Assistant School Leader (Assistant Principal)

Assistant School Leader (Assistant Principal)

The Assistant School Leader (ASL) is a high-impact instructional, culture, and systems leader who strengthens adult performance and executes schoolwide priorities so that student achievement and student experience outcomes accelerate. This role partners closely with the School Leader to ensure high-quality instruction, effective coaching cycles, strong culture systems, and reliable execution of school operations at the building level.

Without the Assistant School Leader, our campus would struggle to meet our ambitious goals for our scholars. Our teachers and scholars would be without an essential champion, and our school leader would miss a thought partner and critical supporter.

KIPP St. Louis is a part of a national network of free, open-enrollment, public charter schools offering a choice to families and children in St. Louis city. As the largest charter school system in the city, we are driven and committed to our mission and vision.

Mission: Together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world.

Vision: Every child grows up free to create the future they want for themselves and their communities.

KIPP St. Louis currently educates over 2,000 students and boasts hundreds of alumni. Today, our St. Louis network consists of three elementary schools, two middle schools, and a high school.

We believe that our educators are proving what's possible in urban education each and every day, by inspiring students, and helping them discover the joy of learning. KIPP schools support our educators to help students achieve academic excellence, building the skills and confidence they need to succeed.

Together, we are raising the bar for every student, every day.

Position type: Full time, exempt, 12 Month

Reporting & Collaboration

• Direct Manager: You report to the School Leader (Principal), who is accountable for overall school performance, including academic outcomes, culture, and operations.
• Direct Reports: You directly manage and develop assigned school-based staff depending on campus structure and assigned portfolio.
• Lateral Leadership: You may advise and support grade-level teams, department chairs, and teacher leaders on instructional priorities, coaching practices, and implementation of schoolwide initiatives.
• Lateral Managers: You do not have lateral or matrixed managers; however, you are expected to partner closely with peer Assistant School Leaders to ensure coherence across academic, culture, and operational priorities.

Autonomy & Decision Making

• This role owns the execution and continuous improvement of assigned academic, culture, and student support systems within the school. The ASL sets priorities for coaching cycles, monitors implementation fidelity, and leads adult development in service of schoolwide goals. The ASL makes day-to-day instructional and culture decisions within the guardrails set by the School Leader and regional guidance.

Inputs: What will I be doing in my day to day work?

Instructional Leadership

• Observe instruction and provide timely, actionable feedback aligned to the instructional framework.
• Support teachers in curriculum internalization, lesson planning, pacing, and differentiation.
• Use student data and work samples to identify high-leverage instructional priorities.

Coaching & Adult Development

• Lead coaching cycles and goal-setting for assigned teachers and/or coaches.
• Develop adult capacity through modeling, feedback, and targeted support.
• Support performance improvement plans in partnership with the School Leader.

Culture & Student Experience

• Lead implementation of culture routines and MTSS/behavior supports to protect instructional time.
• Partner with school-based support personnel to improve attendance, behavior, and engagement.
• Reinforce consistent expectations for student behavior and belonging.

Systems & Operations

• Partner with the Manager of Operations to ensure reliable execution of schedules, supervision, and routines.
• Monitor fidelity of schoolwide systems and address breakdowns in real time.
• Support safe, orderly learning environments that maximize instructional minutes.

Leadership & Teaming

• Serve as a member of the school leadership team, contributing to school improvement planning.
• Collaborate with peer ASLs to ensure coherence across academic and culture priorities.
• Partner with regional teams to implement aligned supports and initiatives.

Outcomes: What will I be evaluated on?

• Measurable improvement in instructional quality and student learning outcomes in assigned grade bands or content areas.
• Growth in teacher practice as evidenced by coaching outcomes and observation data.
• Effective implementation of culture and MTSS/behavior systems, resulting in improved attendance and reduced behavioral incidents.
• Fidelity of schoolwide instructional routines and systems.
• Contribution to positive staff culture, retention, and leadership pipeline development.

What skills should I already bring, i.e., what should I already have a track record around?

• Managing and leading teams,
• Having crucial conversations,
• Setting ambitious goals and driving results,
• Designing and leading instructional professional development,
• Using data to drive continuous improvement,
• Leading teams and cross-functional initiatives, and
• Driving results in a K-12 school.

What should I know a lot about already, i.e., what should I have expertise in?

• Key indicators of strong school and classroom culture, and how to develop specific plans to remedy gaps
• How to analyze student achievement data and determine the highest leverage next steps
• Successful coaching to academic improvement
• Strong understanding of adult learning theory.

Required

• Minimum of 2+ years of successful classroom teaching experience
• Demonstrated impact on student outcomes and instructional practice
• Experience supporting or leading adults (e.g., grade-level lead, mentor, coach)
• Ability to observe instruction and provide actionable feedback
• Data-informed decision-making skills
• Bachelor's degree in education or a related field
• Appropriate State teaching or administrative certification

Preferred

• Prior school leadership experience (e.g., AP, Dean, Instructional Lead)
• Leadership development program or fellowship experience
• Experience leading schoolwide initiatives (e.g., MTSS, culture systems, academic improvement)

KIPP St. Louis is committed to pay equity and to ensuring that we do not unintentionally perpetuate historic wage gaps that persist due to individual negotiations. As a result, salaries are not negotiated. We are transparent about salaries in our job postings so that candidates can make an informed decision before beginning the hiring process. The salary range starts at $90,000. This role is performance bonus eligible.

We are a fast-paced, energetic team and family with passionate people who are leading a movement, and to cultivate their best working environment, we provide the following:

• $0 deductible healthcare plan option, including medical, vision and dental.
• Employer Paid Short Term Disability.
• $50,000 life insurance policy at no cost to the employee.
• Retirement plan through PSSRSSL with an employer match up to 14% and an optional 403b as a supplement to our pension program
• Employee Recognition: When we succeed together, we celebrate together with our annual gala award ceremony, holiday party, and more!
• Public Service student loan forgiveness program qualified employer.
• Ongoing professional development.

Generous time off:

• Paid leave for illness, personal days, bereavement, jury duty, and military-related leave
• Paid parental leave for new families
• Paid holidays, as well as a one week Thanksgiving break, a two-week winter break, a