HS Assistant Principal

Job Description

Job Description

Job Description: Assistant Principal

Reports To: Principal

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Overview

As a leading education management organization, Meridian Charter Schools is committed to transforming the lives of students in culturally and linguistically diverse communities by providing students access to high-quality educational opportunities that elevate their identities as an asset and foster equitable and inclusive learning environments. Meridian Charter Schools is a school management organization (SMO) in Chicago, IL that operates three campuses of Chicago International Charter School: CICS Ralph Ellison High School, CICS Northtown Academy High School, and CICS Wrightwood Elementary School. We believe through collective effort, we will have collective impact. 

Position Summary: 

The Assistant Principal will serve as a member of the school campus team and will partner with school-level leadership to carry out the responsibilities of this role. You will play a pivotal role in supporting the Principal in realizing our core commitments: continuous improvement, academic outcomes, and equity, access & development. Travel to campus is required. 

As the Assistant Principal, you will play a crucial role in ensuring the successful implementation and delivery of academic and social-emotional learning for each student and staff member within the campus.  You will lead and work on teams using data-driven instructional practices, conflict resolution, and collaboration.  You will provide essential support to the Principal in managing the day-to-day operations of the school, focusing on both administrative and instructional priorities. You will lead and support in the coaching and evaluation of staff.  Reporting directly to the Principal, this position collaborates closely with other school-based leaders to enhance the quality of education and support provided to our students. 

Duties and Responsibilities:

Mission, Vision, Core Values: Lead and execute a comprehensive vision for the school campus that aligns with the organization's mission and values. Collaborate with the Principal to integrate all initiatives throughout the school.  

Ethics and Professional Norms: Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations related to the academic and social community. Ensure staff adherence to Employee Handbook under the supervision and direction of the Principal. Oversee student conduct and discipline, helping to maintain a positive and respectful school improvement.  Communicate and collaborate with the Principal for all issues related to crisis and conflict management and resolution.  

Equity and Cultural Responsiveness:  Ensure that each student has equitable access to learning opportunities, academic and social support, and other resources necessary for success. Ensure that each student is treated fairly, respectfully, and with an understanding of each student’s culture and context. Champion equity and social justice principles throughout the school. 

Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment: Implement, and oversee all academic programs. Develop and lead all initiatives that maximize student achievement and teacher effectiveness. Continuously assess and improve the effectiveness of these initiatives to ensure positive outcomes for all students. Promote instructional practice that is consistent with knowledge of child learning and development, effective pedagogy, and the needs of each student.  Ensure that instructional practice is intellectually challenging, authentic to student experiences, recognizes student strengths, and is differentiated and personalized. 

Community of Care and Support for Students: Manage systems of academic and social support, services, extracurricular activities and accommodations to meet the individual learning, cognitive and emotional needs of each student. Develop and lead initiatives that support attendance and enrollment goals. Promote adult-student, student-peer, and school-community relationships that value and support academic learning and positive social and emotional development. Infuse the school’s learning environment with the cultures, context, and languages of the community. 

Professional Capacity of School Personnel: Lead, mentor, and provide professional development opportunities for all staff, as directed by the Principal. Foster a positive and collaborative work environment that promotes growth and continuous improvement. Assist with teacher evaluations and professional growth plans, ensuring high standards of instruction and curriculum development.  

Professional Community for Teachers and Staff: Work closely with school-based team leaders to align all initiatives to school-based goals. Develop teachers’ and staff members’ professional knowledge, skills, and practice through differentiated opportunities for learning and growth. Establish clear communication channels between all school-based leaders. 

Meaningful Engagement of Families and Communities: Build and maintain relationships with parents and or guardians, community members, and local organizations to foster a supportive school community. Represent the school campus in relevant community events and initiatives.

Operations and Management: Manage the budget, schedule, registration and other school policies and procedures under the direction of the Principal. Build and/or revise the master schedule to best align to student opportunities and interests. Collaborate with the Director of Technology to ensure that all devices and software platforms meet the standards of learning and assessment. Promote the safety and security of students, staff, and the school facilities by directing the work of office managers, facilities, and security. Ensure all campus and network-wide deadlines are met. 

School Improvement: Utilize data-driven insights to set and implement initiatives that improve systems for school-based goals. Generate regular reports for the Principal to demonstrate progress, outcomes, and areas for improvement.   

Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Certification: Must hold an active Professional Education License (PEL) and ISBE Principal Endorsement.

• Education Level: Master's or Doctoral degree in Education, or a related field highly preferred.

• Experience: Minimum of 3 years of experience in a leadership role within an educational setting, with a focus on specialized services. Bilingual fluency in verbal and written Spanish and English strongly preferred.

• Leadership Skills: Experience in managing and developing diverse teams of education professionals.

• Strategic Vision: Proven track record of designing and implementing successful specialized education initiatives.

• Communication and Collaboration: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with various leaders in the school and community.

• Results-Oriented: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to use data to drive decision-making.

• Change Management: Demonstrate ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and adapt to changing priorities.

• Educational Ethics: Passion for education and a commitment to promoting equity and inclusivity in the learning environment. Passionate about promoting equity and inclusion in education, with a commitment to dismantling systemic barriers.

This position is a Full-Time position.

Physical Job Requirements: 

The usual and customary methods of performing the job’s functions require the following physical demands: occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, and or pulling; some kneeling, crouching, and significant finger dexterity. Generally the job requires 30% sitting, 40% walking and 30% standing. This job is performed in a generally clean and climate controlled environment. 

Note: This job description is intended to provide a general overview of the responsibilities and qualifications. Specific duties and responsibilities may evolve as per the organization's needs and growth. Duties and responsibilities are drawn from the research on Professional Standards for Educational Leaders established by the National Policy Board for Educational Administration (NPBEA). This job description will aid in the reviewing of key performance indicators alongside individual feedback cycles.