Resident Principal

Resident Principal

Greater Schools Network · The Greater Dayton School

The Greater Dayton School (GDS) is Ohio's first non-religious private PreK–8 school exclusively for students from under-resourced backgrounds. Fully funded by a local philanthropist, GDS provides complete scholarships to deliver a world-class, whole-child education — combining rigorous academics with on-campus pediatric care, mental health services, daily fitness, and nutrition support. We invest over $30,000 per child annually because every child deserves the best, regardless of income.

As GDS expands across Southwest Ohio — with campuses in both Dayton and Cincinnati — we are seeking a mission-driven Resident Principal to grow into a long-term leader in our organization.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Resident Principal is an Assistant Principal or Principal-level position. This person will report directly to AJ Stich, the Founding Principal of The Greater Dayton School. They will serve in the residency for a minimum of one year and up to three years, with a clear pathway to an Assistant Principal or Principal role upon successful completion.

This is not an entry-level position. We are looking for experienced educational leaders ready to lead at scale who are willing to invest in learning the GDS model before stepping fully into the chair.

Location: This role requires residence in Southwest Ohio — specifically the Greater Dayton region. We are expanding in both cities and need leaders with genuine roots or a compelling personal reason to be here. Candidates must be willing to relocate prior to the start date and they must be open to working in Dayton.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• Mission First: You have spent a significant portion of your career serving students from low-income backgrounds — not as a stepping stone, but because it is a vocation.
• Outcomes-Oriented: You have a proven record of driving measurable results: academic growth, attendance, culture transformation, or reduced discipline incidents.
• Experienced Leader of Adults: You have managed, coached, and developed other adults as a principal, AP, instructional coach, dean, or equivalent administrator.
• Mastery-Based Believer: You embrace self-paced, mastery-based learning and hold the expectation that every student grows a minimum of 1.25 academic years in one school year.
• Thoughtful on Technology: You lead the responsible use of adaptive learning platforms — maximizing impact while limiting unnecessary screen time.
• Southwest Ohio Connection: You have family, community ties, or a personal reason for planting roots in the Dayton area.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Instructional Leadership: Partner with the principal to observe, evaluate, and develop teachers; drive mastery-based instruction schoolwide.
• Culture & Climate: Lead initiatives that produce measurable improvements in student behavior, engagement, and belonging.
• Data Ownership: Own one or more key performance indicators (NWEA MAP growth, attendance, behavior) and lead the school's response.
• Adult Management: Directly supervise and develop staff through regular feedback cycles, coaching, and holding them accountable for student performance and workplace goals.
• Adaptive Learning: Champion the responsible integration of edtech (including AI tutors) that accelerates learning without replacing human instruction.
• Family Engagement: Build trust with GDS families and ensure they are active partners in their children's growth.
• Leadership Development: Engage in a structured 1–3 year residency with coaching, progressive responsibility, and a defined pathway to Managing Principal.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Current or former principal, AP, instructional coach, dean, or administrator with direct adult management experience
• Minimum of 3 years teaching experience
• Demonstrated record of driving school-level outcomes for students from low-income backgrounds
• Experience in Title I public, charter, or private school settings preferred
• Familiarity with mastery-based learning models, adaptive learning technology, and or AI tutors.
• Ohio principal licensure preferred; GDS has licensure flexibility for the right candidate
• Bachelor's required; Master's preferred
• Must be willing to relocate to Greater Dayton prior to the start date

HOURS & SCHEDULE

This is a full-time, salaried position. Standard hours are:

• Student attendance days: 7:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. - Non-student attendance days: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Plus school events, family events, evenings, and weekends as required (~1 per month)
• If promoted to Principal, hours would increase

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Compensation is competitive and based on the candidate's current market rate and experience level. Benefits include:

• Family medical, dental, vision insurance, 401k Retirement Plan with employer match
• Relocation stipend
• Dependents may be able to attend The Greater Dayton School
• Defined leadership development pathway to Managing Principal
• A mission-aligned team and a state-of-the-art campus built to serve students at the highest level

The Greater Dayton School is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a team that reflects the communities we serve.