School Principal

Job Description

Job Description

Overview

Pay Range: $125,000 - $155,000

Schedule: Mon-Fri 7:30 to 3:30

Join a Team That Changes Lives

For more than 170 years, Elwyn has been leading the way in supporting children, teens, and adults with autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and behavioral health challenges. As a mission-driven nonprofit, we’re here to create real change – helping people lead meaningful, fulfilling lives.

Now, we’re looking for passionate team members to join us. Here, your work will change lives – including your own. You’ll make an impact every day, find purpose in what you do, and grow in a career that truly matters.

At Elwyn, we take care of you while you care for others. We offer:

• Generous Paid Time Off
• Comprehensive Medical/Dental/Vision Benefit Packages
• Earned Wage Access/On-Demand Pay
• Paid On-the-Job Training
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Career Advancement Opportunities and Growth
• Flexible Schedules
• Retirement Savings Plan

Join us and be a part of something bigger. Apply today.

Responsibilities

The Senior Director Principal serves as the chief administrator and instructional leader of the school. This individual establishes and maintains educational programs in accordance with the Elwyn vision and core values, as well as in compliance with state and federal regulations. The Principal directs the daily operations of the school and establishes and maintains a positive school climate for the learning, behavior, safety, health and welfare of the students and personnel of School.

• Performs duties of chief administrator of the school in compliance with state and federal regulations by ensuring that all aspects of the school program follow federal and state regulations and school code to maintain a high level of compliance across all licensure areas
• Oversees and complies with all Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) regulatory requirements associated with education services, programs, and paperwork, including but not limited to Chapter 15 of the Pennsylvania Code (Protected Handicapped Students), regulations regarding Private Academic Schools, and regulations associated with the provision of special education services to maintain the highest quality of service in the provision of special education.
• Provides guidance to staff regarding special education best practices and legal requirements, by training and advising staff in all relevant areas of instruction and service delivery – including, but not limited to; assessments, lesson planning, writing appropriate individualized education plans (IEPs) to ensure student growth and development
• Provides supervision of assigned staff in the school by conducting regular observations of staff, frequently engaging staff in a professional and supportive manner, and demonstrating appropriate skills to staff in the areas of curricular delivery, special education, and professional behavior to exhibit best practices in education.
• Maintains appropriate staffing ratios by recruiting and selecting school staff to ensure compliance with state regulations.
• Coaches staff in all areas of instruction and classroom management by observing classrooms, providing feedback and suggestions, and exhibiting desired skills to staff to ensure the highest quality of instruction and intervention are occurring in the building.
• Manages the performance of all staff in the school by supporting and participating with the direct supervisors of school staff in the areas of discipline and performance reviews to ensure compliance with all company, state, and federal policies and procedures.
• Directly manages the performance of direct reports by coaching, reviewing, and supporting efforts to provide a high-quality education, engaging in disciplinary practices when appropriate, and maintaining a consistent and fair approach to all staff to foster a welcoming and supportive school environment focused on success.
• Oversees health and well-being of all staff and students by ensuring the integrity of staffing, facilities, instruction, emergency planning, medical staff availability by routinely reviewing staffing and procedures, reporting physical plant needs, and facilitating required emergency drills and procedures to provide a safe and secure environment for all staff.
• Serves as the instructional leader of the school by overseeing in-service for staff with tasks including, but not limited to; conducting staff needs assessments, identifying developmental and professional needs by working with the professional development director, and ensuring time is allocated for development activities to provide overall staff development and ensure its alignment with Elwyn policy and core values
• Supports effective behavior management by collaboratively creating and implementing a plan for School-Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) that encourages all staff and students to set goals and monitor behavior to provide maximum opportunities for learning to occur.
• Oversees crisis response teams by regularly reviewing and reporting data on verbal de-escalation, physical assist strategies, parties involved, etc. to maintain compliance with all federal and state regulations and to determine areas in need of intervention in the building.
• Ensures all data is entered into district systems and reported to PDE, Elwyn administration, school districts, etc. in a timely manner by regularly reviewing data reports and confirming submissions to guarantee compliance with all federal and state requirements.
• Recommends and implements student interventions and/or disciplinary actions in accordance with the PA School Code, Elwyn policy and procedures, and the school Handbook by reviewing student behavior incident reports, implementing improvement strategies to ensure a safe and supportive environment.
• Monitors the operation of the physical plant by communicating with necessary staff regarding maintenance and repairs necessary to maintain safety and security for our staff and students
• Oversees the collaboration of parent and agency meetings by delegating responsibilities to appropriate leadership to ensure meetings regularly occur, are agenda-driven, provide follow up, and ultimately ensure robust education programming and compliance, and open communication.
• Encourages and supports development of innovative instructional programs by researching and adhering to best practices in special education programming, seeking out new initiatives, programming, and strategies which support staff and student development and growth to promote educational best practices.
• Promotes the use of technology to support teaching and learning by implementing appropriate technology- based programs and interventions to facilitate the smooth operation of the schools and its classrooms and programs.
• Oversees the safe and appropriate transportation of all students to and from school by supporting the school transportation coordinator, communicating with transportation providers, and proactively addressing student transportation needs to allow for students to regularly attend the school.
• Provides regular communication to parents concerning school activities, instructional programming, special education law, and due process concerns by sending a monthly parent newsletter, participating in student/parent events, and leading parent-school association meetings to ensure students and families are informed and engaged stakeholders of the education community
• Facilitates education staff meetings by collaborating with professional development staff to establish schedule of meetings to ensure open communication and understanding/training of required processes
• Works with, understands, and complies with terms and conditions of collective bargaining agreements (CBA) within a unionized environment with tasks including but not limited to adherence to scheduling procedures, processing transfers and promotions, administering disciplinary actions, adjudicating grievances, where appropriate, etc. by reviewing and maintaining knowledge of the specifics of any CBA to ensure the school and it’s practices are in line with CBA requirements.
• Performs cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and safe crisis management using agency-trained protocols by engaging in approved practices for CPR and crisis management to ensure the safest possible response to crisis situations.
• Models and demonstrates effective problem solving and maintains a proactive and professional approach to unexpected changes in the job role by demonstrating a professional and mature approach to all stakeholders to ensure effective and appropriate fulfillment of job responsibilities.
• Maintains confidentiality in all areas by protecting access to student and company information and records to maintain compliance with FERPA, HIPPA, and applicable laws and company policy.
• Responds to supervision, accepts constructive feedback, and welcomes suggestions to improve skills and techniques by engaging appropriately with supervisors and community employers, working on identified areas for improvement, and demonstrating a mature and professional attitude when interacting with others to maintain a professional and effective work environment.
• Establishes appropriate job-related goals through self-assessment and desire for self- improvement by regularly reviewing professional goals, establishing procedures to attain such goals, and revising goals as appropriate to grow professionally within the company.
• Participates actively in program meetings, workshops, and in-service presentations by attending as scheduled, arriving on time, asking questions, and remaining attentive throughout the assignment to ensure that information being delivered is clearly understood.
• Demonstrates professionalism in attendance by arriving at or before scheduled start times, remaining engaged in the job responsibilities throughout the scheduled workday outside of scheduled break times, and by adhering to the contractual end time unless approved for overtime hours by the direct supervisor to ensure fiscal and professional responsibilities in job performance.
• Maintains a safe campus environment by following all requested policies and procedures including, but not limited to, signing in and out in available program systems, informing campus security of any activities wherein students are outside of the school building perimeter, and securing all entry/exit doors as appropriate after use to provide the safest possible environment for students and staff.
• Performs other duties and responsibilities as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

• PDE Principal Certification
• PDE certification in Special Education or a specific area of Special Education (eg: Autism)
• Five (5) years of teaching experience in special education
• Five (5) years of supervisory experience in a public or private school leading special education services
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a team
• Demonstrated strong attention to detail
• Demonstrated strong time management and organizational skills
• Experience with collective bargaining units
• Demonstrated excellent judgment with the ability to independently solve problems and make decisions with little or no need for direct supervision
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage and prioritize multiple, often competing, priorities
• Advanced knowledge of the fundamental principles and best practices in the field of special education, as well as PA special education law and regulations
• Knowledge of curricular resources appropriate for diverse student skills and needs
• Strong belief in Elwyn’s core values, goals and objectives, and strategic plan
• Knowledge of effective administrative and managerial practices
• Ability to utilize resources and personnel effectively
• Knowledge of, and skill in, effective budgetary processes and school finance
• Ability to present important training and information for large groups, including, staff, students, parents, district LEAs, and community stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to interpret data, anticipate future needed changes or identify problem areas and take effective actions
• Must possess excellent customer interaction, collaboration, presentation, and written and verbal communication skills
• Non-profit human service experience highly preferred
• Must be able to perform CPR and crisis intervention using agency-trained protocols
• Experience using/knowledge of electronic student record systems preferred
• Demonstrated intermediate experience with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint

2025-6179