Description

Job Description

POSITION: Elementary Principal 2024-2025

REPORTS TO: Head of Schools

POSITION TYPE: 12-month

START DATE: July 2024

COMPENSATION: Starting at $100,000

At YES Prep, work for a mission that impacts the life trajectory of students and their families. YES Prep creates pathways to extraordinary opportunity through best-in-class development, competitive compensation and benefits, and recognition for your impact. Grow as an authentic leader and be part of an equity driven, team-oriented culture.

Our campuses are advancing educational equity. Some quick stats about us:

19,500 Students
2,100+ Team Members
15 Secondary Campuses
9 Elementary Campuses
92% Students Who Qualify for Free/Reduced-Price Lunch
96% Hispanic & African-American Students
90% Students Who Are Accepted to a 4-Year University
88% First-Generation College Students
Ranked in the Top 100 High Schools in the Nation, U.S. News & World Report

We serve the students of Houston, Texas, the 4th largest city across the United States. There are over 20 public-school districts and other great public charter school options within Houston's city limits serving our increasing population. We are a rapidly growing organization, committed to creating life-changing opportunities for over 23,000 students by 2025.

THE OPPORTUNITY

YES Prep needs dynamic Principals with a diverse set of experiences, to make our mission a reality. As YES Prep employees, they will achieve jaw-dropping results, create pathways to opportunity for our students, build transformative relationships, and eliminate educational inequities to advance social justice.

To put it simply, with the growth of our organization and our schools, we need high performing talent at the Principal level to ensure we increase the number of students from underserved communities who graduate from college prepared to lead. You will strategically plan and implement YES Prep Public Schools' mission through the efficient and effective leadership of a YES Prep school.

THE ROLE

When you join the YES Prep Principal team, some of the exciting work and responsibilities will include:

Strategy, Planning, and Leadership

Leading an effective school leadership team that collaborates to achieve campus strategic goals;
Utilizing individual check-ins, coaching, and management plans to track leaders growth in performance;
Developing Campus Objectives and Key Results (strategic and tactical goals) that address most pressing growth areas for the school and manage staff buy-in and periodic check-in on goal progress;
Implementing school leadership team structure and master calendar to most effectively reach Campus Strategic Goals and academic outcomes;
Utilizing effective communication structures for teams and school community (staff, students, and parents);
Developing leadership "bench" to ensure solid succession plan for central school leadership;
Understanding and overseeing immediate and long-term strategy with respect to relationships and sustainability (i.e. community development, parent engagement, budget management).
Conducting disciplinary hearings for escalated incidents according to our Code of Conduct.

Student Achievement

Managing a high performing leadership team that leads your campus to meet the student achievement goal of producing college-ready students
In partnership with your campus instructional leaders:
- Managing progress towards increased student achievement, analyze grades and common assessment results to facilitate timely academic interventions;
- Monitoring an implementation plan that increases Advanced Placement participation and qualifying scores;
- Driving intervention systems to meet district expectations for growth and objective achievement on STAAR and MAP tests;
- Tracking student progress on RTI and academic student interventions.

Student Demographics and Persistence

In partnership with your campus leaders:
- Monitoring student attendance, focusing on maintaining desired attendance levels and recruitment of low-income students;
- Facilitating student persistence analysis, focusing on intervention strategies and increasing persistence for all students and sub-populations (at-risk, SPED, ELL);
- Achieving student culture goals on a yearly basis as indicated on the Campus Improvement Plan;
- Analyze college-completion rates for specific campus, ensuring campus and system-provided support through the college years for YES Prep alumni.

Staff Support, Development, and Leadership

Facilitating hiring process and select high-caliber, diverse teachers and staff;
Managing high-quality PD that leads to well-developed staff, as measured by staff survey and student achievement results;
Developing instructional goals for the year with the leadership team and facilitate periodic goal analysis throughout the year;
Managing appropriate progress on instructional observations and continuum process, from initial placement to end-of-year placement;
Maintaining high retention rates of staff, avoiding regrettable teacher and staff attrition;
Demonstrate knowledge and support of YES Prep Schools mission, values, standards, policies and procedures, confidentiality standards, Employee Handbook expectations and code of ethical behavior;
Managing effective school leadership team members and other team leaders on campus, utilizing individual management plans to track growth in performance;
Developing leadership "bench" to ensure solid succession plan for central school leadership.

Campus Health

Maintaining strong, school culture that meets high YES Prep standards as outlined in the YES Prep culture rubric;
Evaluating and achieving strong student and parent satisfaction, as measured in periodic student and parent surveys;
Facilitating management of discipline systems to maintain safe and positive school culture;
Analyzing student discipline incidents and rates to adjust intervention strategies;
Ensure compliance with all state and federal laws, local board policies, administrative guidelines, and the Texas Educators' Code of Ethics.

Financial Health

Understanding and overseeing immediate and long-term fiscal management - including budgeting, cash flow systems, debt management, accounting systems, and internal controls;
Submitting an annual budget to the Head of Schools based on program needs, estimated enrollment, staffing, and other fiscal needs, implement programs within budget limits, maintain fiscal control, accurately and responsibly report all fiscal information;
Able to clearly and convincingly justify decisions based on the core purpose, core values, and vision;
Training and managing budget managers on campus;
Analyzing monthly budget reports, keeping a close eye on enrollment, attendance, and expenditures against budgeted projections;
Managing the use of the campus plant and grounds, supervise the maintenance to the physical plant and grounds to ensure a clean, orderly, and safe environment.

Professional Growth and Development

Identifying areas for own personal/professional growth;
Participating in meetings, workshops, seminars, and conferences to enhance knowledge/skills, address areas for personal/professional growth, and further develop school goals and staff;
Applying knowledge and insights gained through professional development. Share this knowledge with staff, campus, and district leaders as appropriate;
Being well informed about current trends in area(s) of expertise and provide leadership in incorporating such trends into everyday practices.

Professional Expectations

THE PERSON

We seek staff with diverse backgrounds, talents, interests, and ideas. Certain traits consistently shine through for our most successful employees: passion for the mission, drive for results, care for students, resilience, and humility. Other traits needed and desired for this role are:

THE MUST HAVES

Bachelor's Degree from an accredited four-year educational institution
At least 2-3 years of experience as a teacher of record
At least 1 year of campus leadership experience as a Director or Assistant Principal by June 2022 at a K-12 school
At least 1 year in a Principal role or completed 1 year of the YES Prep Principal Residency with demonstrated performance at a high level by June 2022
Must be willing to work at any assigned YES Prep campus in the greater Houston area
A strong desire to be a YES Prep Principal for at least 3-5 years, if hired
Has a track record of consistent, high-performance in leadership role(s) held
Demonstrated people management experience - directly managing an individual or full team(s)
Demonstrate behavior that is professional, ethical, and responsible
Ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with others

THE MUST HAVE BELIEFS

Belief in and commitment to the mission and core values of YES Prep Public Schools
Desire to disrupt systemic status quos in education
Willingness to go above and beyond to disrupt said status quos
Passion to develop resiliency through a relentless pursuit of jaw-dropping results
Conviction that high expectations + high accountability = high performance and high growth

THE NICE TO HAVES

Graduate degree in education or related field preferred
Bilingual in Spanish

EVERY OPPORTUNITY STARTS WITH A YES

Great schools begin with great people who believe every day is an opportunity to make a difference. At YES Prep, you have an opportunity to join a family of diverse educators who are leveling the playing field by providing opportunities for a high-quality, college-forward curriculum while also ensuring our students feel supported through their academic journey and empowered to lead choice-filled lives. YES Prep is more than a family of public charter schools, it's the future of public education-it's an opportunity to say, "Yes, you can!"

THE PERKS

Compensation - This position is an exempt, salaried position; offers commensurate with experience.

Health and Supplemental Insurance - A $0 monthly medical option that includes $600 towards a Health Savings Account, in addition to a variety of supplemental benefits including Dental, Vision, Disability, Life, etc. Employees must work 20+ hours a week to be eligible for a full spectrum of benefits, and 10 hours a week minimum for medical benefits.

Retirement Plans - Participation in Teacher Retirement System of Texas and a 457b Retirement Plan.

Paid Time Off - Employees working 20+ hours a week receive 15 days of Paid Time Off in addition to the system closures during the Academic Calendar.

Paid Leave Programming - In the event you need to be out due to medical needs (including maternity and paternity leave), YES Prep offers paid leave, paid out at 100%, based on eligibility and tenure.

Professional Development - YES Prep values longevity and performance over time. We invest in developing leaders through high-quality programs, effective coaching, and ongoing professional development.

Award Winning Culture - The strong cultures of our campuses and Home Office are just one of many reasons we were named Houston's Best Place To Work in 2018, 2019, and 2021. We won the 2012 Broad Prize for Excellence in Urban Education and were a 2016 finalist as well.

WE ARE DEEPLY COMMITTED TO EQUITY & DIVERSITY

YES Prep strives to recruit a diverse team of leaders. We believe there is a transformative academic and social benefit for students when their teachers and leaders reflect a diversity of backgrounds. Ninety-five percent (95%) of staff members agree that the organization provides a welcoming environment given their background and identity according to our latest system survey.

YES Prep is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or parenthood.