Elementary Principal - Curtis Strange Elementary School

Job Title: Elementary School Principal

FLSA Status: Exempt

Reports to: Regional Coordinator of School Leadership and Learning

Supervises: School Staff

Term of Employment: 12 months

JOB SUMMARY

The principal has complete responsibility for the school and its performance. The principal oversees all employees of the school site and is responsible for ensuring the school runs smoothly, remains safe, and provides excellent, challenging learning opportunities for its students. The principal responds to the needs of the school organization given the complexity and scale at varying levels. The principal is responsible for various unique duties of the school.

QUALIFICATIONS

1. Education:

• Required - Master's degree from an accredited college or university with courses such as school administration; school supervision; elementary curriculum; problems, issues, and trends in education; child psychology; educational measurement; and guidance.
• Preferred - Doctorate from an accredited college or university with courses such as school administration; school supervision; elementary curriculum; problems, issues, and trends in education; child psychology; educational measurement; and guidance.

2. Experience:

• Required - Minimum of five years' teaching (and)
• Required - Minimum two years' experience in a leadership role, such as an assistant principal, principal, dean of students, instructional coach, or other leadership and/or administrative school positions.
• Preferred - Minimum of six years' teaching
• Preferred - Minimum four years' experience in a leadership role, such as an assistant principal, principal, dean of students, instructional coach, or other administrative school position
• Preferred - Experience teaching and/or in a leadership role in an urban setting

3. Certifications:

• Required - Holds a Wisconsin administrator/school principal license or is eligible for Wisconsin certification as an school principal within one year from date of hire.

4. Language:

• Required - English
• Preferred - English and Spanish

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Recruiting and Selecting, and Assignment of Staff

Uses a systematic, fair, and consistently applied hiring process to ensure staff have competencies to contribute to the school's mission and goals. Anticipate vacancies, recruit, assign staff based on student needs and staff qualifications and effectiveness. Orient staff to District and school goals, policies, and procedures.Assess professional practice by providing high quality feedback and support. Maintains accurate records and submits evaluation reports in a timely manner. Prepares employee reports per KUSD policy.

Professional Learning

Leads staff and collaborates with Teaching and Learning to provide learning opportunities that align with the School Improvement Plan to improve practice and ability to respond to student needs. Promote professional learning in others and actively pursue professional learning to support SIP.

Distributed Leadership

Coach and mentor staff to take leadership roles that contribute to meeting school goals.

Vision and Mission

Cultivate collective responsibility for student learning through collaborative development of the school's vision and mission in alignment with KUSD's mission and vision. Aligns initiatives to the goals in the SIP.

Student Achievement Focus

Engage in the SIP process to ensure all students have the opportunity to learn at high levels. Monitor and respond to achievement through the intervention process. Observe and provide feedback to ensure equitable access to quality instruction.

Engage staff in collaboration aligned to the SIP and District goals. Monitor the teaching assessing cycle of learning through data-based cycles of inquiry using relevant data to make instructional decisions. Set clear and realistic action steps and adhere to them to achieve school goals.

Professionalism

Demonstrate a positive demeanor and set an example for professional behaviors in others. Foster an environment of shared accountability for ethical practice and lead others in culturally responsive practice.

School Climate

Support school climate by fostering a shared understanding of the school's values, beliefs, goals, and standards for interactions that are inclusive and representative of the different perspectives. Develop trusting relationships that contribute to a climate of ownership and risk taking.

Communication

Communicate effectively to all stakeholders providing direction and developing understanding and motivation around school goals and improvement efforts.

Change Management and Shared Commitment

Build shared commitment and ownership within the school and broader community. Manage change, build consensus, and integrate district and state initiatives into the SIP process. Evaluates current programs and collaboratively implements systems for continuous improvement.

Learning Environment

Create an environment to support students' and staff's academic, social, and emotional success. Manages the operations of a school building by planning, sharing responsibilities for safety, maintaining an environment supportive of learning, and promoting physical and emotional well being.

Financial Management

Develop budgets and manage funds flexibly and responsibly in alignment with the SIP. Accounts for all funds collected within the school. Maintains inventories of supplies and equipment.

Policy Management

Ensures Maintain policies, procedures, laws, and regulations are followed to promote student learning and success of the school. Maintains student and staff records in accordance with state law.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

1. Knowledge of the promises and challenges of urban education.

2. Effective and efficient time/task management skills including planning, managing, and organizing.

3. Thorough knowledge of effective teaching methods, techniques, and processes for training teachers to become more effective in all performance domains.

4. Ability to facilitate effective meetings, to perform consensus-building, and to promote cooperation and communication ensure collaboration among groups teams.

5. Strong leadership skills including appropriate organization, creativity, flexibility, resourcefulness, and the ability to work within the organizational structure to facilitate change.

6. Knowledge of and experience with current technological tools used to enhance student learning.

7. Knowledge of state standards and ability to apply those to District curriculum, instruction, and facilitate success on state/district assessments.

8. Knowledge of and ability to apply standards-based instruction and assessment.

9. Ability to apply teaching and learning theory as it relates to best instructional practices

10. Ability to implement a data-driven accountability structure that drives professional development and instruction.

11. Ability to anticipate and be resourceful in coping with complex school/district problems in a consistent manner.

Interpersonal Skills:

• Dedication to the mission, vision, core values and strategic goals of Kenosha Unified School District.
• Ability to utilize professional and effective communication skills (listening, speaking, writing and presenting) with a diverse audience.

3. Ability to foster positive and productive relationships with all stakeholders (e.g. staff, students, parents, and community).

4. Demonstrates integrity and ethical behavior; sound judgment, courage and conviction.

5. Must be service oriented and actively look for ways to help people.

6. Must be able to demonstrate growth through experience and show receptivity to needed change.

7. Must present a professional appearance in dress and demeanor at all times.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Must be able to remain in a stationary position for long periods of time; occasionally required to move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc.; consistently and repetitively operates a computer and other office machinery such as calculator, copy machine and/or computer printer; regularly required to communicate and exchange accurate information with administration, staff, and the public. Occasionally be required to lift up to 20 pounds unassisted.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions consistently and to the satisfaction of the employer. Reasonable accommodations may be made for qualified disabled individuals. This job description is not an exhaustive list, as employees may be required to perform duties not specifically designated within this document, at the employer's discretion. The Kenosha Unified School District reserves the right to modify or interpret this job description as needed.

The Kenosha Unified School District is an Equal Opportunity Educator/Employer with established policies prohibiting discrimination on the basis of age, race, creed, religion, color, gender, national origin, disability or handicap, sexual orientation, or political affiliation in an educational program, activity, or employment in the District. The Superintendent of Schools/designee addresses questions regarding student discrimination, and the Chief Human Resources Officer answers questions concerning staff discrimination.

Created: June 6, 2024

Revised: May 2024