Principal - Elementary School

Company Overview

As a leader in providing high-quality education for students who need us most, KIPP Memphis is a network of open-enrollment, tuition-free, college-preparatory public charter schools serving students across Memphis.

KIPP Memphis is part of the Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP), a national network of more than 200 high-performing public charter schools united by a commitment to educational excellence, equity, and opportunity.

Founded in 2002, KIPP Memphis has built a strong legacy of preparing students with the academic skills, confidence, and character needed to thrive in college, career, and life. Today, KIPP Memphis serves students in elementary, middle, and high school and is expanding its impact through the launch of KIPP Cordova Collegiate Elementary, a new school opening in Cordova, Tennessee.

The mission of KIPP Memphis is to create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose - college, career, and beyond - so they can lead fulfilling lives and help build a more just world.

Role Overview

Reporting to the Chief of Schools, the Principal serves as the founding leader of KIPP Cordova Collegiate Elementary. This is a unique opportunity to launch a school that combines KIPP’s proven academic model with a distinctive focus on performing and creative arts.

As KIPP Memphis expands into a new region of the city, the ideal candidate is a visionary and entrepreneurial leader passionate about innovation, community building, and arts-integrated learning.

This leader will play a critical role in establishing a joyful school culture, building strong relationships with families and community partners, and creating an engaging educational experience where students are empowered to learn, create, perform, and thrive.

As the instructional and operational leader of the school, the position is responsible for directing all daily operations of the school campus; supervising and coordinating the work of all professional and classified personnel; ensuring subordinates' adherence to regional and district policies, regulations, and goals; preparing required reports; and performing other professional, administrative, and supervisory work as required.

Essential Job Functions

Student Performance: Set and unify staff around rigorous standards for student achievement that are in line with the goals of KIPP Memphis Schools. Ensure the academic program meets or exceeds yearly student outcome goals.

Organizational Leadership: Develop organizational goals and objectives consistent with the mission and values of the school and KIPP Memphis Schools. Lead teachers in developing a healthy school culture aligned with the mission, vision, and values of the school and the region. Create a culture of excellence, teamwork, and collaboration amongst the staff, teachers, students, and families.

Instructional Leadership: Manage, evaluate, and develop a team of teachers to improve student achievement results. Consistently use effective, research-based teaching methodologies and implement data-driven instruction. Work with teachers to improve their teaching practice through coaching, professional development, modeling, and collaborative planning.

Personnel: Select and hire school staff, including teachers and school-based support staff. Continually monitor progress on all measures of school and staff performance. Provide for adequate supervision, training, and evaluation of all staff and volunteers. Create an effective team of people jointly responsible for the attainment of school goals and committed to achieving excellence.

Community Relations: Serve as liaison between teachers, parents, and the community. Exhibit a high degree of professionalism in all elements of this position, while serving as a contributing member of the KIPP Memphis team and a dedicated role model for other employees.

Core Responsibilities

• Supervises all professional and classified staff members, including training, assigning, and evaluating work, coaching, disciplining, and recommending termination; prepares periodic employee performance evaluations.
• Assigns responsibilities to Assistant Principals to foster professional growth and effective instructional programming; assigns responsibilities to professional staff, including assignments to instructional groups, rooms, and supervision duties.
• Seeks to maintain an atmosphere conducive to good teacher-teacher and teacher-administrator relationships.
• Plans, evaluates, and recommends school-wide programs, policies, goals, and objectives. Ensures that all School Board and administrative policies are effectively explained and implemented.
• Ensures school compliance with the requirements of state and regional accreditation standards and regulations.
• Provides proactive, comprehensive, and facilitative leadership for the school in the planning and implementation of a challenging curriculum; observes classroom environment and makes recommendations for improvement in instruction and class management as appropriate.
• Oversees efforts to reward student achievement and recognize outstanding staff.
• Maintains high standards of student conduct through guidance and development.
• Attends training, conferences, and workshops as appropriate to enhance job knowledge and skills.
• Performs other related duties as assigned or directed.

Desired Competencies

• Student Focus: Belief that all students, regardless of background, can pursue the path they choose; demonstrated commitment to the school’s unique community
• Direction Setting: Ability to set direction for a team and motivate others to action
• Achievement Orientation and Performance Management: Demonstrated student achievement results in their own classroom and from teachers that he/she manages
• Instructional Leadership: Adept at data analysis; ability to extract meaningful insights across school-wide data
• Instructional Leadership: Expertise in what the school-wide academic standards and state assessments require of students’ knowledge and skills to demonstrate mastery; able to translate student mastery requirements into instructional plans and strategies
• Instructional Leadership: Deep understanding of appropriate application and differentiation of high-leverage instructional strategies based on comprehension of child development and pedagogy
• Relationship Building: Expertise in cultivating relationships and managing a diverse group of stakeholders
• Achievement Orientation: Demonstrated resilience and focus on student achievement

Requirements

Required

• Master's degree and an active Tennessee Administrative License
• 5 years' experience as an effective classroom teacher and 3 years' experience in School Leadership, leading and coaching teachers
• Uses data-driven strategies to execute efficiently and effectively with managers, peers, and support personnel
• Unquestioned integrity and commitment; Demonstrates excitement in growing students into their highest selves
• Evidence of significant and consistent personal and professional achievement
• Ability to plan, supervise, and evaluate the work of instructional and support personnel
• Ability to develop effective working relationships with students, staff, community, and the public; and ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
• Excellent communication skills with diverse constituents; clear writer, facilitator, and speaker, and eagerness to collaborate
• Ability to tackle multiple projects and initiatives at once with a keen sense of organization, prioritization, follow-through, and results orientation
• Experience working with underserved communities

Knowledge, Skills, and Ability Required

• Strong knowledge of school laws and regulations
• In-depth knowledge of principles of effective instruction from advanced curriculum, content, and instruction
• Knowledge of growth and development, and learning theory
• Skill in assessment and evaluation of students
• Ability to manage curriculum development, in-service training, and related activities, and provide a high level of instructional leadership for teachers and administrators
• Excellent human relations skills and ability to establish and maintain successful cooperative working relationships with appropriate school communities, and school-based and central office staffs
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; Strong organizational and management skills.

Other Qualifications

Satisfactory criminal records check, pre-hire and annually thereafter, if applicable. Must be eligible to work in the United States and provide work authorization. Occasional travel to KIPP Memphis campuses may be required.

Physical Requirements

Regularly required for long periods of time to sit, stand, walk, talk, hear, operate a computer, hand-held learning devices, and other office equipment, reach with hands and arms, and must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.

Salary

Commensurate with experience. A competitive benefits package will also be offered.

Additional information

KIPP Memphis is committed to a policy of equal treatment for all individuals applying to the school. KIPP Memphis does not discriminate based on race, color, gender, handicap, age, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.

All application information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.