Assistant Principal

About the role

Assist the Principal in managing the education program and staff in order to achieve and maintain a high-quality, therapeutic learning and treatment environment. Nexus Family Healing is a national nonprofit network of mental health agencies with over 45 years of restoring hope for thousands of children and families through outpatient/community mental health services, foster care and adoption, and residential treatment. Safe Harbor School (SHS) is our very own private school that serves youth receiving treatment at Nexus-Indian Oak in Manteno, IL. SHS serves grades 6–12, and students participate in a curriculum tailored to their unique needs and current grade level. The school provides a special education curriculum accredited by the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement and approved by the Illinois State Board of Education. Credits transfer to any school upon the client’s discharge.

At Nexus Family Healing, we embrace diversity, promote equity, and foster inclusion. As a national mental health organization, we serve a diverse group of youth and families, and we strive for our workforce to support and represent that diversity.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement school curriculum that is current, outcomes-based, content- and quality-oriented, with a process for continual improvement.
• Maintain local and state accreditation requirements within established guidelines.
• Assist with monitoring the Individual Educational Plans (IEPs) process and serve as the administrative representative at IEP meetings in the Principal’s absence.
• Communicate with resident’s home school districts regarding the client’s placement and related issues.
• Participate in the interview and selection process for faculty and education staff; conduct thorough reference checks.
• Provide leadership and direction to all teaching assistants and behavior specialists; lead, coach, and develop employees, set clearly defined performance expectations, and deliver meaningful feedback.
• Build strong teams through effective leadership and team-building components, communicating a clear mission, outlining common goals, and promoting shared accountability.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of staff performance and student behavior management in the classroom.
• Provide performance management for assigned staff on an ongoing basis and conduct formal performance evaluations that are timely, constructive, and effective.
• Conduct and facilitate faculty meetings in the absence of the Principal.
• Maintain the tracking system for school documentation requirements and deadlines for school reports; ensure data and information are accurate and up to date.
• Schedule IEP meetings with all appropriate external and internal parties and participate as required; engage in additional school meetings as required, including quarterly staffing meetings.
• Develop and maintain trust, rapport, and credibility with students, parents, guardians, home school districts, and social service agencies to support the development of youth.
• Oversee the scheduling of outings, field trips, and monthly incentives, and review the educational relevancy of the outing with the Principal prior to approvals.
• Assist in the development of the school schedule and maintain a master schedule of all class times, meeting times, and other events to ensure time conflicts are minimized.
• Serve as back-up to the Principal in their absence; provide assistance to the Principal in assessment and development of school curriculum on an ongoing basis.
• Ensure appropriate staffing of all classrooms and provide backup support where required to ensure adequate coverage to meet school standards.
• Participate in quarterly meetings with Quality Improvement staff to assess data and outcomes.
• Ensure compliance with established safety and health codes and procedures for both faculty and students; identify safety and risk management issues that impact the therapeutic school environment, recommend solutions, and implement changes where approved/appropriate.
• Ensure appropriate boundaries are maintained in all staff/student interactions and that physical interventions are conducted appropriately and within training parameters.
• Demonstrate acceptance and respectfulness toward diversity concerning commonalities and differences such as gender, race, age, culture, ethnicity, class, religion, sexual preference, disability, and gender identity.
• Serve as an educational liaison as assigned with internal academy departments and external agencies and contacts.
• Provide crisis intervention and apply de-escalation techniques when appropriate while maintaining appropriate boundaries and relationships with students.
• Remain current on the latest accepted teaching techniques and tailor teacher feedback to meet the needs of emotionally and behaviorally challenged students within an educational and/or residential setting.
• Attend and participate in staff meetings and training sessions as required by Nexus; attend relevant conferences for continued education.
• Understand and support the Nexus philosophy and treatment modalities.
• Ensure confidentiality regarding students in compliance with all licensing agencies, company policy, COA, and HIPAA guidelines.
• Remain current on all company policies, assigned trainings and/or certification requirements; exhibit a high degree of ethical conduct, discretion, and confidentiality while exemplifying professional behavior.
• Exhibit clear, professional, respectful, and effective communication when interfacing with residents, staff, families, and external contacts and share knowledge, information, and resources appropriately.
• Assist with off-campus activities when needed and perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in education along with Type 75 licensure required.
• Minimum of 5 years teaching experience; master’s degree strongly preferred.
• 1+ year supervisory experience preferred.
• First Aid/CPR/Infection Control/Bloodborne Pathogen/TCI certification required.
• Valid driver’s license required; must meet state regulating agency and Home Office driving requirements.
• Must successfully pass an IL DCFS criminal background check.
• Must successfully participate and complete a three-part Therapeutic Crisis Intervention exam and training.
• Must have the ability to build strong relationships with diverse individuals or communities and understand their unique needs and challenges.
• Must be open to meeting the cultural needs of individuals or communities, considering factors such as language, traditions, and values.

Benefits

• Four weeks paid time off (PTO) in the first year of employment.
• Multiple options for health insurance coverage.
• No-cost life insurance.
• Short/long-term disability insurance.
• 401k match.
• Talkspace Therapy Benefit for the whole family.
• Hinge Health Benefit for the whole family.
• Carrot Fertility Benefit.
• Tuition assistance and training opportunities.
• Advancement pathways and internal promotion.

Pay

$80,000–$90,000 annually based on credentials and years of teaching experience.

Schedule

Full-time. SHS follows a year-round academic calendar, including scheduled break weeks and holidays off.