Elementary Principal

Elementary Principal

The following principal position is currently open for the 2026-27 school year for King Elementary. The Ann Arbor Public Schools is home to one of the finest public education school systems in the nation. Evidence of this is shown in the AAPS state of Michigan top ranking in number of Merit Scholarships, including National Merit Semi-Finalists, Finalists and Award Recipients. Ann Arbor students consistently score well above state and national academic means with an average ACT score of 24 and average SAT score is 615/650. AAPS strives to meet the needs of a diverse student body through a challenging curriculum that includes STEAM and fine arts education, a highly effective teaching staff, and all the benefits of strong partnerships with local universities, high tech businesses, and a culturally rich and supportive community.

The mission of Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School is to build a 21st-century learning community where all members are encouraged to do their personal best in a safe environment that nurtures respectful, responsible, and caring citizens of the world. King Elementary School is part of Ann Arbor Public Schools and serves approximately 550 children from Young Fives through fifth grade. The King student body is extraordinarily diverse, with families from 20+ countries speaking 35+ languages a richness that strengthens both learning and social experiences. King also offers academic excellence that few other schools can match. King kids love to come to school, and the love of learning instilled here forms a solid foundation for future academic success.

Qualification Requirements

In the Ann Arbor Public Schools, we believe that equity is the moral responsibility of every leader to take the intentional actions necessary to create learning communities free of barriers, biases, and disproportionality for each and every person regardless of personal characteristics and social circumstances. We are seeking a self-reflective, innovative, anti-racist, equity-focused, and visionary leader who has a core belief of seeing equity, diversity, and inclusion as our greatest asset. This leader will co-create an anti-racist, collaborative, and inclusive environment among staff, students, families, and the greater Ann Arbor community. Applicants for this leadership position should be able to share previous experiences aligned with this belief and communicate both successes and challenges they have experienced with creating equity-centered learning communities.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

• Masters Degree in Education, elementary administration preferable
• Minimum 5 years teaching and/or counseling experience at the elementary level preferred
• Advanced graduate work in administration, elementary supervision or curriculum development preferred
• Ability to demonstrate sound reasoning, thinking, and collaboration skills
• Must hold a valid school administrator certificate or be enrolled in a program leading to certification as a school administrator not later than six months after beginning employment as required by Michigan Department of Education
• Valid Teaching Certificate with valid endorsement (elementary preferred)
• Meet requirements for Michigan administrative certification

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Create a welcoming and inclusive environment for student, staff, and families. Demonstrate a self-reflective, innovative, anti-racist, equity-focused set of core beliefs. Co-create an anti-racist, collaborative environment among staff, students, families, and the greater Ann Arbor community. Improve and expand the educational opportunities and planning for all students, including students with diverse and special needs. Demonstrate proficiency with culturally responsive pedagogy and instructional techniques/tools. Foster a dynamic school culture centered on holistic, inclusive learning communities. Work with diverse ethnic and socio-economic groups, and maintain positive relations with all members of the school community. Foster community relationships and partnerships that support students. Select, assign, supervise, and evaluate all staff required for an elementary school program, and collaborate with teachers and staff in improving teaching and learning. Understand current research and effective best practices to design, implement, and maintain a high-quality elementary school program. Define, develop, and maintain a learning community with high standards of instructional excellence in curriculum, instructional methods, instructional supervision and coaching, student assessment, and school improvement and planning. Define and develop organizational leadership, school culture, student and parent engagement, staff management, community relations, legal issues, and school governance. Lead and engage in innovative work to address achievement and opportunity disparities using data to implement, promote, and assess program effectiveness. Ability to demonstrate sound reasoning, thinking, and collaboration skills; knowledge of or experience with TregoED problem-solving processes or the willingness to learn. Supervise and support technology integration. Successfully lead and oversee the school improvement process. Implement and support the District's operational goals as articulated by the Superintendent. Familiarity with compliance and programmatic requirements of Title I and Title III funding. Prepare and monitor school budgets. Implement policy and procedure for the Board of Education State and/or Federal levels at the building level. Other duties as assigned.

Read, analyze, and interpret professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to staff, parents, students, and administrators. Communicate effectively and present information in oral and written form. Define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Interpret an extensive variety of statistical information and data related to student achievement. Understand the needs of and relate to elementary school students and possess effective and innovative ideas for working with them.

Ann Arbor Public Schools is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Ann Arbor Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or any other legally protected status. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.