High School Principal

Providence Public Schools District (PPSD) seeks an exceptional HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL who is highly qualified and skillful to join our community of teachers, students and stakeholders.

The Providence Public School District (PPSD) serves approximately 22,000 students attending our 37 schools. PPSD employs more than 3,200 professionals who work in and provide support to our schools, which include 20 elementary schools, 7 middle schools, 11 high schools and 2 public district charter schools. Of our employees, approximately 2,000 are educators, and more than 600 others directly support students and families in our schools.

Our schools are diverse learning communities. Approximately 68% of our students are Latinx, 15% Black, 7% White, 4% Asian, 5.5% Multi-racial and 1% Native American. Approximately 40% of students are multilingual learners, and about 16% of students receive special education services. Approximately 55% of students come from homes where English is not the primary language spoken. Combined, our students and families speak more than 55 different languages and hail from 91 countries of origin.

The High School Principal is responsible for administering and leading the total school program which focuses on student-centered learning; equity; achievement; building a positive school climate that supports the whole student; leveraging research and data to drive initiatives and instruction; and building a high-performing staff and leadership team to achieve the school’s vision and goals. The principal will collaborate with parents, community members, consultants, as well as other internal/external stakeholders to implement educational programs, capital improvements, systems reform, tools, and other resources to accelerate student achievement.

This role is an exciting opportunity to serve as a leader within a diverse and dynamic team committed to transforming public education in the Providence Public School District (PPSD). We’re hiring someone who believes in the capacity of all students to achieve at high levels, and the ability to work collaboratively with a diverse set of partners and stakeholders to drive transformative change within and outside of an organization.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED: The principal will be supervised by the assigned Zone Director.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED: The principal will plan, coordinate, organize, supervise and evaluate the work of the instructional, professional and clerical staff.

EDUCATION TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

• Master’s degree from an accredited college or university with an emphasis in educational administration/leadership;
• Minimum of five (5) years in teaching experience;
• Must have had experience in an educational leadership position, such as may have been gained through academic coaching, or as a certified administrator.

RIDE REQUIREMENT: Rhode Island Department of Education Certification Building Administrator K-12.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS STANDARDS:

• Strong knowledge of curriculum, instruction, organizational patterns, school operations, and student services.
• Demonstrated competence in staff recruitment, training, supervision, and evaluation.
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills and ability to act effectively under stress.
• Ability to motivate, encourage, and work with staff to ensure outstanding performance as well as good morale.
• Excellent oral and written communication and interpersonal skills; multilingualism preferred.
• Strong belief that all students can learn to high levels and thrive when given the chance.
• Able to adapt to the complexities of the urban school environment.
• Creative thinking and critical analysis skills.
• Familiar with best practices on the school level that create and sustain change.
• Able to build capacity in others.
• Knowledge of current education policy trends.
• Proven experience leading in urban district schools to accelerate student academic and learning performance.
• Extensive knowledge of comprehensive assessment systems.
• Success with professional development design and delivery to help teachers raise test scores using data.
• Proven experience in conducting rigorous evaluations of educator and school staff performance.
• Knowledge of social emotional wellness programs.
• Experience with effective instruction for English Learners and Special Education Students.
• Must have the knowledge and skills to build positive relationships with people from diverse populations.
• Commitment to the mission and vision of PPSD and the relevance of job functions to that mission and vision.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be confidential.
• Must possess and consistently model excellent interpersonal and customer service skills and the ability to maintain composure in a fast-paced and demanding environment.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES AND CURRICULAR LINKAGES:

Results Orientation:

• Promote a widely shared institutional belief that every child deserves and can have expert instruction and that all team members must be advocates for students.
• Set high performance goals for themselves and others despite instability and obstacles to success.
• Create a sense of urgency and take immediate action to ensure early successes.
• Establish and monitor high standards for excellence with students, teachers, staff, and other stakeholders.
• Align school resources and prioritize activities to achieve maximum results based on vision and goals.
• Relentlessly focus school activities on student achievement.

Action Orientation:

• Effectively plan and take action to achieve goals and objectives without direction.
• Consistently identify potential issues and obstacles and proactively take action to create and implement solutions.
• Formulate and execute on action plans despite ambiguity, obstacles, or resistance.

Impact and Influence:

• Establish a culture of collaboration, learning, and achievement.
• Act consistently to influence others’ thinking and behavior to achieve results.
• Communicate a clear vision of success and benefits to engage others.
• Identify and engage stakeholders (e.g. parents, community) to drive consensus, build trust, and facilitate change.
• Influence others to take action and demand change.

Develop and Lead High Performing Teams:

• Effectively build and organize adult teams to mirror vision and produce maximum results.
• Be reflective about strengths and growth areas.
• Select assignments to build team capacity.
• Effectively delegate to others and engage the team in decision-making.
• Encourage learning and consistently provide instruction, expectations, feedback, and other developmental activities to encourage leadership and build capacity.
• Consistently inspire excellence and promote high morale.
• Quickly recognize patterns and trends related to school performance.
• Analyze complex information to formulate strategic vision and develop action plans.
• Identify appropriate metrics and use qualitative and quantitative data to assess performance and drive goals and decision-making.
• Recognize cause and effect between instructional activities and results.
• Develop the right balance of strategic and tactical plans to achieve immediate success while maintaining long-term vision.
• Develop effective processes to achieve desired results.

Confidence to Lead: