Elementary Principal

Website Believe Memphis Academy
Position Summary
As the Believe Memphis Academy Charter School Principal of the Lower Academy, this person will play a pivotal role in leading and managing all aspects of our school’s academic, administrative, and community functions in respectively in grades K through 5. The ideal candidate will be a visionary and dynamic educational leader with a passion for fostering a positive and inclusive learning environment. This position requires a strong commitment to student success, leader and teacher development, and collaboration with parents and community stakeholders.
While respective Principals of each Academy hold direct responsibility and ownership over each academy, part of the role requires and expects extensive collaboration with the counterpart Principal as well as the School’s Executive Leadership Team.
Key Responsibilities
- Educational Leadership
- Provide visionary leadership to create a positive and academically rigorous school culture.
- Develop and implement strategies to enhance academic performance and student achievement.
- Foster a collaborative and innovative teaching environment that aligns with the school’s mission and goals.
- Individual and Team Coaching
- Design and implement individualized development plans for direct reports.
- Provide one-on-one coaching sessions to key leaders to enhance their leadership effectiveness.
- Facilitate team coaching sessions to improve collaboration, communication, and overall team performance.
- Directly manage two content or grade teams of teachers with coaching, feedback, and accountability.
- Administrative Oversight:
- Directly hold the responsibility of academy-wide student and staff culture. Address outliers, potential disruptors, or concerns of culture, and implement proactive strategies to cultivate the culture aligned with the school’s mission, goals, and core values.
- Manage and allocate resources effectively, including consulting with the Executive Director around budgetary responsibilities and seeking pre-approval for spending.
- Work alongside the school operations team to ensure proper and accurate reporting of data, as well as regularly use data to drive decision making.
- Implement and enforce school policies, procedures, and disciplinary measures.
- Staff Development and Evaluation:
- Directly participate in the recruiting, hiring, and retaining of high-quality teaching and administrative staff.
- Provide ongoing professional development opportunities for faculty and staff.
- Conduct regular performance evaluations and provide constructive feedback for continuous improvement.
- Curriculum Development:
- Collaborate with the leadership team to oversee and support the implementation of a comprehensive, standards-based curriculum.
- Stay abreast of educational trends and research to ensure the school remains on the cutting edge of pedagogical practices.
- Parent and Community Engagement:
- Cultivate positive relationships with parents, guardians, and community members.
- Develop a family engagement plan and oversee family engagement nights in collaboration with the Director of Connection.
- Attend and actively participate as the main academy representative in community events and foster partnerships with local organizations.
- Compliance and Reporting:
- Ensure compliance with all relevant laws, regulations, and charter agreements.
- Prepare and submit required reports to the school board, authorizing agencies, and other stakeholders.
Qualifications:
- Strong commitment to, belief in, and alignment with the school’s Mission and vision.
- Minimum of Bachelor’s Degree required; Master’s or Advanced Degree highly preferred.
- Minimum 5-7 years of educational experience, with minimum 3 years of direct teaching experience and at least 2 years of school-based leadership experience.
- Unwavering belief in the potential that all students can be successful when given appropriate, responsive support and an unshakeable conviction that it is our responsibility to ensure children receive those supports.
- Bias toward action while building in learning to the action.
- Ability to take initiative while assessing risks and maintaining in alignment with the core values of the school.
- Calm under pressure and the ability to maintain steadiness and clear decision making in the midst of crisis.
- Knowledge of and experience in educational leadership, charter school management, and Tennessee State Education Standards.
- Proven experience in educational leadership, with a track record of improving student achievement.
- Capacity to create leadership development plans and coach key leaders.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to inspire and motivate staff, students, and the community.
- Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusivity, and antiracism.
Our Commitment to Diversity:
At Believe, we firmly believe that we can best promote excellence by recruiting and retaining a diverse group of team members that are reflective of the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our students and by creating a climate of respect that is supportive of their success. By fostering a diverse and inclusive environment, we provide the best educational experience for our students that prepares them for a future reflective of the world in which our students will live and lead.