Job Title: Principal, Elementary

Wage/Hour Status:   Exempt

Reports to: Superintendent

Pay Grade: Admin/Prof - 7

Dept./School: Assigned Campus

Work Calendar: 226 Days

PRIMARY PURPOSE

The principal serves as the educational leader and chief administrator for the elementary school, responsible for implementing and managing the policies, regulations, and procedures of the Board of Trustees to ensure all students experience an exceptional child-centered learning environment and achieve academic excellence. The Elementary School Principal must work collaboratively with district administrators and others to lead and nurture all members of the school staff and to communicate effectively with parents, members of the community, and colleagues in the district and in other districts and schools. Inherent in the position are the responsibilities for planning, curriculum development, program evaluation, extracurricular and co-curricular activities, personnel management, financial management, emergency procedures, resource scheduling, and facilities operations.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education/Certification:

Master’s degree from accredited university

Texas principal or other appropriate Texas certificate

Special Knowledge/Skills:

The ideal candidate will be:

• a creative visionary who is passionately focused on effecting change and has the ability to merge data and fact with intuition, imagination, and innovation in an effort to realize the possibilities rather than be content with the probabilities;
• a dedicated professional who creates a supportive environment by modeling and expecting accountability and responsibility; who exemplifies ethics; who accepts and values the differences of others, and who has a sense of human wisdom, courage and compassion;
• an effective communicator with exceptional public relations and interpersonal skills, who is open minded and perceptive to the needs and expectations of the students, campus and district staff, parents, and members of the community, and who, through the art of collaboration and creative problem solving, cultivates cohesiveness;
• an inspiring catalyst who motivates and empowers others to become leaders and risk takers, and who acknowledges the expertise, celebrates the successes, and honors the lives of others; and
• a life-long learner who perpetuates self-motivated learning, and resourcefully and effectively seeks dynamic change with continuous monitoring, evaluating, and adjusting.

In addition, the candidate should have:

• A strong understanding of curriculum development and management
• Strong organizational, communication, public relations, and interpersonal skills
• Exceptional personal technology skills
• Training in a state- or locally-developed staff evaluation and appraisal system
• The ability to successfully:
  - Evaluate instructional programs and teaching effectiveness
  - Hire life-changers, manage personnel, and evaluate teaching effectiveness
  - Coordinate campus functions and support operations
  - Manage a budget
  - Implement policy, procedures, and interpret data

Experience:

Three years successful experience as a classroom teacher

Five years successful experience as a campus administrator

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

Instructional Management

1. Develop and evaluate educational programs for both the assigned campus and the district as needed.
2. Encourage and support development of innovative instructional programs, helping staff pilot such efforts when appropriate.
3. Promote the use of technology in the teaching and learning process.
4. Regularly consult the campus leadership team and the campus advisory committees about planning, operation, supervision, and evaluation of campus educational programs. Include student representatives when appropriate.

Organizational Climate

1. Promote a positive and caring climate for learning.
2. Foster collegiality and a sense of team among staff members. Encourage their active involvement in the decision-making process.
3. Communicate and promote expectations of high performance to staff and students. Recognize excellence and achievement.
4. Communicate effectively with students and staff.
5. Deal sensitively and fairly with persons from diverse backgrounds.
6. Ensure the effective and quick resolution of conflicts.
7. Ensure effective two-way communication with the superintendent, district and campus administrators, staff, students, parents, and the community.
8. Serve as a bridge between the district and the campus in such a way that furthers the district-wide strategic plan and ensures “one vision, one voice, one plan.”

Organizational Improvement

1. Lead the campus in building a common vision for school improvement with all stakeholders.
2. Identify, analyze and apply research findings to promote school improvement.
3. Lead the development of the campus improvement plan while including staff, parents, and community members in the process.
4. Develop and use information systems to maintain records to track progress on campus performance objectives.

Personnel Management

1. Lead the hiring process (interviewing, selecting, and orienting) for new campus staff. Approve all personnel assigned to campus.
2. Define expectations for staff performance with regard to instructional strategies, classroom management, and communication with the public.
3. Evaluate employee performance and conduct evaluation conferences with staff.
4. Confer with campus staff regarding their professional growth. Work with them to develop and accomplish improvement goals.
5. Document performance of all campus employees when necessary. Make recommendations with appropriate documentation to the Superintendent on termination, suspension, or nonrenewal of employees assigned to the campus.
6. Work with campus leadership team and campus advisory councils to plan professional development activities.
7. Uphold and enforce school rules, administrative regulations and procedures, and state and local board policy.

Management of Fiscal, Administrative, and Facilities Functions

1. Comply with federal and state laws, State Board of Education rules, and board policy.
2. Develop and manage campus budgets based on documented program needs, estimated enrollment, personnel, and other fiscal needs; work with the campus leadership team and faculty to compile annual budget requests based on documented program needs.
3. Keep programs within budget limits, maintain fiscal control, and accurately report fiscal information.
4. Help plan daily school activities by leading the development of class schedules, teacher assignments, and extracurricular activity schedules.
5. Supervise reporting and monitoring of student attendance, and work with attendance clerk on follow-up investigations.
6. Requisition supplies, textbooks, and equipment; check inventory; maintain records; and verify receipts for materials.
7. Coordinate transportation, custodial, cafeteria, and other support services.
8. Compile, maintain, and store all physical and computerized reports, records, and other required documents, including accurate and timely reports of attendance and textbooks.
9. Manage the use of school facilities; supervise maintenance of facilities to ensure a clean, orderly, and safe campus.
10. Direct, manage, and monitor co-curricular and extracurricular programs and activities, including management of activity funds.
11. Assist with the development of emergency management plans, conduct regular safety inspections, and manage safety-drill practice activities.

Student Management

1. Ensure that students are adequately supervised during non-instructional periods.
2. Help to develop and support a student discipline management system that results in positive student behavior.
3. Ensure that school rules are uniformly observed and that student discipline is appropriate and equitable in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct and student handbook.
4. Conduct conferences on student and school issues with parents, students, and teachers.

Professional Growth

1. Stay up to date professionally through the selection of quality professional development opportunities for personal growth.
2. Research district policy, precedent, and current practices prior to taking action.
3. Seek input from supervisors as appropriate.

School and Community Relations

1. Articulate the district’s mission to the community and elicit its support in realizing the mission.
2. Demonstrate awareness of school and community needs and initiate activities to meet those needs.
3. Use appropriate and effective techniques to encourage community and parent involvement.
4. Promote professional image in the community.

Other

1. Maintain confidentiality regarding student and coworker information and as required by FERPA.
2. Model integrity and ethics in a manner exemplary of the Educator Code of Ethics.
3. Appropriately delegate supervisory, instructional, and organizational tasks to administrative and leadership campus personnel.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Exercise supervisory responsibility for staff assigned to the campus, including teachers, campus administrators, counselors, facilitators of learning and innovation, instructional aides, paraprofessionals, clerical personnel, custodians, and others as assigned.

WORKING CONDITIONS
Mental Demands / Physical Demands / Environmental Factors:

Tools/Equipment Used: Standard office equipment including personal computer and peripherals.

Posture: Frequent sitting and standing; occasional bending/stooping, pushing,/pulling, and twisting

Motion: Repetitive hand motions; frequent keyboarding and use of mouse; occasional reaching

Lifting: Occasional light lifting and carrying (less than 15 pounds); occasional physical restraint of students to control behavior

Environment: May work prolonged or irregular hours; work inside and outside (exposure to sun, heat, cold, and inclement weather), exposure to noise; occasional districtwide and statewide travel

Mental Demands: Work with frequent interruptions; maintain emotional control under stress

The foregoing statements describe the general purpose and responsibilities assigned to this job and are not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties that may be assigned or skills that may be required.