Substitute Principal

Job Summary

Principals for the School District of Philadelphia serve as the instructional and operational leader of a District school and work twelve months in accordance with the administrative calendar. Principals provide a clear vision for learning for all students; ensure a safe, secure and orderly learning environment; and cultivate strong relationships with and acts in service to diverse stakeholders including families and communities.  Principals are expected to promote high quality instructional practices, passionately enjoy working with children and believe that all students can achieve.  Principals are responsible for selecting and assigning staff, supporting differentiated professional growth and building the leadership capacity of staff and will work no less than an eight hour day.  Principals in the district must collect, analyze and use multiple sources of data to guide continuous improvement in student achievement, manage school operations and effectively evaluate and develop staff. 

Areas of Opportunity

Large high schools (>1000 students)

“Turnaround” schools (intense focus on immediately reversing student growth/achievement trends)

New school models

High-performing, special admission schools

Small neighborhood elementary schools

Schools serving bi-lingual families and students

Essential Functions

• Develop, articulate, steward, and operationalize a clear vision for learning for all students and implement a strategic plan to accomplish that vision.
• Ensure that all school stakeholders are able to articulate a clear and shared vision for learning.
• Ensure a safe, secure and orderly environment for all.
• Promote high quality instructional practices that consistently allow for excellent instruction school-wide.
• Be visible and consistent presence throughout the school.
• Provide teachers with timely and constructive feedback on classroom instruction to develop teacher practice.
• Clearly communicate learning and development goals that reflect high expectations for learning and growth, a belief that all students can learn, and a commitment to meet each student’s educational needs.
• Develop a culture of collegial and professional relationships among staff and students that promote critical reflection, shared accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Manage conflict constructively at all levels.
• Develop systems and a school culture that promotes peer feedback, support, and collaboration.
• Carefully select and effectively assign staff.
• Support the professional growth of staff members in a differentiated manner based on identified needs and individual goals.
• Deliberately build leadership capacity among staff.
• Collect, analyze, and use multiple sources of data to guide continuous improvement in student achievement, student and staff well-being, and professional development for staff.
• Develop positive and collaborative relationships with families.
• Self-motivated to initiate and sustain relationships with community business, cultural and not for profit partners.
• Manage the school budget, requisitions, and all school funds.
• Oversee the upkeep of school facilities and physical plant.

Essential Competencies

• Ability to motivate staff, students and families around the vision of the school.
• Clear and effective communication skills for diverse audiences including students, staff and families.
• Well-organized, ability to balance competing priorities and multi-task.
• Passion for developing staff’s instructional and leadership capacities.
• Leadership style that encourages teamwork and collaboration to support excellent instruction.
• Willingness to foster creativity and innovation.
• Persistence in the face of obstacles, productive problem-solving to counter setbacks, initiative to seize opportunities to make change.
• Belief in student empowerment and willingness to allow students to play an active role in supporting the school’s vision and climate.
• Commitment to the service of students and families.
• Ability to reflect on how to improve, self-awareness of strengths and weaknesses, willingness to take responsibility for actions and mistakes.
• Empathy for the perspectives of students, staff and stakeholders.
• Clear understanding of policies and law affecting special populations, LEP students and students receiving special education services.
• Ability to model an exemplary work ethic.

Leadership Development Specialty

• Support and coach principals in providing teachers with targeted, actionable feedback and support in identifying resources aligned with that feedback.
• Provides at-elbow guidance to principals to build their capacity as instructional leaders, including support to collaborate with principals to develop systems that provide quality formal and informal observation feedback to teachers that drives professional development.
• Helps principals create and lead effective school-based leadership teams.
• Facilitates conversations that are detailed and specific and that provide actionable next steps.
• Provides guidance to leadership teams to help them achieve the goals in their school’s comprehensive plan.
• Meets routinely with principals and with their Assistant Superintendents to discuss goals, progress, and coaching plans.
• Assists principals in developing their organizational management skills to increase effectiveness of difficult conversations, time management, team building, distributive leadership, and data analysis.
• Develops principals in their operational management skills to increase efficiency of resource management, budgetary decisions, and school-wide logistics.

Educator Evaluation Specialty

• Support and coach principals in educator evaluation; ensures that principals understand the policies and processes, prepare for and fully participate in each measure and gather data to support the evaluation of performance.
• Promotes the utilization of the evaluation system to attain the District’s mission for children across the city to have a great school, close to where they live.
• Facilitates conversations that are detailed and specific and that provide actionable next steps.
• Develops policies and processes which will help the evaluation system meet the needs of the District and the diverse needs of our students.
• Creates evaluation policies that align with state mandates, union contracts and existing District processes that principals support.
• Meets routinely with principals and with their Assistant Superintendents to discuss goals, progress, and coaching plans.
• Identifies areas where change in processes may provide opportunities for growth.