Position: Principal (Innovative Cultural, Instructional, Operational Leader)

Reports To: Chief Executive Officer

Salary:  NC Principal Salary Schedule ($95,540 minimum - $104,226 maximum) + Local 

Supplement

Benefits: Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System (TSERS), NC State Health Plan,    flexible benefits package options including NC457b and NC401k, excellent professional growth opportunities

FLSA Status: Exempt

NEAAAT is a highly innovative regional public school that inspires and prepares all students with the STEM-related skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed to meet future challenges in the global workforce and their communities. Our instructional methods are centered on hands-on, project and problem based instruction thoughtfully designed to challenge students and prepare them for the real world of work. We encourage and support each other to think differently, creatively, and purposefully about teaching and learning, keeping with the idea that we’re all teachers, we’re all learners, and we all have potential for high intellectual and professional growth throughout our lives. Our school currently serves students in grades 5-12 residing in North Carolina’s northeast region.

Position Purpose

The NEAAAT principal is an innovative leader who embodies our core values and fosters a family-like environment while promoting The NEAAAT Way. This role is not just a job; it’s a calling for those with the courage to overcome fear, think creatively, and embrace change. As a primary brand ambassador, the principal is the day-to-day face of NEAAAT, both on campus and in the community, modeling a personal commitment to excellence. The principal deepens the commitment to our shared vision by building strong relationships across all stakeholder groups and maintaining a high-quality, inclusive learning environment. Within our team-oriented culture, the principal empowers staff to innovate and implement strategies that drive school improvement so that NEAAAT remains a beacon of academic achievement and professional growth. The ideal candidate is passionate about collective responsibility, data-driven instruction, and empowering educators to achieve remarkable outcomes, and she/he has a history of fostering positive relationships, consistent focus on high expectations, and dedication to lifelong learning and professional growth.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Cultural Leadership and Support

• Creates conditions that grow and sustain a family-like environment (i.e., The NEAAAT Family) and the unique culture of the school (i.e., The NEAAAT Way). 
• Demonstrates and builds in others the courage to overcome fear, think creatively, and embrace change. 
• Serves as a primary brand ambassador for the school, both on campus and throughout the community. Models a personal commitment to excellence and strong adherence to the school’s core values through verbal/written communications, behaviors and actions.
• Demonstrates a deep personal commitment to the school’s mission and vision and grows mutual understanding and strong support for the mission and vision across stakeholder groups.
• Develops deep, positive relationships with students, staff, and parents.
• Maintains student discipline to minimize disruptions and foster a high quality, inclusive learning environment.
• Maintains a collaborative work environment that supports the “team” as the basic unit of learning and decision making within the school and promotes cohesion and cooperation among staff.
• Creates an environment of distributed leadership wherein staff are empowered and enabled to recommend, test, and implement creative, innovative instructional and school improvement strategies.
• Implements processes that motivate and empower all members of the school community to make significant decisions.
• Maintains high visibility throughout the school and the school community.

Instructional Leadership and Support

• Leads the development and continuous improvement of a highly effective, improvement-oriented professional learning community characterized by collective responsibility for academic achievement.
• Ensures that scheduling processes encourage and incorporate staff input, address diverse student learning needs, and foster high academic growth for all students.
• Creates processes for collecting and using student performance data (quantitative and qualitative) from a variety of sources to improve instruction.
• Systematically and frequently observes in classrooms and provides coaches with timely and actionable feedback that results in continuous professional growth and academic excellence.
• Develops and sustains strong positive relationships with students by systematically and frequently engaging them in meaningful conversations about their learning, interests, and general well-being.
• Builds a sense of efficacy and empowerment among staff that results in increased capacity to accomplish substantial outcomes.
• Focuses one’s own and others’ attention persistently and publicly on coaching and learning by initiating and guiding conversations about instruction and student learning that are oriented towards high expectations and concrete goals.
• Demonstrates deep knowledge of the school’s curriculum, research-based and emerging best practices, standards-based and competency-based frameworks, and performance-based assessments by leading and actively participating in meetings where these topics are discussed and holding frequent formal or informal conversations with students, staff and parents around these topics. 
• Facilitates the continuous improvement of Powerful Learning Experiences (i.e. 3D process) in ways that ensure all students consistently meet or exceed grade level or course standards. 

Operational Leadership and Support

• Collaborates with a wide variety of stakeholders to develop and continuously improve the processes and procedures used to carry out the daily routine of the school.
• Ensures the collaborative development and implementation of the School Improvement Plan, including active participation from parents and students.
• Collaboratively develops and consistently enforces clear expectations, rules and procedures for students, staff, and parents.
• Supervises and appraises the performance of assigned school staff in accordance with state and local requirements.
• Manages and coordinates resources to efficiently sustain high quality daily operations.

Other

• Carries out all assigned action steps related to the organization’s strategic plan and meets or exceeds annual performance targets.
• Demonstrates a personal commitment to professional growth through participation in professional learning activities. 
• Performs other duties and responsibilities, as requested by the CEO. 

Qualifications

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Ability to consistently meet deadlines, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and achieve program goals and objectives.
• Understanding of the emotional and social development of children and the influences of family, community, and cultural differences on student success.
• Ability to develop and maintain positive working relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders, both internally and externally.
• Familiarity with current trends and leading innovations in education.
• Ability to work effectively in a collegial, team-centered environment.
• Consistently exhibits positive behaviors that foster motivating conditions for colleagues (a motivator).
• Intrinsically motivated and dedicated to continuous professional and personal growth.
• Represent the school positively in the community.
• Demonstrate functional knowledge of a wide range of technologies to maximize efficiency and effectiveness.
• Ability to cultivate effective relationships with post-secondary institutions, employers, community leaders and organizations.
• Demonstrate a continuous improvement mindset and ability to foster a growth mindset in others.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple projects simultaneously without direct supervision.
• Ability to convey information clearly, concisely, and in accordance with the NEAAAT brand through a variety of written, verbal, and digital (i.e., multimedia) communications. 
• Ability to provide leadership and to supervise the planning, establishment, and continuous improvement of new, modified or improved programs, services and activities.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships.
• Ability to perform under stress, deal with persons acting under stress and adapt when confronted with emergency situations (i.e., keep a “cool head” when challenging circumstances emerge).
• Knowledge of confidentiality requirements in local, state and federal laws and regulations.
• Physical ability (able to exert up to 40 pounds of force occasionally) and dexterity to perform the duties and responsibilities of the job.
• Ability and willingness to work well beyond a typical 40-hour work week in order to maximize effectiveness and meet program deadlines.

Minimum Education, Training, Experience

• Master’s degree in school administration, educational leadership, curriculum and instruction, or a closely related field. 
• Minimum of five years experience as a middle or high school educator. Previous experience as a school or district leader is preferred.

Certification and License Requirements

• Valid and current NC Professional Educator’s License, including NC Principal Licensure or eligible to obtain licensure at the principal level or above.

Evaluation

• Performance will be evaluated in reference to this job description and local performance goals.

Place of Residence

• Must reside within a 45-minute drive from NEAAAT or relocate to meet this requirement within 6 months of employment.

NEAAAT provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, NEAAAT complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. The above statements are intended to describe the general purpose and responsibilities assigned to this position. They are not intended to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and skills that may be required of the employees assigned to this position. NEAAAT employees are employees at will and either party may sever the employment relationship by notice to the other party at any time and for any reason. This description may be revised by the supervisor at any time.