Middle School Principal
Yakima School District
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Directly Responsible To: Executive Director of 6-12 School Leadership and Accountability
Minimum Qualifications:
Master’s Degree required
Principal credentials required
Experience teaching diverse students required
Certified in Danielson teaching framework, or ability and willingness to complete training within three months of hiring
Preferred Qualifications:
Demonstrated positive impact on student growth and achievement
Experience establishing and maintaining effective interpersonal relationships with a variety of stakeholders in a multi-ethnic, multicultural, diverse socio-economic environment
History of effective communications, written and verbal
Record of dependability, flexibility, and regular attendance
Maintains confidentiality
Minimum of three year administrative experience
Minimum five years classroom teaching experience
Position Goal:
To serve as an instructional leader working directly with middle school staff, students, families, district and the community on the school and district’s vision, mission, and strategic goals to support career and college readiness for ALL students. The Middle School Principal is equity oriented, leading for results, and helping staff to grow and develop in order to meet the needs of all students. She/he collaborates closely with colleagues in service of student learning through fostering the leadership of others to support the school’s overall approach to teaching and learning improvement. The role includes using an equity stance toward her/his work and demonstrating equitable and inclusive outcomes in services to students, families, and staff.
Ability to cultivate a learning climate and program coherence among instructional initiatives and provide quality professional development utilizing a teaching and learning approach
Ability to lead the learning of self and others
Ability to flex communication style to multiple cultural environments
Experience working with diverse audiences and with a diverse team
An understanding of the concepts of institutional and structural racism and bias and their impact on underserved and underrepresented communities
Essential Job Functions:
Creating a school culture that promotes the ongoing improvement of learning and teaching for students by:
Maintaining high expectations and standards of performance for self, staff, and students
Creates and substance a school culture that values and responds to the characteristics and needs of each learner
Engaging in crucial conversations for ongoing improvement, facilitates collaborative processes
Leading toward continuous improvement
Promotes and engages in distributive leadership
Possessing a cultural sensitivity of respect and appreciation for diverse groups of students and staff
Relating to middle level students
2. Providing for school safety by:
Providing for physical safety for students and staff
Creates and protects identity safety as defined by AWSP
Providing for student physical, social-emotional and intellectual safety by assisting in the development, implementation, and monitoring of a student discipline policy and positive behavior strategies that consider the whole child and will provide a safe, orderly, purposeful, and positive learning environment for students and teachers
Assisting in the development, implementation, and monitoring of building procedures and practices, including but not limited to, school-wide behavior model
Providing support for the operation and maintenance of a safe, clean physical environment
3. Leading the development, implementation and evaluation of a data-driven plan for increasing student achievement, including the use of multiple student data elements by:
Recognizing and seeking out multiple data sources
Creates data driven plans for improved teaching and learning
Analyzing and interpreting multiple data sources to inform school-level improvement efforts
Implementing data driven plan for improved teaching and learning
Assisting staff to guide, modify and improve classroom teaching and student learning
Providing evidence of student growth resulting from the school improvement process
4. Assisting instructional staff with alignment of curriculum, instruction and assessment with state, local and district learning goals by:
Assisting staff in aligning curricula to state-adopted standards and the district strategic plan
Assisting staff in aligning best instructional practices to state and district learning goals
Assisting staff in aligning assessment practices to best instructional practices
Creating a school culture that promotes the ongoing improvement of learning and teaching for students and staff
Providing support for the development and implementation of building and student instructional schedules
5. Monitoring, assisting, and evaluating effective instruction and assessment practices by:
Monitoring instruction and assessment practices
Assisting staff in developing required student growth plan and identifying valid, reliable sources of evidence of effectiveness
Assisting staff in implementing effective instruction and assessment practices
Providing evidence of student growth of selected teachers
Developing, supporting, and evaluating activities and programs according to student needs and district goals and objectives
Evaluating teachers and assistant principals for the improvement of student achievement
6. Managing Resources by:
Recruiting and hiring teachers who align with Yakima School District’s Mission and Vision
Managing self
Managing human resources with ongoing professional development
Managing staff, time, talent and fiscal resources to support student achievement
Fulfilling legal and ethical responsibilities
7. Partnering with the school community to promote student learning by:
Working cooperatively and collaboratively with colleagues, Central Services staff, OSPI staff, and other external partners
Developing and sustaining meaningful partnerships with families of diverse backgrounds and community members that support student achievement and well-being
Maintaining an active role in the community to include partnerships and ongoing communication
8. Demonstrating commitment to closing the achievement gap by:
Identifying barriers to achievement and knowing how to close resulting gaps
Knowing, understanding, and monitoring programs for subgroup populations of students, ie. special needs, migrant, bilingual
Demonstrating a commitment to close the achievement gap
Providing evidence of growth in student learning
9. Demonstrate school improvement competencies in the following areas:
Driving for results: Maintains a relentless focus on providing high quality teaching and learning
Influencing for results: Able to work through and with others
Problem-solving: Able to solve and simplify complex problems
Confidence to lead: Able to stay focused, committed, self-assured, and resilient
Other Functions and Responsibilities:
Model appropriate professional behaviors and practices in all settings
Participate as an active member of the Middle School Principals PLC
Serve as the leader and advocate between the building and district for all middle school programs
Select and hire staff, as appropriate, according to needs of the school and consistent with district goals and objectives with staff input
Possess and exhibit strong communication and interpersonal relations skills to promote student learning:
Be sensitive to the needs and concern of all educational stakeholders - Practice honest, open, straightforward interpersonal skills
Practice active listening for all educational stakeholders
Promote and develop staff leadership
Practice a good public relations program
Possess and use skills of effective oral and written communication to further the understanding and common vision of improving student achievement
Develop, support, and evaluate the advisory, activities, and athletic programs according to student needs and district goals and objectives
Actively support and implement district identified instructional programs and initiatives
Other duties as assigned
Expectation for Continued Employment:
Employment is contingent upon passing the Washington State Patrol and Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal Background Check and Drug/Alcohol screen
Maintain consistent presence at assigned worksite and regular work hours
Comply with all District policies and operational procedures
Comply with the Code of Professional Conduct
Maintain punctuality and regular attendance
Maintain certification at all times
Complete SafeSchools online training in accordance with the Yakima School District
Obtain a CPR and First Aid Card if needed
Nondiscrimination Statement
Yakima School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees at 104 N. 4th Ave. Yakima WA 98902 have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: (Non-Students) Title IX/ADA: Robert Noe, Chief Legal Counsel, (509) 573-7039, noe.robert@ysd7.org; (Adult) ADA/504 Compliance Coordinator: Chris Miller, Human Resources Director, (509) 573-7066, miller.christopher@ysd7.org; (Students) Title IX/ADA/Section 504: Omar Santoy, Director of Student Services, (509) 573-7004, santoy.omar@ysd7.org. Individuals with disabilities who require assistance or special arrangements to attend a program or activity sponsored by the Yakima School District should contact one of the ADA Coordinators 24 hours in advance of the event to inquire about reasonable accommodation. Deaf, deaf-blind, hard of hearing, and/or speech impaired individuals may access Washington Relay Services by calling 7-1-1- or 1-800-833-6388.