Academy Principal General Applicant Pool - Houston

About the role

Principals are systems leaders and people managers who coach and develop teachers and lead team members at their school to achieve ambitious goals with students. Principals focus on excellence and continuous improvement, and they expect and foster these values in staff and students. Principals lead their schools to ensure IDEA’s mission of College for All Children becomes reality.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Directly manage campus leadership (i.e. Assistant Principals of Instruction, Assistant Principal of Operations, Director of College Counseling, etc).

Travel Expectations

• Travel to IDEA training events or step-back may be required.

Essential Duties

• Lead School Culture Systems: Set the vision for school culture and build and maintain strong schoolwide systems to ensure that vision becomes a reality. Ensure all teachers are proficient in building positive student relationships, creating effective classroom routines and procedures, reinforcing positive behaviors, and responding consistently and effectively to misbehaviors. Coach and train teachers to master these skills, and coach and develop other leaders to do the same so that you can drive this work through your lead team.
• Lead Instructional Systems: Build and maintain strong schoolwide systems to ensure all teachers internalize their content, deliver high quality first instruction, and analyze data in order to implement strategic adjustments and interventions that increase student learning. Coach and develop other instructional leaders to do the same and drive this work through your instructional lead team.
• Lead Operational Systems: Build and maintain strong systems for school operations to ensure your campus is safe, welcoming, and efficiently run. Coach and manage the assistant principal of operations to meet student enrollment and daily attendance goals. Coach and develop the assistant principal of operations to be an excellent systems leader and people manager so that they can drive results through their operations team.
• Lead Family Engagement Systems: Build and maintain strong systems for family engagement and communication, including both new family onboarding and ongoing family engagement. Ensure families receive regular communication about their child’s progress and school events, and that staff engage them as key partners in the education of their child. Coach and manage other leaders to do the same so that you can drive this work through others.
• Lead Staff Culture and Talent Management: Make strategic hiring, retention and promotion decisions, and coach other leaders to do the same. Build and maintain systems for fostering a strong staff culture, and coach other leaders to do the same. Build and maintain strong systems for coaching and management so that all staff members receive excellent coaching and are held accountable for meeting high expectations in service of our students.
• Strategically Manage your Campus Budget: Plan how to use your campus discretionary funds to achieve your campus priorities and driving goals. Work with your assistant principal of operations, business clerk and admin assistant to ensure your campus discretionary budget is managed strategically throughout the year. Coach and manage your assistant principal of operations to lead the operations team to meet their budget goals.
• Ensure your Campus Remains in Compliance: Complete all required annual compliance training and ensure your staff members do the same. Build and maintain systems to ensure that staff members and the campus as a whole remains in compliance with all applicable laws and policies. Coach and develop other leaders to do the same so that you can drive this work through others.
• Lead Special Programs: Build and maintain strong schoolwide special program systems to ensure all students with IEPs, 504s, and any other eligibilities (ie EB) receive the instruction and services they need for success. Ensure there are systems in place to meet all state compliance requirements as outlined by state and federal laws.
• Lead Data Systems: Plan, execute, and maintain systems that allow for school-wide data collection, analysis, and action in order to make strategic data-driven decisions.

Knowledge and Skills – Competencies

• Make Sound Decisions: Guide the decision-making process within the team. Foster a collaborative environment where team members contribute to decision-making, ensuring that diverse perspectives are considered and team consensus is built when appropriate.
• Manage Work and Teams: Responsible for the overall performance and cohesion of the team. Build operating mechanisms, establish strategic plans, and implement project management systems that ensure that the team operates smoothly and achieves its targets.
• Grow Self and Others: Foster a culture of growth within the team. Create opportunities for team learning, facilitate team development sessions, and ensure that team members have the resources and support they need to grow professionally.
• Build Trust and Psychological Safety: Ensure team members feel safe to express their ideas and concerns. Proactively address conflicts and facilitate open communication, setting the standard for trust and safety within the team.
• Communicate Deliberately: Prioritize open channels of communication on the team. Facilitate team meetings, ensure clear dissemination of information, and encourage feedback loops within the teams to promote understanding and cohesion.

Required Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s degree is required.
• Experience: Minimum of 3 years of experience in education is required.

Preferred Experience

• Education: Master's degree.
• Certification: Principal certificate.
• Experience: 3+ years of experience as an instructional leader and 3+ years of experience as a teacher.

Physical Requirements

• The ability to see and respond to dangerous situations.
• Standing, vision, lifting, walking.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salaries for people entering this role typically fall between $114,200 and $135,900, commensurate with relevant experience and qualifications and in alignment with internal equity.
• Eligible for performance pay based on organizational performance and goal attainment.
• Medical, dental, and vision plans, disability, life insurance, parenting benefits, flexible spending account options, generous vacation time, referral bonuses, professional development, and a 403(b) plan.
• May offer a relocation stipend to defray the cost of moving for this role, if applicable.