Upper Elementary Principal Educator

Mission

As the Principal of the classroom, develop and manage a program that provides children with a foundation for achieving excellence as students and citizens. Use Montessori methodology, philosophy, and curriculum. Enrich the educational experience with parental and community involvement.

Compensation

Starting salary varies according to credentials and experience.

Time Commitment

Classroom hours plus:

·   Monthly Governing Council meetings

·   Time spent marketing your class to parents of currently enrolled children and parents of potentially enrolled children

·   Professional development — Montessori training, state requirements education, other courses as needed

·   Curriculum planning and development time

·   Classroom staff management time

·   Parent conferences, meetings, and phone calls

·   Participation in schoolwide events such as major fundraising parties, all-school meetings

Prerequisites

·   B.A. degree (Montessori certification desired)

·   Proven classroom management skills

·   Proven administrative and leadership skills

·   Excellent interpersonal skills — ability to work collaboratively with a variety of personalities and functions (students, parents, staff, teaching staff in other classrooms, governing council members, community members)

·   Ability to support and ask for support from peers

·   Proven ability to deliver individualized, innovative education

·   Ability to create assessment systems, analyze data, and act on data findings

·   Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks

Ongoing Qualifications

·   Commitment to the school’s mission

·   Montessori training, certification, and ongoing professional growth in the teaching with Montessori method.

Reporting

Reports to Governing Council.

Is also a member of the Governing Council.

Supervises classroom staff and volunteers.

Support

·   GC members — Support PEs in fulfilling the school's mission by providing expertise, helping to resolve problems, developing policy, making school-wide operational decisions, serving on school committees, and promoting the school within the local community.

·   Other PEs and Executive Director (ED)– the PEs and ED comprise the Leadership Team, which meets weekly.  The Leadership Team makes decisions on daily operational issues of the school, and provides a forum for discussing and brainstorming solutions for minor issues.  Many policies and strategies are vetted by the Leadership Team before they are presented to the GC for voting.

·   Classroom staff — the members of the PE's educational team complement the PE’s skills and knowledge.  Together, the classroom staff fulfills the PE’s mission, job objectives, and duties.

·   Office staff — ordering supplies, filing attendance and other state-required reports, tracking and reporting on budget and expenses, managing janitorial staff, facilitating communication between PEs and parents, GC members, and other PEs.

·   Parents — assist children with homework, observe the classroom, fill out annual Parent-Student Survey, participate in ad hoc or ongoing volunteer assignments (5 hours per year).

·   Community members — serve as resources as needed.

Job Objectives

·   Ensure that each child is stretching to increase his or her knowledge and/or understanding in the following areas:  language, mathematics, social studies, science, visual arts, dramatic arts, dance, and music. Document progress.

·   Ensure that each child is developing skills in collaborative work, critical thinking, time management, and responsible citizenship. Document progress.

·   Develop each child’s commitment to creative thinking and quality output.

·   Work with each child's parents to ensure that they understand and participate in their child's academic progress, and support the child in completing homework.

·   Ensure the physical and emotional children's safety at all times, both inside and outside the classroom, while they are on campus.

·   Ensure that children are respectful of each other and the staff.

·   Increase children's independence.

Duties

Classroom Administration:

·   Maintain effective classroom discipline.

·   Gain an understanding of state educational requirements, including special ed requirements, and document compliance with these requirements.

·   Gain an understanding of Sedona Charter School’s charter requirements, incorporate these requirements into the classroom program, and document compliance.

·   Work with other PEs to problem-solve, ensure continuity between classes, and implement all-school educational events (such as science fair, spelling bee, etc.)

·   Allocate budgeted classroom funds within parameters of charter, policies, and mission.

·   Maintain a neat, safe, and developmentally appropriate classroom environment.

·   Ensure continuity of student progress reporting and curriculum between classes.  This includes developing and maintaining a core competency (or “mastery criteria”) checklist, and tracking each student’s progress on the checklist.

·   Plan and implement community involvement/service projects, field trips, and classroom visitors.

Duties (cont’d)

Staff Administration:

·   Select a staff team with complementary skills and expertise to enable the fulfillment of the PE mission, job objectives, and duties. 

·   Mentor each staff member and facilitate each staff member’s professional growth.

·   Set annual goals for, and conduct annual evaluations of, each staff member, including the PE.

Teaching:

·   Develop and implement a classroom program that fulfills PE mission and job objectives.

Evaluation

·   Observations and written comments by other PEs once per year

·   Annual evaluation by staff

·   Annual self-evaluation against Principal Educator rubric and individual annual goals

·   Annual Parent-Student Satisfaction Survey

·   PE uses above evaluations to create goals for the next year.