Assistant Director for Middle School (Assistant Principal)

Position Type:
Administration/Assistant Director

Date Posted:
11/13/2024

Location:
Excel
Job Title: Assistant Director
Date Prepared: March 11, 2024
Salary Scale: Administration
Starting Salary: $78,142 - $88,662 annually
Work Year: 206 Contact Days/Year (1 Jul - 30 Jun)
FLSA Designation: EXEMPT
Benefits Eligible: Yes, if scheduled for 30 or more hours per week
Reports To: Executive Director
Direct Report(s): Teachers, Specialists, Special Service Providers, Interventionists as assigned

POSITION SUMMARY:
The School Assistant Director is responsible for working directly with the Executive Director in support of the school, to organize and foster a positive, safe environment conducive to best meeting the needs of students, staff, and families. This position is responsible for supporting the quality of instruction and creating, maintaining, and developing a positive school climate as well as enacting all disciplinary and attendance procedures promptly, appropriately, and equitably for every student. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Direct oversight of the academic programming, supervision, and evaluation of direct reports.
• Leadership that ensures high standards of professionalism and pedagogical services for every student.
• Oversight and implementation of school policies, processes and procedures to ensure the success of instructional programs, and the smooth operation of all activities involving students, staff, community, and district liaisons.
• Serve as a support to the site assessment coordinator for assessment and progress monitoring for students at the assigned grade levels.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned. Following is a general summary of the essential duties and responsibilities for this position. This list is comprehensive but not inclusive of all responsibilities that might occur on a day-to-day basis

Instructional Management

Monitor instructional and managerial processes to ensure that program activities are related to program outcomes and use findings to take corrective actions.

Regularly consult the Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) and the School Accountability Team (SAC) about planning, operations, supervision, and evaluation of the school's educational programs.

School Morale

Provide instructional resources, facilitate access to appropriate training and materials to support teaching staff and para-educators to accomplish instructional and student supervision goals.

Foster collegiality and team building among staff members. Encourage their active involvement in the decision-making processes.

Provide efficient and timely two-way communication with the Executive Director, staff, students, families, and the community.

Communicate and promote expectations for high-level performance to staff and students. Equitably recognize excellence and achievement in ways that foster teamwork and collective efficacy.

Ensure the effective and timely resolution of conflicts using Restorative Approaches where possible.

Foster a common vision for school improvement with staff. Direct planning activities and put programs in place with staff to support attainment of the school's mission.

Co-develop and support annual school performance objectives with the Executive Director, the ILT, the SAC, and other groups.

Personnel Management

Define expectations for staff performance with regard to instructional strategies, classroom management, and communication with the public.

Observe employee performance, record observations, and conduct evaluation with conferences with staff.

Assign and promote campus personnel.

Make recommendations to the Executive Director on improvement plans, termination, suspension, or nonrenewal of employees assigned to campus.

Work with the ILT and SAC to plan professional development activities.

Confer with staff regarding their professional growth. Worth with them to develop and accomplish improvement goals.

Management of Fiscal, Administrative, and Facilities Functions

Comply with policies and state and federal laws and regulations affecting the schools.

Work with the Executive Director and Business Manager to create campus budgets based on documented program needs and other fiscal needs. Keep programs within budget limits. Maintain fiscal control. Accurately report fiscal information.

Work with staff and students to develop and maintain a student discipline managements system that results in positive student behavior and enhances the school climate.

Ensure that school rules are uniformly observed, and that student discipline is appropriated and equitable in accordance with the student handbook.

Conduct conferences about student and school issues with parents, students, and teachers.

Serves as a member of the Emergency Response Team (ERT), the Instructional Leadership Team (ILT), and other committees as assigned.

Professional Growth and Development

Develop professional skills appropriate to job assignment.

Build trust and adherence to the mission and vision of the school in ways that support member so the LT/ILT.

Demonstrate professional, ethical, and responsible behavior. Serve as a role model for all campus staff.

School and Community Relations

Work in conjunction with the Executive Director to communicate and model the school's mission to the community and solicit its support in realizing the mission.

Demonstrate awareness of school and community needs and initiate activities to meet those needs.

Uses appropriate and effective techniques to encourage community and parent involvement.

Other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Working knowledge of curriculum and instruction
• Ability to evaluate instructional program and teaching effectiveness
• Ability to manage budget and personnel
• Ability to coordinate campus functions
• Ability to implement policy and procedures
• Ability to interpret data
• Ability to work beyond a normal workday due to after school events, off-site professional development, board meetings, staff meetings, community events as needed.
• Ability to manage difficult situations and maintain confidentiality.
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines and competing priorities.
• Substantial knowledge of applicable federal and state regulations, specifically Charter schools. Remains current and knowledgeable of any implementation for public or charter schools.

DIRECT REPORTS

• Supervise and evaluate the performance of staff assigned to campus including teacher(s), specialists, special service providers, interventionists, and others as assigned.

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Must meet "in field status" as defined by the Colorado Department of Education through one of the following:
  • Hold a valid Colorado Principal License OR
  • Hold a Bachelor's Degree or Higher AND passing score on the Praxis Exam accepted by the Colorado Department of Education for School Principal OR
  • Hold a Bachelor's Degree or Higher AND be currently enrolled in an Alternative Principal Licensure Program accepted by the Colorado Department of Education
• Minimum of 3 years of successful classroom teaching experience.
• Minimum of 2 years of successful assistant principal or similar experience.
• Excellent writing and oral communication skills.

PREFERRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Master's degree in education and/or a Principal Preparation Program preferred
• Valid Colorado Principal Professional license preferred
• Successful experience teaching within a charter school.
• Successful instructional leadership, coaching, and program development experience.

DESIRED PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• Exhibits ability to work effectively with some guidance and minimal supervision.
• Possesses passion for education and a commitment to serving children grades K-8.
• Displays proven experience as an instructional leader.
• Remains focused on excellence with humility and a service-oriented demeanor.
• Possesses ability to handle crisis management situations with urgency, calm and clear thinking that models professionalism.
• Upholds unquestionable integrity and ethical personal behavior.
• Demonstrates personal growth and professional development for self.
• Maintains records and prepares detailed reports.
• Exhibits consistent, punctual and regular attendance.
• Demonstrates superior relationship management skills.

EQUIPMENT: Classroom materials, computer (desktop/laptop/tablet), educational and communications technology equipment including software, office equipment (copy machine, fax, etc.), e-mail, and voice mail.

DECISION MAKING: Work is assigned by Executive Director and by self. Requires strong judgement, quick decision making, analytical skills, and tact to determine urgency of a situation and appropriate action within school and district policies and procedures, oftentimes in absence of the supervisor. Decision making may require collaboration with administrators, staff, parents and/or students. Errors in decision making could lead to loss of confidence and/or impact the image of the school and/or district. Ability to strategize facility needs, technology needs, and associated budget requirements and funding opportunities. Collaborates with Board of Directors, Executive Director and administrative staff in decision making.

COMMUNITY RELATIONS: Regular contact with community members, partners, potential sponsors stakeholders and school leaders to exchange information, advise, build partnerships, foster sponsorship, and advise in service to Excel Academy Mission, Vision, and Values. Requires tact and diplomacy to maintain relationships, resolve problems, negotiate matters, including those requiring a high degree of confidentiality.

SPAN OF CONTROL: Directly supervises assigned instructional staff. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

COMPLEXITY OF WORK: Must have a strong understanding of School, District, and Charter culture and current political and economic climate.

EDUCATIONAL DELIVERY: This position serves as a school resource on specific functional areas such as projects, technology, or business applications as they relate to the position. Position requires judgement in the preparation and monitoring of budgets, provides expert advice in the interpretation of school and district policies and state laws and other requirements based on the school's Innovation Plan and Governance Agreement.

The physical demands, work environment factors, and mental functions described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, talk or hear, and taste or smell. The employee frequently is required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is occasionally required to sit; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

MENTAL FUNCTIONS: While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly is required to compare, analyze, communicate, evaluate, use interpersonal skills, compile, and negotiate. The employee frequently is required to copy, instruct, compute, and synthesize.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

OTHER WORKING CONDITIONS: Infrequent overnight travel may be required (
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: Excel Academy affirms that no person shall, on the basis of race, creed, color, age, national origin, religion, gender identity, disability, marital status, sexual orientation or veteran status be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefit of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity, including, but not limited to, employment or enrollment. Sexual orientation is a person's orientation toward heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, or perception of the individual's sexual orientation.