Alternative Education Principal

Position Type:
Administration/Principal Secondary

Date Posted:
5/13/2026

Location:
Jim Thorpe Academy

Date Available:
07/01/2025

Closing Date:
until filled
Please apply through Frontline and forward your cover letter and resume to Dr. Jason James, Superintendent, at View email address on click.appcast.io .

Job Description
SHAWNEE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Job Title: Alternative Education Principal
Reports To: Assistant Superintendent
Site: Jim Thorpe Academy


Qualifications
Credentials: Secondary Education Administrative Certificate
Education: Bachelor's Degree Required; Master's Degree in School Administration and/or Curriculum


Training or Experience Required: At least three years of teaching experience.


Job Summary: Performs complex administrative duties under minimal supervision to oversee the education of students at a high school. In addition, has supervisory responsibility for both certified and support personnel and has management responsibility for the site and all its resources/equipment, etc. Oversees the curricula goals for the school. Ensures that board and district policies are enforced. Provides leadership to ensure the quality of education. An incumbent in this position will utilize discretion, creativity, ingenuity and independent judgment due to the complexity of the job.


Knowledge, Skills and Abilities :

1. Communication Skills (oral, written, or business): Basic communication skills to exchange information, give/receive instructions and respond to inquiries. Includes filling out forms. Communicates in clear, grammatically correct English. In addition, composes correspondence; trains and directs others and provides complex instructions; conducts interviews. In addition, must use creativity; makes public speeches or presentations or provides complex letters or reports.
2. Data Recording/Record Keeping: Performs data recording/record keeping operations determining what changes need to be made to existing records, including computerized records. OCAS Coding understanding. Legal parameters of school budget and accounting principles.
3. Has regular contact with other school districts and the public. Must be able to answer information requests from the public interpreting and translating facts and information, explaining situations and concerns and advising them of alternative courses of action. Must be able to handle complaints and deal with excessively rude or irate parents and callers. Must use tact and diplomacy, independent judgment, and problem solving. Makes formal presentations; interprets policies and procedures based on experience.

Essential Job Functions (Performance Expectations):

Provides leadership and supervision for instruction

1. Oversees the implementation of district curriculum goals, philosophy and policies within the area of authority.
2. Assists teachers in establishing meaningful goals, objectives and evaluation procedures related to educational enhancement.
3. Assists teachers in evaluating their methods of instruction/teaching skills and effectiveness of learner outcomes.
4. Ensures that teachers meet individual pupil needs and abilities and develop satisfactory growth in basic skills.
5. Assists teachers in using community resources in their instructional program.
6. Assists teachers in providing a classroom atmosphere conducive to maximum learning.

Manages human resources and maintains productive relationships with staff

1. EEO/Managing Diversity: Maintains an environment free of discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace; encourages an environment of equal opportunity for all.
2. Health and Safety in the Workplace: Promotes health and safety and eliminates unsafe and unhealthful working conditions; communicates with and properly trains staff to follow safety procedures, inclusive of the District Exposure Control Plan for Bloodborne Pathogens; manages lost time due to worker accidents and injuries.
3. Training/Employee Development: Oversees training of staff in the technical and procedural aspects of their jobs; Motivates staff to participate in reviewing areas of responsibility to look for ways to improve performance; Encourages initiative and creativity without risk; Develops staff morale to reinforce successful performance; Provides opportunities for selected professional development experiences with staff that are geared toward excellence in education.
4. Other Personnel Activities: Properly administers new employee orientation; hiring; performance appraisal; corrective counseling; constructive discipline; EAP intervention and referral; grievance handling; problem resolution; assignment of work; and implementation of other personnel policies.

Provides leadership for students

1. Implements constructive student discipline to reinforce desired outcomes.
2. Provides an environment where students assume responsibility for their own behavior and the attitude/behavior of their peers regarding school property and respecting the rights, properties, and opinions of others. Promulgates policy and provides proper leadership to eliminate harassment of any kind.
3. Treats students as individuals and encourages in students an appreciation for their civil rights and responsibilities of our democratic institutions.
4. Encourages the development of student behavior based on a sense of moral/ethical behavior and ennobling values.

Provides leadership for innovations and problem resolution

1. Encourages and oversees projects that resolve special problems.
2. Encourages and supports teachers who systematically plan innovative projects and techniques; provides necessary reinforcement without fear of failure.
3. Plans carefully the goals, objectives and evaluation of new projects and procedures and evaluates effectiveness of those projects.
4. Provides an environment that anticipates problems, involves staff in problem resolution, and encourages increased productivity and customer service.
5. Involves students and staff in developing and maintaining reasonable standards of conduct.
6. Helps teachers understand the sources of important problems they are facing in order to involve them in the resolution of the problem.
7. Effectively looks at necessary facts (costs, customer needs, policies, potential outcomes, etc.) before making important decisions. Involves the necessary parties who need to support the decision in the problem identification and resolution.

Efficiently and effectively organizes school operations to maximize student outcomes

1. Provides clear and consistent written and oral directions.
2. Minimizes classroom interruptions encouraging maximum time on tasks.
3. Plans and holds productive staff meetings.
4. Only requires necessary paperwork.
5. Administers attendance policies according to policy.
6. Oversees the health and safety programs for students in the school.

Actively promotes positive community relationships

1. Provides opportunities for community members to become involved in school activities.
2. Solicits input from the community to develop goals for the school.
3. Makes use of educational resources from the community.
4. Constructively interprets the school program and the policies to the community.
5. Keeps the community informed concerning the school program.
6. Encourages teachers to maintain effective communications with parents.
7. Encourages parents to get involved in corrective counseling/discipline with troubled students.

Maintains facilities and resources conducive to learning and which are cost effective

1. Demonstrates fiscal responsibility, efficient and effective utilization of resources, and the proper accountability of revenues and expenditures; maintain inventory and/or cost-accounting systems.
2. Systematically supervises and evaluates teacher utilization of teaching supplies and care of equipment and facilities; Provides for availability of supplies and equipment.
3. Effectively maintains facilities with the resources available.
4. Ensures that maintenance and utility costs of buildings compare favorably with like schools in the area.
5. Encourages students to show school pride in the buildings and school.
6. Leads the school or office in economical use of materials and supplies.

Has personal characteristics that encourage customer service and quality leadership

1. Customer Service: Implements programs to encourage staff to be customer focused. This includes empowering subordinates to:
   1. resolve customer problems
   2. interpret rules, procedures, and policies to assist customers
   3. reduce the "red tape" that frustrates responsive decision making
   4. train and coach employees to provide better customer service.
2. Managing Information: Provides clear and concise staff reports for School Board action; communicates professionally before the public, staff, and fellow employees; automates procedures that assist in decision making; listens and responds to ideas and suggestions of co-workers and subordinates; keeps his/her supervisor informed of critical concerns.
3. Planning and Organizing: Conducts short and long range curriculum and other site based planning; anticipates customer needs due to changes in growth, demographics, revenue, and technological environments; evaluates and amends previous year's forecasting as changes occur; participates with team members both within the District and the community to set and attain District goals and objectives; responds quickly to new issues and challenges.
4. Teamwork: Works with co-workers, subordinates, other administrators, and community leaders to provide service to the public; shares information, resources, and expertise to assist team members to accomplish organization/District objectives or goals; encourages cooperation among departments/divisions to solve problems.
5. Positive Leadership: Exercises administrative discretion fairly showing due respect, concern, and warmth for others and an understanding of individual problems of both students and adults; shows support and enthusiasm for the school; gives full consideration to majority and minority opinions.
6. Continues professional development
   1. Uses ideas from professional magazines and bulletins.
   2. Attends and contributes to professional meetings.
   3. Takes advantage of opportunities for professional growth that are available beyond the requirements of the District.

Supervision exercised: Supervises a large staff of employees. Has responsibility to recommend hiring/firing; develop training, and to evaluate employees. Supervises building level principals, curriculum directors, athletic/activities director and staff members designated by the superintendent or board of education.


Complies with Shawnee's Mission Statement in which students are to be provided with skills, knowledge and attitudes to become lifelong learners, complex thinkers, and responsible citizens in an ever changing global society.


Physical/Mental Requirements and Working Conditions:

1. Must possess a valid driver's license and have an acceptable driving record.
2. Must have the dexterity to operate keyboards, computers, copy machines, and other office/instructional machines.
3. Must be able to communicate in person, on the phone, and before large audiences.
4. Must be able to get around the various sites.

Terms of Employment: Length of the work year and hours of employment shall be those established by the Superintendent (222 day contract). Salary established by the Superintendent and Board of Education.

Evaluation: Performance of this job will be evaluated in accordance with provisions of the Shawnee Board Policy on evaluation of personnel.

FLSA Status: Exempt


Revised: May 5, 2025