Principal, Elementary School

Description

About FirstLine Schools:

In 1998, FirstLine Schools started the first charter school in New Orleans. FirstLine now operates five PreK-8th grade schools.  Our mission is to create and inspire great open admissions public schools in New Orleans. 

Our faculty is a diverse and talented group dedicated to our students’ success and to their own growth as teachers.  Our schools are led by leaders who hold themselves accountable for student achievement and teacher development.

Position Summary:

FirstLine Schools is currently seeking school principal candidates that can lead and manage the learning, growth, and achievement of students at the elementary level (K-4) at a K-8 FirstLine School. The Lower School Principal will be responsible for ensuring the success of the school, as demonstrated by high academic achievement and a strong school culture by working with the School Director, School Leadership Team, and Network Leaders to provide strategic, cultural, instructional, and team leadership. 

Position Responsibilities:

Instructional Leadership

• Ensures high achievement through a rigorous curriculum aligned to state and Common Core standard
• Systematically uses formative assessment data, continually improving instruction, and layers of learning support
• Develops and coaches small school staff; teachers and leaders to ensure that the achievement of all students is increased
• Ensures strong lesson plan preparation, high quality classrooms and routines and strong teaching strategies
• Ensures all students receive personalized learning and strong academic services
• Teaches a class or models teaching to staff (school leaders at FirstLine may be asked to cover a class or teach a class)

Cultural Leadership

• Ensures all faculty, students, and parents are aligned with the school’s mission, vision and values and the FirstLine Commitments 
• Models the values and commitments consistently and ensures leaders are developed to model these values 
• Ensures their small school is realizing the vision for student culture and family relationships that are joyful, warm and hold high expectations

Team Leadership/Personal Leadership

• Motivates and inspires action, commitment, and initiative while managing continual change and improvement
• Models to all staff, students and parents the key mindsets that are the core of the FirstLine way: urgency and effective effort, growth mindset, self awareness and personal development, welcoming feedback, effective communications, and relationship building
• Builds a culture of trust where productive conflict can thrive
• Delegates as appropriate to better achieve school goals and develop others

Talent Management

• Ensures clarity of job design for all lower school staff
• Recruits and selects talented team members
• Provides high quality professional development
• Manages the performance of all teachers and staff and sets clear expectations

Strategic Leadership

• Develops and communicates the school’s vision and goals
• Sets strategies to achieve goals
• Regularly reviews progress, and adapts as needed

Other duties as assigned

Requirements

Education & Experience:

• Demonstrated record of success raising test scores in an open-admissions urban school
• At least five years experience as a teacher in an open-admissions urban school teaching elementary school 
• At least two years of leadership in an open-admissions, urban school, with experience in developing instructional expertise
• Record of success in leading adults; experience with management and supervision
• Knowledgeable about Common Core Standards and aligned instruction
• Solid grounding and experience with primary curriculum and instruction (expertise in reading is preferred)
• Leadership experience with significant areas of responsibility, preferably in a high-performing urban public school
• Be proficient in using data in the decision-making process
• Preferred, but not required: MA, MBA or Med

Desired Qualities & Characteristics:

• Believe in every student’s ability to achieve in a rigorous college or career prep curriculum
• Achieve results based on agreed-upon expectations
• Take personal responsibility
• Highly detail-oriented
• Models a team player mindset and willing to jump in as needed to support the school
• Collaborate effectively with a range of stakeholders
• Share a commitment to creating great schools in New Orleans
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Model the FirstLine Commitments and school values
• Experience in teaching and coaching 3rd and/or 4th grade preferred

Physical Requirements:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be required to sit, walk, stand, talk, and hear
• Light lifting of equipment may be required (up to 20 lbs.)

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL reports to: School Director