Assistant Principal-Middle School

In compliance with state and federal laws the Newton Public Schools is committed to equity anti-racism anda nondiscrimination policyfor students employees and prospective applicants. All educational and employment determinations are based on an individuals qualifications and achievements without regard to race color religion sex sexual orientation age pregnancy gender identity genetic information national origin ancestry homelessness physical or mental disability veteran status or any other basis prohibited by state and/or federal statute.

Summary:

Provides overall support to the middle school principal. Specific areas of responsibility include: shaping a positive school climate providing educational leadership and assuring the smooth day-to-day operation of the school.

Required Qualifications:

• Masters Degree or higher in education administration special education or related field
• Massachusetts DESE licensure as an middle school teacher and/or special education teacher required; eligible for license as a middle school principal or special education
• Five or more years of successful teaching experience preferably at the middle school level required reflecting a comprehensive understanding of teaching and learning
• Demonstrated ability to perform the responsibilities below as evidenced by course work educational experience school-level involvement and/or system wide professional activities and the interview process
• Ability to handle a multitude of varying and complex issues
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Solid technological skills
• Demonstrated organizational skills

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience in school administration or related field desired but not required
• Experience providing professional development

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities (Not Limited To):

Shaping a Positive School Climate

• Effective Discipline -There is a constant stream of incidents that demand the administrations care and attention each and every day. An effective assistant principal is proactive with respect to discipline builds a respectful school community and implements alternative disciplinary measures. The assistant principal consistently showcases high expectations for student behavior and invests staff in upholding these expectations. He or she guides the staff in creating a positive classroom climate and a consistent approach to behavioral infractions. Each incident brought to an assistant principals attention demands a thorough (and often time consuming) investigation as well as fairly administered consequences (including suspensions and detentions). Executed effectively such interventions reduce incidents of inappropriate classroom behavior bullying harassment and fighting.
• Family Engagement and Collaboration The assistant principal works to ensure that all families are welcome and can contribute to classroom school and community effectiveness. He or she ensures that communication with families is always respectful and demonstrates understanding and appreciation of different families home language culture and values. The assistant principal reaches out to families proactively and as soon as concerns arise and effectively reaches equitable solutions that satisfy families faculty and staff and are in the best interest of Parents often call the school needing administrative assistance and advice. Whether alerting an administrator to a social or academic concern each issue requires great care and responsiveness. Over time the assistant principal develops a strong rapport and level of trust with parents helping to assure that parents and faculty work in concert to support their children. This relationship becomes very important in the context of disciplinary proceedings.
• School Safety In general the assistant principal is responsible for assuring that the building is properly staffed and that students are well supervised in school and on their way to and from school. They work to assure that school remains a safe place both in regard to the physical environment and the psychological well-being of the students. The assistant principal implements and/or supports school-wide routines and consequence including policies and systems to prevent and address bullying harassment and other behaviors that threaten students social and emotional well-being. He or she develops and implements culturally sensitive policies that acknowledge the diverse backgrounds identities strengths and challenges of students and staff and actively integrates respect for human differences and anti-bias/anti-racist practices. He or she is also responsible for responding to emergencies and other urgent situations that may arise during the day throughout the building including student staff and community issues.
• Articulation The assistant principals work closely with the guidance staff to assure a smooth articulation of students from the elementary to the middle schools and from the middle to the high schools. They also lead the 6^th Grade orientation program.
• Monitoring Student Attendance The assistant principal is responsible for supervising teachers and clerical staff in recording reviewing and ensuring student attendance and working with students and families in cases where there are patterns of student attendance problems.

Providing Educational Leadership

• Supervision and Evaluation The observation and evaluation of the teaching staff is a large part of the assistant principals job. The faculty and secretarial staff are divided between the principal and assistant principals. They work to assure that effective instruction is the norm throughout the school. They do this in the context of goal-setting conferences regular observations (with pre- and post-observation conferences) written feedback a summative evaluation and ongoing class visits and check-ins with teachers. The assistant principal ensures through observation and review of unit and/or lesson plans that teachers know and employ effective teaching strategies and practices and models for educators how to identify each students academic social emotional and behavioral needs including students with disabilities and English Language Learners. The assistant principal provides effective targeted support to educators in areas where their practice is less than proficient. He or she supports educators and educator teams to develop and attain meaningful actionable and measurable professional practice and student learning goals.
• Team Leadership In accordance with the middle school model the assistant principal should to the degree possible be meeting with the teams regularly to discuss the individual needs of students and to help shape the development of curricula throughout the school. The assistant principal leads educator teams to develop and implement a comprehensive assessment strategy that includes ongoing informal assessment and common formative assessments that are aligned across grade levels and subject areas. The assistant principal provides time and effective support for teams to review assessment data and to identify appropriate interventions and adjustments to practice.
• School Leadership as Part of the Administrative Team The assistant principals meet with the principal to implement school initiatives and to develop and refine school policies. This includes periodic responsibilities to chair faculty committees including hiring committees. They may also represent the school at district-wide meetings. One important example is their participation in the Community Based Justice programs monthly meetings.

Establishing implementing and/or supporting systems plans procedures and routines that assure the smooth day-to-day operation of the school

• Scheduling The assistant principal creates implements and regularly adjusts a master schedule and related systems to maximize blocks of uninterrupted instructional time. The assistant principal also has responsibilities with regard to the development of the assignment of students to teams and to classes.
• Building Coverage The assistant principal organizes the daily building coverage responsibilities. This includes monitoring student activities and responding to crises or urgent situations before and after school and during lunch periods. They organize and schedule supervision duties for other staff in the building as well.
• Substitute Coverage The assistant principals recommend ISS for hire supervise and evaluate ISS faculty and issue their daily assignments. When there are more staff members out than ISS available they also find coverage among the aides or other staff members.
• Standardized Testing including MCAS scheduling oversight and supervision This is a formidable task done in conjunction with teachers secretaries and counselors. It requires planning rooms and schedules student groupings teacher training test security monitoring the administration of the test and collecting and returning all materials.
• Crisis Procedures including evacuation shelter-in-place and lockdown procedures In this context assistant principals need to be well versed in crisis protocols and work with the principal to create the plans for handling numerous emergencies and coordinate staff and student movement in these situations.
• Plan and Lead School-wide Activities: Assistant principals are responsible for working with other administrators and staff to plan and supervise school dances parents nights school-wide field trips end-of-year activities and other school-wide events.
• Coverage for after school and evening sports and performance events: In some instances the assistant principal is responsible for attending and supervising all aspects of school-wide events taking place outside of regular school hours.

Work Environment:

• Work is performed in both office and school environments with frequent movement and transitions between different areas of the building.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to travel between multiple school/building locations
• Ability to operate computer printer telephone copier facsimile machine and other standard office equipment
• Ability to sit and stand for extended periods of time
• Ability to occasionally lift and/or move objects weighing up to 25 pounds
• Sufficient mobility to navigate quickly within a large school building and over the immediate grounds and fields of the school

Required Experience:

Junior IC