Posted on June 20, 2012

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Principal

DISTRICT OVERVIEW

Newark Public Schools (NPS) is in a historic period of change. With the appointment of Superintendent Cami Anderson and a significant level of national attention and investment, Newark has an incredible opportunity to transform the school system into one that ensures that all of its students graduate with the reading, writing, critical thinking, and quantitative skills to succeed in the college or career of their choice. In NPS, all means all – including students who fall behind or have been considered “hard to serve” for a host of reasons.

Currently, NPS has 73 schools serving ~39,000 students, of whom 82% qualify for free or reduced price lunch and 92% are students of color. Within the district, a sizable number of students do not meet or exceed state standards, and just over half of those who attend high school graduate with a diploma.

In order to meet our students’ needs, we seek excellent leaders who can drive unprecedented levels of student achievement. NPS principals must be relentless in their drive to achieve success for all students. In return, NPS empowers principals to lead by removing obstacles and providing the resources needed to succeed.

POSITION:

Newark Public Schools is committed to ensuring exemplary leadership at every one of its schools. To ensure that each student succeeds academically, the principal must be tenaciously focused on leading the school community to excel in these five focus areas: Student Academic Progress, Teacher Quality, School-wide Culture of High Expectations, Transformational Leadership, and Operational Excellence.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Principal’s responsibilities will include, but not be limited to, the following:

1. Cultivate Student Academic Progress

1. Sets ambitious student achievement targets for all students and the school as a whole
2. Creates explicit, rigorous learning goals for each grade, subject, classroom, and student
3. Aligns standards, curriculum, instructional strategies, and assessments. Emphasizes the Core Curriculum Standards and state standards
4. Uses multiple forms of student-level data to drive instructional strategy and implement student interventions

2. Increase Teacher Quality

1. Leads a rigorous process to recruit and hire effective teachers and support staff
2. Implements evidence-based, frequent classroom observations to provide quality feedback and coaching to teachers that lead to improvements in learning
3. Develops individualized professional development plans for every teacher with specific goals and supports
4. Strategically plans to retain high performers, support struggling performers, and take necessary action with low performers
5. Constructs targeted, goal-oriented professional development based on staff needs

3. Develop School-wide Culture of High Expectations

1. Articulates and drives a clear, shared vision and mission for high student achievement and college and career readiness
2. Aligns rituals, modeling, and communication that promotes high expectations and achievement for every student and staff
3. Drives a community-wide sense of urgency to achieve dramatic gains in student learning and to close the achievement gap
4. Ensures a physically and emotionally safe learning environment for all students
5. Proactively engages families and communities as partners in student learning

4. Demonstrate Transformational Leadership

1. Develops concrete plans with effective solutions that address root causes
2. Strategically manages change and effectively develops clear and appropriate communication to support change
3. Uses strong adult and team leadership skills to clearly define roles and responsibilities, strategically leveraging strengths of the school team
4. Continually focuses on self-improvement and continuous learning

5. Promote and Maintain Operational Excellence

1. Identifies educational goals and objectives and aligns the school’s operations and budgets to support these goals
2. Ensures smooth day-to-day operations across the school that minimize disruptions and increase focus on student learning

6. Performs related duties as required.

KEY COMPETENCIES:

The ideal candidate will demonstrate the following:

• The vision and courage to ensure every student, regardless of background, can achieve college and career success
• A demonstrated track record of increasing student achievement
• Instructional expertise in K-12 education with proven ability to support, coach, and develop teachers to improve instructional practice
• A record of success in leading adults and students
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills
• Strategic thinking, analytical capability, and problem-solving skills

QUALIFICATIONS:

We seek current or former educators who demonstrate:

1. Demonstrated track record of increasing student achievement, utilizing a variety of approaches to meet all students’ needs.

2. Master’s degree from an accredited college or university.

3. New Jersey Principal Certificate or a Letter of Eligibility for Principal.

4. Preferred:

• Demonstrated track record of providing effective staff development.
• Demonstrated successful experiences as a building level administrator or supervisor.
• Demonstrated successful experience as a school principal.

Salary Range:

Elementary Level:

Master’s degree: $103,456 - $127,650
Master’s degree plus 30 credits: $106,790 - $133,105

Secondary Level:

Master’s degree: $110,122 - $134,313
Master’s degree plus 30 credits: $113,456 - $139,768

Application Instructions

Complete and submit your application on www.leadnewark.com/apply-now. If you’re applying for the YWLN/NPS principal position, let us know by emailing us at NPSPrincipalApp@nps.k12.nj.us.

Though applications are accepted on a rolling basis, we strongly encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible. The Newark Public Schools only accepts electronic applications.