Margaret B. Spencer, Richard M. Lerner and many others have looked at holistic approaches to academic, social and emotional development to better understand and leverage the importance of context in educating our youth. Our LEGACY Framework proposes to bring an ecological systems theory approach to public schooling.
The LEGACY Framework of Leadership Development; Entrepreneurship; Globalization; Academic Achievement, Character Development and Youth Empowerment is a structural and cultural design that will: connect students to the school and the school to students; leverage positive relationships to tap into students, homes, communities, and school assets to develop student Leadership potential; provide students with a sense of ownership that comes with the spirit of Entrepreneurship; broaden students sense of community to include the world through our attention to Globalization; set high expectations and provide students with role models and support needed to pursue excellence in Academic Achievement; recognize that Character Development is essential to helping students fulfill their potential; and connect students school lives with their ability to define their own futures, thereby empowering Youth to be fully developed individuals.
POSITION OVERVIEW
100 LEGACY Academy Charter School is currently seeking a dynamic Founding Principal for a new school opening August 2012 in Newark or Irvington, NJ. The Founding Principal will report to the Board of Trustees and
assist with the start-up and on-site management of all areas of the school including academics, operations, human resources, finance, technology, and community relations/outreach. In addition, this position is responsible for managing the development and implementation of systems and processes needed to fulfill the organizations vision,
mission and goals.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
Key responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, the following:
COACHING & FEEDBACK
Act as a resource to teachers in their instructional practice, especially as it relates to issues of discipline, relationships with students, classroom management, and school culture
Lead the evaluation process for instructional school
Develop leadership team and leadership capacity to support school success.
Help teachers build effective relationships with students and parents
Help teachers to develop instructional strategies and intervention programs that elevate achievement among struggling students
Observe (and ensure that teachers observe) instruction regularly
Support teacher leaders (coaches and grade level chairs) in developing their leadership skills
Support teachers to hold all students to high and consistent behavioral expectations
Continually monitor progress on all measures of school and staff performance
Write thorough, thoughtful, actionable annual growth plans for all the teachers in your portfolio at mid-year and end-of-year
LEADERSHIP & PLANNING
Provide leadership, direction and support to the implementation of the school's instructional program, its
LEGACY Framework, and its Youth Development Initiatives
Provide instructional leadership in advancing proven teaching and learning practice
Provide leadership in the formulation and annual adjustment of the school's instructional program
Supervise and evaluate staff to ensure quality instruction and student achievement
Ensure that complete and accurate records of the entire school programs are maintained
Supervise the Operations team's management of the school's operations, including school funds, district funds, payroll, purchases, inventories and office operations
Ensure a safe and orderly environment
Communicate the LEGACY vision that supports the school's goals; articulate the school's values, and model those values
Complete and publicly present an annual school progress report to the Board and members of the school community
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Support and monitor the professional development plans of teachers, house teams, and other instructional staff members to continuously improve instruction
Work with teachers and professional development specialists to address instructional team needs
STUDENT SUCCESS & ACHIEVEMENT
Monitor (and ensure that teachers monitor) student growth and achievement
Ensure that continuous improvement is guided by student academic standards, school performance standards and concrete data from monthly, state and local assessments
Support the development of a network of student support systems, including student mentoring program, expeditionary learning activities and internship programs
Ensure that every student shows dramatic achievement gains and that the school meets the ambitious performance goals set by Victory
Monitor grade-level progress against scope and sequence benchmarks
Participate in Parent Teacher Conferences, Board Meetings, Academic Committee Meetings
Provide feedback on instructional plans
DATA DRIVEN INSTRUCTION
Analyze data with teachers regularly to maximize student performance
Analyze school-wide data regularly and champion effective instructional data practices and assessments
GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Manage student recruitment and enrollment process
Develop and manage the school budget
Ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations and policies (unless otherwise waived)
Be highly present and visible during school hours, relentlessly ensuring the school has an exceptional school culture
Ensuring that the physical environment of the school reinforces school culture and facilitates student achievement
Evaluate, approve, and purchase curricular materials such as textbooks
Recruit, select and hire all school staff, including teachers and school-based support staff
Establish and maintain close working relationship with the Board of Trustees
SKILLS AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Excellent project management skills - ability to successfully execute several projects at once
Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with multiple stakeholders, including consultants, board members; Victory staff, and school staff
Proven ability to effectively work well under pressure
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:
Masters Degree in Education required; Doctorate preferred
New Jersey School Principal Certificate required
Minimum of 3 years of Middle and/or High School administrative experience
At least 3-5 years Middle and /or High School teaching experience
Knowledge of accepted business practices in school districts related to budget preparation and administration, insurance, purchasing, transportation, food services, school plant operations and facility planning is preferred
Demonstrated success teaching students in underserved communities
Demonstrated success developing a strong school culture
Ability to recognize good instruction based on current teaching methods
Knowledge of teacher evaluation and observation methods
Knowledge of various instruction and teaching methodologies
Excellent organizational, planning and implementation skills
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word and Outlook
Strong written and verbal skills are required
KEY BEHAVIORAL COMPETENCIES:
Use different behaviors as necessary to achieve desired outcomes; able to amend own behavior to influence and gain acceptance
Shift priorities to address changes in events or assigned goals
Inspire groups of individuals to work together to achieve a common purpose; promote a culture of open communication and respect
Analyzes reasons behind results, takes actions to address failures and seeks to improve outcomes
Never accept excuses for breaches of ethics, values or regulations and confronts potentially unethical behavior in others
Develop and use subtle strategies to influence others in order to achieve organization objectives; anticipates reactions and works hard to find common ground between stakeholders within opposing views
Coach employees and team members on ways to enhance their level of performance and develop their skills
Encourage constructive feedback and a culture that provides opportunities for development
Attracts, assesses, develops, motivates and retains a diverse workforce that drives results
Independent self-starter with ability to follow through and complete tasks without prompting
Strong, demonstrated leadership and mentoring capabilities
Willingness to incorporate and adopt the 100 LEGACY framework and communicate it effectively
Desire to roll-up sleeves, dive into detailed work and be adaptable and flexible
Passionate with a strong sense of humor
COMPENSATION
A competitive compensation package including base salary, performance bonus, and complete benefits is available.
How to Apply: Please visit
https://victory.schoolrecruiter.net/ViewJob.aspx?JobID=19 An Equal Opportunity Employer
It is the policy of 100 LEGACY Academy Charter School to provide educational and employment opportunities without regard to race, color,
religion, creed, national origin, alienage and citizen status, age, marital status, disability, prior record of arrest or conviction (except as provided by law), sexual orientation, gender (sex), and to maintain an environment free of discriminatory harassment, including sexual harassment, or retaliation as required by civil rights law.