Dever Elementary School, a fully inclusive PK-6 school located in Boston’s Columbia Point neighborhood, is looking for an Assistant Principal who is passionate about working collaboratively with Boston students, families and community partners to create powerful learning experiences for historically underserved students. As an urban educator-leader, you believe children from any background will do well if adults work together, with a shared sense of purpose and urgency, to create a school where every student feels known, loved, and motivated in the classroom every day. You understand big city school operations and know the impact you can have as a school leader who does operations well.
As Assistant Principal, you will work with the principal, other leadership team members, the Dever receiver team (School & Main Institute), the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), and Dever teachers, parents, community members, BPS staff, and other internal and external stakeholders to ensure smooth school operations, implement effective instruction student, and create strong systems of support for students, staff and families.
Reports to: Principal
Terms
Responsibilities
Shared Vision, Leadership, and School Culture
- Participate as a high functioning member of a collaborative and cohesive school administrative/leadership team. Promote a shared vision and shared practices that make relationships and powerful teaching and learning the central focus of the Dever experience.
- Effectively communicate Dever improvement priorities and implementation strategies to staff.
- Ensure a safe and supportive learning environment for students and staff by monitoring, modeling, and supporting critical school climate and culture practices.
- Work with the leadership team to ensure staff and students interact effectively in a fully inclusive and racially, culturally and linguistically diverse school where diversity is embraced as a strength and where student backgrounds are celebrated and tapped as assets to energize learning. Help staff identify and address inequities and/or disparities related to student growth outcomes.
- Take the lead on key areas of school operations to ensure the school day flows smoothly for students and staff, e.g. transportation, attendance. Assist the principal in other operational and managerial duties:
- planning professional development activities
- building and ground maintenance
- purchases and delivery of supplies and equipment
- maintenance of personnel and student records
- reports and statistics of school operations
- preparing and maintaining the master schedule within planning parameters established by principal
- ensuring fully operational technology and data systems
- supervising substitute teachers, including arranging for coverage, ensuring that substitute folders are up to date and available for monitoring and evaluating performance.
- coordinating curriculum, instruction, professional development, student activities, and student support services
- When designated, assume the duties of principal when s/he is not on premises.
- Instructional Improvement
- Assist the principal, director of instruction, instructional coaches, and teacher leaders with instructional improvement. Ensure that instructional practices engage all students, reflect high expectations regarding content and quality of student effort and work, and are personalized to accommodate diverse learning styles, needs, and interests.
- Assist in the support, supervision and evaluation of staff. Help nurture a culture in which staff members are reflective about their practice and use student data, current research, best practices and theory to continuously learn, adapt instruction and improve student outcomes. Model these behaviors in the assistant principal’s own practice.
- Build a strong culture of collaboration, mutual support, and shared learning among all staff.
- Student, Family and Community Partnership
- Support Dever family engagement staff in promoting effective partnerships between teachers and families (parent/caregiver and student feedback, family members as assets, strong two-way communication about student learning, involving parents and students in student support decisions, etc.)
- Help ensure the quality and effectiveness of community partner/provider services.
Required Qualifications
- Master's Degree. Within the Master's or supplementary to it, six (6) semester hours in educational administration and/or supervision courses
- Massachusetts Certification for Elementary School Principal #82 (old) OR #79(A) (new) or Principal/Assistant Principal Initial or Professional (PK-8)
- Three (3) years effective urban teaching experience
- Previous experience as an elementary school administrator
- Demonstrated leadership ability, strong interpersonal skills and personal characteristics necessary for working effectively with students, teachers, administrators and parents
- Strong communication skills (listening, writing, speaking, technology tools)
- Strong meeting facilitation and staff coaching skills
- Ability to respond to disagreement and dissent, constructively resolving conflict and building consensus
Preferred Qualifications
- Fluency in Spanish
- Knowledge of Boston Public Schools operational systems (transportation, enrollment/attendance, procurement, etc.); prior experience in BPS
The Boston Public Schools, in accordance with its nondiscrimination policies, does not discriminate in its programs, facilities, or employment or educational opportunities on the basis of race, color, age, criminal record (inquiries only), disability, homelessness, sex/gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, genetics or military status, and does not tolerate any form of retaliation, or bias-based intimidation, threat or harassment that demeans individuals’ dignity or interferes with their ability to learn or work.
Primary Location Dever Elementary
Salary Range 1.0 FTE