Job Description

ORGANIZATION

Salem Academy Charter School (SACS) is a nationally ranked urban charter school north of Boston offering a rigorous college preparatory program to 480 students in grades 6-12. For 18 years, SACS has been committed to serving the diverse population of Salem. Through a unique integration of rigorous college preparatory classes with service to the community, Salem Academy graduates informed, articulate and proactive individuals of strong character. Salem Academy is committed to building a diverse and inclusive community. We seek to support a faculty and staff that reflects the rich diversity of our student body, creating a culture and environment where diverse perspectives, ideas, and identities are valued and integrated into our way of working and educating students.

To learn more about Salem Academy Charter School, please visit .

OPPORTUNITY

The Lower School Principal is the educational leader of the middle school program. The principal is responsible for student learning through a well-developed curriculum executed by a trained and talented faculty. The principal provides mission leadership for faculty and students, assures the orderly running of the school, and directs the day-to-day operations of the Lower School\xe2\x80\x99s academic and extracurricular life.

The Lower School Principal works closely with the Student Services Team to ensure that our 6-12 school culture is positive and inclusive for all. The Lower School Principal oversees the academic and social development of approximately 216 students in grades 6-8 and supervises a faculty and staff of roughly 30-35 people. The Lower School Principal reports directly to the Senior Director of Academics who oversees the 6-12 educational program. The Senior Director of Academics reports to the Executive Director who is appointed by the Board of Trustees.

Successful candidates will be experienced professionals with proven skills in instructional leadership, curriculum development, problem-solving, managing people, and data-driven decision making. They will be self-starters, able to build effective teams through strong organizational and communication skills. Candidates will have experience developing a school community that is positive, respectful, and inclusive of all students. The ideal candidate will be passionate about SACS\xe2\x80\x99s mission and vision and have a proven track record of achieving academic success with a diverse student body. They will have experience leading social-emotional learning, cultural proficiency, and service learning.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Organizational Leadership

• Collaborates with the Senior Leadership Team and the Board of Trustees to finalize the schools short-and long-range planning in areas of possible growth, expansion and new educational opportunities. Uses data to design professional development structure and annual calendar.
• Participates in recruiting, hiring, and development processes for academic staff, ensuring compliance with DESE guidelines for charter school educators.

Instructional Leadership

• Leads the Instructional Leadership Team in creating a mission-driven inclusive college-going culture of achievement that permeates the school and builds students\xe2\x80\x99 academic skills and social and emotional competencies.
• With secondary leaders and faculty, develops and implements the Service-Learning program with fidelity. Engages teachers in quarterly academic program analysis, and manages long-term and annual school planning.
• Creates and implements effective professional development opportunities for their staff.
• With Curriculum Team Leaders (CTLs), develops and implements long-term plans for curriculum, assessment, and instruction.
• Implements and continuously refines the cycles for teacher feedback and evaluation aligned with DESE\xe2\x80\x99s model educator evaluation system.
• Collaborates with the Director of College Counseling in reaching school-wide goals around college-preparedness, matriculation, and graduation.
• Uses data to design programming related to student culture, course offerings, athletics, activities, and electives.

Safe & Supportive School Culture

• Maintains a visible presence in the daily life of the school: observing classrooms, building relationships with students, and enforcing school norms in a safe and supportive manner.
• Retains, recruits, and supports an excellent faculty capable of delivering an educational program that is innovative, flexible, and successful in meeting the needs of a diverse student population.
• Sustains and enhances a strong culture of achievement through classroom instruction, coherent college preparatory curriculum, daily rituals, special events, and extracurricular programs for grades 6-8.
• Cultivates a school culture that celebrates student achievement and diversity.
• Designs professional development sessions for staff related to school-wide professional development themes.
• Supports a spirit of partnership and a strong sense of community among the school\xe2\x80\x99s students, parents, and faculty.
• Maintains and develops community partnerships particularly in support of Service-Learning.
• Evaluates faculty according to DESE\xe2\x80\x99s model educator evaluation system.

Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment

• Establishes timely interim assessments, resulting in regular analysis of student data to drive increased achievement.
• Uses trend analysis of key student performance metrics (e.g. interim assessments, graduation rate, college matriculation and completion, attendance, discipline, and attrition); to inform curricular choices and student achievement.
• Develops and implements assessment systems and processes to ensure that strategic instructional activities are in place to achieve the school\xe2\x80\x99s educational goals and objectives as well as meet state and federal accountability requirements.
• Oversees 6-8 curriculum development, ensuring it meets state and federal requirements, meets the terms of SACS\xe2\x80\x99 mission, provides appropriate rigor, and meets the diverse needs of all students.
• Facilitates effective use of learning time by maximizing increased instructional time focused on student academic needs, ensuring student engagement, differentiated instruction and focused interventions, and integrates curriculum to strengthen key concepts across all subject areas.
• Ensures that classrooms are safe and supportive and teaching is grounded in culturally relevant pedagogy. Aligns the use of funds to support research-based strategies that improve teaching and learning; oversees the allocation materials and staff resources across grades 6-8.

Family and Community Engagement

• Ensures parents and community stakeholders are proactively engaged and invested in the school\'s culture and vision; provides support for faculty and staff in culturally proficient engagement of families.
• Supports the SFC in fostering parent engagement and support for SACS.
• Works to systematically integrate feedback from families, community members and other active participants of the school community around instructional decisions or ideas.
• Partners with the Development and Communications team to manage communication with families and SACS community.
• Serves as an ambassador and advocate of Salem Academy, articulating the mission and program with clarity and enthusiasm.
• Attends both school and community events as needed (e.g. El Punto Block Party, Lions Club Speech Competition, Voices Against Injustice, etc.).

Requirements

To fulfill these responsibilities, the ideal candidate will be:

• Unwavering belief in our mission and vision: that all students can achieve at high levels Ability to promote a structured, orderly, safe, and respectful school environment that fosters student-centered learning
• Demonstrated ability to connect with diverse students and families
• Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, and collaborate with adults from a diverse range of perspectives and backgrounds
• Openness to change, willingness to problem-solve, and an interest in developing new ideas and programs Self-awareness, humility, and integrity in all interactions, personally and professionally Outstanding written and oral communication skills
• At least five years of teaching experience
• At least three years of school leadership experience
• Master\xe2\x80\x99s degree required
• Massachusetts principal\xe2\x80\x99s license preferred
• Charter school experience preferred
• Fluency in Spanish a plus

Benefits

This position offers a salary range of $120,000 - $140,000. For additional questions about this position or to speak with someone about your interest, please contact Floricet Diaz at fdiaz@edgilityconsulting.com.

Salem Academy Charter School values a school culture that celebrates learning, and we believe that the adult culture in the school is the foundation of the school\xe2\x80\x99s success. The culture is based on mutual respect, integrity, professionalism, a commitment to excellence, a collaborative spirit, and a sense of human kindness, particularly as it relates to age-appropriate adolescent development. Salem Academy Charter School provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.#LI-FD1

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