Description

PRIMARY PURPOSE:
The primary purpose of this position is to provide instructional leadership by establishing, promoting and leading efforts that align with the Renton Innovation Zone model as well as the District’s Vision of Instruction and Strategic Framework. The principal will foster an environment characterized by high expectations, data-driven decision-making, continuous improvement, capacity building, and cultural competence. The principal is responsible for leading and supporting building staff in the daily operation of the school with the goal of effectively enacting the Renton Innovation Zone model.

 ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS** 
The Renton School District is laser-focused on hiring talented leaders to drive high outcomes for students through raising academic achievement and closing opportunity gaps. Essential functions in this section are grouped by elements in the Renton Strategies for Highly Effective Principals. These strategies are aligned with the Leadership Framework developed by the Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP), which forms the basis for principal evaluations in Renton School District.

Instructional Leadership:

Establishes a mission and vision focused on shared goals and high expectations for all students.

1. Promotes an environment which fosters high expectations for students, staff and self.
2. Facilitates collaborative processes leading toward continuous improvement.
3. Leads for inclusive programming for students qualified for special education services and those learning English as a second language.

Implements rigorous standards-based curricula and assessments.

1. Recognizes the importance of setting high expectations for self, staff and students in the implementation and delivery of standards-based curricula.
2. Assists staff in implementing and aligning curricula to state and district standards.
3. Creates and monitors systems that ensure teachers utilize formative assessments to adjust instruction for improved student learning.

Uses relevant data to design, implement, and evaluate an aligned strategic plan that drives continuous improvement (and ensures effective core instruction and interventions).

1. Develops and monitors a School Improvement Plan which drives continuous improvement and is based on an analysis of achievement results and other data that are aligned with the District Improvement Plan.
2. Regularly leads and participates in data-driven conversations with individuals and groups of teachers to review student level data, discuss instructional implications, and build the capacity of teachers to lead and perfect their craft.
3. Locates, analyzes, and interprets multiple data sources to inform continuous school-level improvement efforts.
4. Assists staff in identifying and implementing proven instructional practices that are aligned with state and district learning goals.
5. Ensures that data for diverse student populations is available to all teachers; disaggregated; and with next steps that are clearly defined.
6. Provides evidence of student growth that is aligned with the school improvement planning process.
    

Strategic and Organizational Leadership:

Strategically manages resources to support all student learning and staff development priorities.

1. Manages both staff and fiscal resources to support student learning.
2. Analyzes instructional employee’s knowledge, skills and abilities as related to the adopted instructional framework, and provides or directs staff to appropriate professional development opportunities.
3. Utilizes staffing and scheduling practices in a manner that ensures the school day and school year maximize instructional time to benefit all students.

Manager of Talent: Increases teacher effectiveness through professional learning and rigorous supervision and evaluation.

1. Monitors instruction and assessment practices by using the District’s instructional framework to describe, analyze, and critique teacher performance, and to implement growth strategies where appropriate.
2. Utilizes coaching skills to build capacity in support of the core mission of the District.
3. Utilizes Professional Learning Communities to assist staff in analyzing data that reflect on current practice and inform improvement.
4. Ensures teachers receive regular, direct, actionable feedback regarding their classroom practice to grow professionally and to increase instructional consistency across all classrooms.
    

Manager of Talent: Recruits, hires, assigns, and retains effective staff.

1. Utilizes knowledge of effective instruction and other attributes of successful instructional staff to select highly qualified instructional staff.
2. Assigns staff to specific positions in a manner that maximizes the application of their knowledge and experience to desired student outcomes.
3. Deals with employee discipline in a manner that protects an individual’s due process rights while confronting and responding to unacceptable behavior.
4. Utilizes performance appraisal systems for all staff to recognize outstanding performance and identify and address substandard performance.
5. Evaluates designated certificated staff using the Danielson Framework for improved instructional practices and to address substandard performance.
    

Culture and Equity Leadership:

Develops cultural competence and a commitment to equity in adults and students.

1. Leads for equity toward college and career readiness.
2. Nurtures a school environment that celebrates, respects, and values diversity, where teaching and learning are made relevant and meaningful to students of various cultures.
3. Publicly draws attention to all equity gaps that exist for various groups of students with plans to address their elimination.
4. Initiates activities and discussions that lead to increased cultural competence of staff, informing and expanding teaching practices within classrooms.

 Community Leadership:

1. Actively identifies communication strategies that articulate the successes of the school to the broader community, resulting in creation of partnerships to bring additional people and resources into the school.
2. Actively advocates for members of the school community and effectively engages families and community.

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:

Reports to the Chief of Elementary Schools. classified and certificated staff. Interacts regularly with Principals, Chiefs of Schools, Deputy Superintendent for Learning and Teaching, building staff members, Superintendent, other building administrators, human resources staff, business office staff, and other department administrators. Interacts occasionally with other certificated and classified staff from throughout the district. Contacts with individuals outside of the district include frequent contact with parents, community members, and staff from other school districts; occasional contact with Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Puget Sound Educational Service District.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

The daily work is performed in an office setting and at various locations on the school campus and other district locations. The job incumbent is frequently required to: attend evening meetings or activities; sit for prolonged periods; be exposed to computer display terminal for prolonged periods; work long hours beyond the normal work day; and deal with sensitive, confidential information. The incumbent is sometimes required to: represent the district on potentially controversial matters; deal with distraught, angry, or hostile individuals; and meet externally imposed and inflexible deadlines.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Successful job incumbents will demonstrate, at a minimum, the level of education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities listed below.

Required Education and Experience

• Master’s degree in educational administration, curriculum and instruction, or related field.
• Hold or be eligible for appropriate Washington State administrative credential.
• In-depth training in the elements of effective learning and teaching, including the supervision of educational staff, and public school administration.
• Successful teaching experience at any level required (minimum three years).
• Leadership experience at the elementary school level preferred.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of effective practices as well as rules and regulations related to staff supervision, coaching, and evaluation
• Knowledge of latest research and elements of effective instruction
• Knowledge of culturally responsive practices
• Knowledge of effective staff development and improvement strategies
• Knowledge of laws related to special areas (e.g., ASB, special programs, grants)
• Knowledge of state and federal statutes and regulations applicable to job
• Knowledge of the components and purpose of the School Improvement Plan (SIP)
• Knowledge of special education discipline/504 regulations and laws
• Knowledge of change process and ability to apply knowledge to lead individuals and groups through continuous improvement
• Skills in collaboration, problem-solving, and consensus building with individuals and groups
• Skills and knowledge in staff evaluation including the ability to develop and manage effective probation plans and, where warranted, non-renewal procedures
• Skills in reviewing, analyzing, and implementing school safety and discipline plans based on relevant data
• Skills in collaboration, problem solving, conflict resolution, and mediation
• Skills in developing open communication systems that promote proactive identification and intervention of potential incidents
• Skills in developing and promoting a culture of shared leadership
• Skills using a variety of monitoring structures (e.g., informal observation, assessment and lesson plan analysis, formal lesson observation) to improve instruction and assessment of learning
• Ability to build collegial and collaborative relationships with and among school staff members
• Ability to develop and model an atmosphere of personal responsibility, trust, and collaboration among students and staff
• Ability to guide staff through the change process while maintaining focus on student learning goals
• Ability and commitment to support, partner with, and collaborate with administrative colleagues
• Ability to promote capacity-building for individuals and teams
• Ability to use authentic assessment data to measure culture and inform action of individuals, groups, and the school as a system
• Ability to nurture teacher-leaders who model effective instructional skills

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Related to Cultural Competence and Equity

• Knowledge/awareness of one’s own cultural identity and how this influences behavior; desire to learn about the cultural identity of others
• Knowledge of the needs and strengths of individuals and groups in the school
• Ability to establish and nurture an environment that promotes cultural competence and equitable treatment of staff and students
• Ability to understand and hold self and others accountable for promoting Renton School District’s commitment to provide “High quality instruction and learning for EVERY child, EVERY day, in EVERY classroom and environment”
• Ability to acknowledge and recognize students’ diverse learning styles and promote instructional practices to accommodate this diversity and provide access for all students
• Ability to learn and build on the varying cultural and community norms of staff, students, and their families
• Ability to promote cultural competence in instructional staff in a manner that informs and expands teaching practices
• Ability to recognize that each student is a unique individual even as we celebrate their group cultural heritage

* *   The list of essential functions in this job description is not exhaustive and may be supplemented as necessary by determination of an appropriate administrator and Human Resources.

Requirements

• Washington State Professional Educator certification as a teacher.
• Washington State school principal certificate.