School Principal SY24-25

POSITION: Principal – Elementary School (12-month position) REPORTS TO: Head of School Position Opening for the 2024-2025 School Year Bridges Public Charter School is seeking a thoughtful, committed, persistent and experienced instructional leader to serve as its Principal for the 2024-2025 school year. Founded in 2005 Bridges PCS serves a diverse student population of more than 360 students from PreK through 5th grade. Our Mission Our mission is to provide an exemplary educational program that includes all students. Our developmentally appropriate, student and family-centered educational approach nurtures students to expand their developmental skills, in order to build a foundation for life-long learning. Our Core Values are: Responsibility Engagement Acceptance Creativity Honesty Bridges, the name of our school, symbolizes an inclusive learning community that builds bridges of understanding, awareness, and support by connecting children and families with a variety of different needs, cultures, and backgrounds. At Bridges, we believe that inclusive education is beneficial to all of the students who have the opportunity to participate. Inclusion builds compassionate relationships among students, develops self-esteem in individuals, and develops the awareness that everyone has strengths and challenges. For more information about the school, please visit www.bridgespcs.org Overview of the Role Building on our strong foundation as an early childhood program for students with and without special needs, the Elementary School Principal is responsible for leading his/her team to meet the academic and developmental needs of a highly diverse student population. The Principal will ensure that the school programs provide all students with core academics (i.e. reading and writing, math, social studies and science) and that the students receive academic enrichment. The academic enrichment programs being developed by the school include: art, Spanish, health/fitness, gardening, and music. The Principal will be responsible for supervising instructional staff, overseeing the development of curriculum, ensuring all students’ needs are met, and engaging families in the school community. Expertise in the core academic content is of significant value in order to coach teachers, guide staff development, and lead the staff. Specific expertise in at least one of the following core academic areas is desired: reading and writing, math, social studies, or science. The Principal will work collaboratively with the Head of School, Chief Operating Officer, Directors of Student Support Services, Assistant Principal, Curriculum Coordinators / Instruction Coaches to provide consistent and effective school leadership for this elementary school program. The following is a general list of responsibilities of the position; additional duties may be assigned. Teaching and Learning: Oversees and supports the effective, consistent teaching practices in all classrooms. Supports individual teachers in improving instructional practice and reaching professional goals. Leads the execution of the school’s Academic Plan. Oversees on-going development of curriculum and instruction with the support of the Assistant Principal, Director of Student Support Services, Curriculum Coordinators / Instructional Coaches. Plans and facilitates biweekly Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) meetings. Supervises the Assistant Principal, Director of Student Support Services, Curriculum Coordinators / Instructional Coaches. Works with program staff to diagnose and monitor student learning, instruction, and the curriculum with data. Communicates with parents about the curriculum/instructional program at Bridges PCS. Supports the development and implementation of the school’s art, language study, health / fitness and gardening program. School Culture: Communicates the school’s vision and builds teams to support its mission, vision, and values. Leads the implementation and development of the school’s social curriculum. Monitors and supports the use of the social curriculum. Is accessible to students and parents. Engages families and the larger community in the life of the school. Is part of the school’s team to recruit students each year. Staff Oversight and Development: Develops an annual strategic staffing plan to support the school's instructional needs, with Head of School and Director of Student Support Services. Is part of the school’s team to recruit, select and evaluate high-quality staff. Plans and leads professional development aligned with the school's goals. Plans summer training for new staff with Director of Students Support Services, Assistant Principal, Curriculum Coordinators / Instructional Coaches. Meets with teachers about individual professional development goals. Seeks professional development opportunities for individuals and the entire staff to support goals in coordination with the Curriculum Coordinators / Instructional Coaches. Leads Instructional Leadership Team (ILT). Prepares weekly staff notes to provide on-going communication with teachers and campus staff. Systems and Operations: Works with the Operations staff to manage the day-to-day operations of the campus. Develops a school calendar with the Head of School and Assistant Principal. Develops instructional schedule for all grade levels and subject areas with Assistant Principal, Curriculum Coordinators / Instructional Coaches. Develops inclusion and English Language Learners schedule with Director of Student Support Services and Assistant Director of English Language Learners Department. Attends Board meetings and Board’s School Performance Committee Meetings, as needed. Works with the Head of School and Chief Operating Officer to draft a budget. Personal Leadership: Utilizes behaviors of effective leadership: facilitative, adaptive, culturally-competent and solution oriented. Demonstrates self-awareness and a commitment to ongoing learning. Uses effective interpersonal skills to build trust. Takes personal responsibility for all students’ achievement and success. The Ideal Candidate will possess: Embraces serving students with Special Education needs and English language learners. Demonstrated track record of improving outcomes for students Demonstrated ability to coach, lead, and collaborate with adults from a diverse range of perspectives and backgrounds. Demonstrated ability to build and keep strong relationships with a diverse community of students, families and staff. Strong written and oral communication skills. Ability to think strategically, translate thoughts to action, and follow-through with all details. Have a minimum of two years of school leadership experience as a Principal, as well as at least five years of classroom teaching experience. Content expertise in a core subject area (Math, Reading & Writing, Science or Social Studies) a plus. Master’s degree required; advanced degree preferred in K-12 school administration, curriculum & instruction, education or a related field. The cover letter should be addressed to Olivia Smith, Founder / Head of School and explain your interest in the position and qualifications for it. To ensure safety for all students, all staff members will be fingerprinted and background checks will be conducted on all school staff prior to their service as employees. Bridges is an Equal Opportunity, committed to excellence through diversity and inclusion. We evaluate all applicants without unlawful consideration of race, religion, age, color, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. Spanish-speakers and persons of color are strongly encouraged to apply Salary & Benefits Salary is based on educational level, certification(s), and years of experience. The successful candidate will be contracted yearly. Employment will be renewed according to evaluations and staff interest. Child care and health savings plans, pre-tax deduction for Metro, bike racks and regular staff engagement and wellness activities. Staff lounge and lactation room for nursing mothers. Health benefits (medical & dental), disability insurance, and a retirement plan: 401-(k) with a 4% match or the continuation of the DCPS retirement plan.