Assistant Principal, Dwight Bellizzi Dual Language Academy, Grades

POSITION: Assistant Principal, Dwight Bellizzi Dual Language Academy (Grades PK4-8)

REPORTS TO: Principal of the School and/or the Superintendent of Schools and CEO’s designee

POSITION SUMMARY:

Hartford Public Schools seeks a leader with a passion for educating children, a commitment to closing achievement gaps, and an ability to maximize learning for all students. We invite applications from knowledgeable and innovative professionals who are committed to urban education and understand the range of academic, social, and emotional needs of students at various stages in life.

The assistant principal will design, organize, and model effective instruction, communication, discipline, and intervention, while promoting a positive school culture and climate. In the absence of the principal, the assistant principal will assume all responsibilities for the administration and supervision of the program, staff, and building.

Ideal candidates will have a proven track record in providing strong instructional leadership focused on student-centered learning. Preferred candidates will also have robust multilingual knowledge and skills, experience in fostering a positive school culture and climate, and success in engaging families and community partners to promote equity and excellence.

We are looking for a leader who brings the following strengths and expertise to our community:

• Dual-Language & Biliteracy Champion
• 50:50 Model Fidelity: Thoroughly understands dual-language acquisition models and applies the 50:50 model with absolute fidelity across the school to ensure balanced linguistic development
• Curriculum Expertise: Possesses deep knowledge of the American Reading Company (ARC) curriculum and model, ensuring its effective, high-quality implementation across both languages
• Program Expansion & Articulation: Recognizes that the dual-language program currently spans grades PK4–3rd and possesses the strategic vision to successfully build out and articulate the program into the 6th–8th grade middle school bands
• PK4–8th Grade Adaptability & Magnet Growth
• Dual Developmental Worlds: Navigates two distinct developmental worlds with confidence, understanding early childhood needs (play-based learning and early literacy) while seamlessly managing middle school logistics (complex scheduling, electives, and high school preparation)
• Magnet School Development: Leverages strong foundational knowledge of the magnet process, grant utilization, strategic communication, and program development to transition the school from its current state into a full PK4–8th grade magnet school
• School Community Integration: Ensures the continued growth, visibility, and structural integrity of the dual-language and magnet pathways within the broader school community
• Cultural Fluency & Equitable Systems
• Linguistic Equity: Possesses a deep understanding of dual programming and the sociocultural equity surrounding both Spanish and English, ensuring that native speakers of both languages feel equally valued, respected, and supported
• Language-Inclusive MTSS: Holds a strong operational understanding of how the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) process is specifically built out and differentiated for students acquiring a new language (whether English or Spanish)
• Inclusive IEP Management: Understands the complexities of the IEP process and how special education services dynamically interplay with dual-language programming, ensuring compliant, equitable support for all learners without requiring full personal bilingualism
• Data-Driven Leadership & School Turnaround
• Diagnostic Data Literacy: Looks beyond surface-level test scores to accurately diagnose student needs. Uses specialized dual-language assessments to determine whether a student is facing a conceptual academic challenge or a specific language barrier, responding with targeted interventions
• Instructional & Behavioral Coaching: Leverages data to actively drive instruction and coach staff around high-leverage academic strategies and positive behavioral interventions
• School Improvement Focus: Explicitly connects data literacy, staff coaching, and curriculum implementation to school improvement goals, driving the systemic changes necessary to successfully lift the school out of turnaround status

Dwight Bellizzi Dual Language Academy is a PK4 through 8th grade school and the Greater Hartford region’s first and only dual language interdistrict magnet school. The dual language program currently serves students in PK4 through 3rd grade, immersing them in both English and Spanish to develop biliteracy, bilingual fluency, and cultural awareness from an early age — preparing students for today’s diverse, globalized world. Our diverse staff ethnically, culturally, and linguistically contributes to a vibrant multicultural community, and the school serves as a model for dual language programs across the state.

To learn more about Dwight Bellizzi Dual Language Academy, please visit dwightbellizziacademy.org.

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

• Partner with the principal and instructional staff to continuously evaluate, refine, and improve academic programs that meet the diverse needs of all students
• Develop and communicate the school's philosophy, vision, and policies, fostering a shared sense of purpose among staff, families, and the broader community
• Oversee the fidelity and quality of the dual-language program, supporting its expansion from PK4–3rd grade into the 6th–8th grade middle school bands with strategic vision and careful articulation
• Support the school’s development as a full PK4–8th grade magnet school, leveraging knowledge of the magnet process, grant opportunities, and strategic communication to advance program growth
• Recommend and implement changes in programming that reflect best practices and the evolving needs of the school community
• Lead and support the school’s MTSS framework, ensuring it is specifically differentiated to meet the needs of students acquiring a new language, whether English or Spanish
• Collaborate with special education staff to ensure IEP services are implemented in a manner that is compliant, equitable, and fully integrated with the dual-language program
• Use data to drive instructional decisions, coach staff around high-leverage academic strategies and positive behavioral interventions, and connect school improvement efforts to measurable outcomes
• Lead the school’s improvement planning and implementation efforts, driving the systemic changes necessary to advance academic achievement and lift the school out of turnaround status
• Define roles and assignments for specialized staff, organizing teams for maximum effectiveness and high morale
• Identify vacancies, recommend strong candidates for teaching positions, and support the principal in building a talented, mission-aligned team
• Provide consistent supervision and evaluation of all personnel within the scope of supervisory responsibility
• Maintain meaningful relationships with public and private partner agencies, ensuring the school remains an active and trusted community resource
• Interpret district policies, programs, and initiatives for staff, families, and community members in a clear and accessible way
• Implement collective bargaining agreements and maintain open, respectful communication with bargaining unit members
• Make budgetary recommendations, pursue potential funding sources, and participate in developing grant proposals to support school programs
• Ensure timely, accurate reporting and support the implementation of the school's Plan for School Excellence and Accountability
• Uphold applicable federal and state regulations, Board of Education policies, and administrative guidelines
• Adhere to established Board of Education policies and administrative regulations
• Perform assigned duties that may be beyond the regular workday that are school related. These duties, excluding those that are paid duties, shall be distributed as fairly and as equitably as possible among administrators
• Perform additional tasks as assigned by the Principal and/or the Superintendent and CEO's designee

QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS/ABILITIES OF THE IDEAL CANDIDATE:

• Instructional experience at the elementary and middle grades level in urban and multicultural settings, with a deep understanding of the needs and opportunities unique to both neighborhood and magnet schools
• Multilingual knowledge and skills, with demonstrated expertise in dual-language program models, particularly the 50:50 model, and the ability to connect with staff and families across languages and cultures
• Demonstrated understanding of the full PK4–8th grade developmental continuum, including early childhood learning principles (play-based learning and early literacy) and the logistical and academic demands of middle school — with the ability to lead effectively across both worlds
• Knowledge of and experience with the American Reading Company (ARC) curriculum, with the ability to ensure high-quality, consistent implementation across both languages
• Strong, collaborative leadership style that is honest, transparent, and inclusive — consistently focused on high student outcomes and educational excellence
• Outstanding communication skills and a visible, approachable presence that builds authentic relationships with students, staff, families, and the broader community
• Unwavering commitment to the academic achievement, social-emotional growth, and whole-child development of every student
• High personal accountability for student growth, academic results, and staff performance, paired with a persistent, data-informed approach to continuous improvement — including the ability to distinguish whether a student is facing an academic challenge or a language barrier, and to respond with the appropriate intervention
• Demonstrated success leading and motivating adults — whether as a grade-level or department chair, instructional coach, or administrator
• Proven equitable leadership practices with measurable impact on instruction, school culture, and climate, including experience with MTSS frameworks differentiated for language learners
• Deep knowledge of pedagogy, curriculum development, and assessment design that centers student learning and advances equitable outcomes
• Understanding of the IEP process and the intersection of special education services with dual-language programming, ensuring compliant and equitable support for all students
• Experience with or strong knowledge of the magnet school process, including grant utilization, program development, and strategic communication, with the vision to support the school’s growth into a full PK4–8th grade magnet school
• Demonstrated school improvement or turnaround leadership, with the ability to connect data, coaching, and curriculum implementation to systemic, measurable change
• Knowledge of financial management and the ability to align resources strategically in support of school priorities
• Fluency in leveraging technology as a tool for teaching, learning, and operational effectiveness
• A genuine ability to inspire excellence in others and unite all school stakeholders around a common vision and shared goals
• Proficiency in Google Suite, Microsoft Office, and PowerSchool (or comparable student information systems)
• Bilingual (Spanish and English) preferred

CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Connecticut Certification in Intermediate Administration or Supervision (092) is required.

UNION AFFILIATION:

Hartford Principals’ and Supervisors’ Association (HPSA)

SALARY AND TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT:

Salary is in accordance with the Hartford Principals’ and Supervisors’ Association’s 2026-2027 Schedule: Assistant Principal Group 19 with a salary range of $138,539 - $155,174 (12-month work year).