Elementary School Principal

About the role

The Office of Catholic Education in the Diocese of Harrisburg seeks an experienced and visionary leader to serve as the Elementary School Principal at St. Joseph Catholic School in Hanover, Pennsylvania.

Responsibilities

• Administer the school according to Diocesan and local policies.
• Lead the school to achieve its goals of Catholic education.
• Show evidence of knowledge of the Catholic Philosophy of Education.
• Create a Catholic community within the school.
• Integrate the goals and objectives of the school with those of local parish(es), especially in faith formation and student/faculty development.
• Maintain open communication channels with all segments of the school clientele.
• Show respect for individuals and fairness in dealing with others.
• Serve as the Executive Officer of a Board of Education, reporting regularly to the Board on implementation of policies, curriculum development, and school concerns.
• Prepare the necessary background material for local policy formation and long-range planning.
• Update the Board on current educational trends, issues, new laws, and other in-service matters.
• Aid the Board and the Pastor in preparing the annual budget and administering it within designated parameters.
• Confer regularly and frequently with the Chairperson of the Board of Education.
• Lead and involve the faculty in philosophy and Mission Statement evaluation, curriculum assessment, and planning for instructional improvement.
• Ensure the implementation of the Diocesan Religion curriculum and a spiritual and religious formation program for the faculty and students.
• Promote the growth of the faculty through on-going supervision and evaluation.
• Diversify the curriculum to serve the scope of abilities, talents, interests, and needs of students.
• Be familiar with all textbooks and instructional materials used throughout the school.
• Devise a plan for the regular replacement of textbooks and materials.
• Assist teachers in the guidance, assessment, and analysis of student achievement.
• Provide the faculty with materials and resources necessary for their assigned tasks.
• Conduct monthly faculty meetings and provide opportunity for faculty involvement in agenda preparation.
• Oversee scheduling of classes and daily lesson planning by teachers.
• Develop and communicate routine procedures for the operation of the school.
• Publish rules, regulations, schedules, and procedures, and be consistent in expectations regarding them.
• Maintain discipline throughout the school to establish a learning environment.
• Unify expectations for high academic standards throughout the school.
• Implement fire, tornado, health and safety codes in the school and on the school grounds.
• Provide appropriate maintenance and cleanliness of the school for the safety and well-being of the students.
• Meet deadlines with official school reports and statistics as required by Diocesan and State personnel.
• Keep school files organized in a professional manner.
• Be responsible for overseeing accurate and up-to-date cumulative, attendance, and health records on every student.
• Provide opportunities for regular conferences and meetings of parents and teachers.
• Provide channels for parent involvement and input in curriculum and school policies.
• Alert parents to the special needs and/or problems of their children.
• Keep parents informed through regular school bulletins.
• Cooperate with, and help to promote, the various programs existing in and for the school.
• Represent the school to the general community.
• Develop and maintain public relations with and among appropriate publics.

Qualifications

• A practicing Catholic with a value system and lifestyle consistent with Catholic Church teaching, committed to ongoing personal spiritual development, and willing and able to foster a faith community among faculty members and students.
• An educator holding a Master's degree in Educational Administration with a Pennsylvania Administrative certificate, or a Master's degree in Education with a commitment to pursue the required courses for a Pennsylvania Administrative certificate.
• An educator with at least five (5) current years of satisfactory Catholic school teaching/administrative experience.
• An educator able to present evidence of certification of religious studies comparable to the current requirements established by the Office of Catechetical Training, or committed to attaining such certification within the first three years of principalship.