Principal

Purpose Statement

The Elementary Principal leads the development of the school vision and establishes and works collaboratively to establish and maintain the school philosophy as well as educational programs, consistent with community characteristics and school division goals and practices. This job reports to the Executive Director of School Leadership under the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Leadership.

School Background

The James K. Polk Elementary School. Opened in 1965, Polk ES serves students in grades K through five. Over the past decade, the school received accolades including the 2019 Virginia Board of Education Highest Achievement Exemplar Award; 2010 & 2011 Virginia Department of Education Competence to Excellence Awards, and the 2010-2019 Winner of Marine Corp Marathon Fun Run Healthy Kids Award. James K. Polk (JKP) Elementary School has a widely-diverse student community with a steady increase of English language (EL) and special education populations. As a result, every staff member continues to embrace the positive impact that inclusive classrooms and co-teaching models have had on our students, instructional practices, and positive school climate. We see this commitment to inclusion as we find creative ways to integrate the students at Polk in our 3 citywide self-contained classes for students with Autism. Polk is also in its third year of Title I status. With these added resources, it is our goal to strengthen and enrich the academic program by increasing afterschool tutoring, using technology to enhance the learning experience, provide additional staff for reading remediation, and increase science & math investigations with both students and their families. Polk Elementary is fully accredited by the Commonwealth of Virginia. For more information about the school please click here .

The School Division. James K. Polk Elementary School is a member of the Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) in Alexandria, Virginia. The school division serves more than 15,500 students who hail from 114 countries and speak 119 languages. ACPS includes one pre-K school, 12 elementary schools, two middle schools (Grades 6-8), one K-8 school, one PreK-8 International Baccalaureate School, and the acclaimed T.C. Williams High School. Please see a complete listing of schools here.

Qualifications

Education: Master's degree in the related field.

Certificates & Licenses: Valid Virginia Department of Education license required, or eligibility to obtain one, with an endorsement in Administration and Supervision.

Experience: Minimum of three years of teaching experience and a minimum of three years administrator experience. Experience preferred in elementary curriculum and instruction, including programs for special education (particularly inclusion models), ESL talented and gifted, and compensatory education. A performance record that demonstrates high integrity, vision, innovation, enthusiasm, and a strong commitment to diverse schools.

Essential Functions

• Advises the administration on activities in the school for the submission of required reports and responds to the administration's written and oral requests for information.
• Assures the proper evaluation of student progress and the effectiveness of the program to determine what practices or objectives to maintain or modify.
• Collaboratively develops and implements a school improvement plan in support of increased student success.
• Communicates with parents, employees, and the community to establish and maintain professional relationships.
• Communicates a clear vision of excellence and pursues that excellence in a manner that provides consistency with the goals of the school division.
• Coordinates and supervises all extracurricular programs to maintain high standards of student conduct and enforce discipline.
• Coordinates the daily operations to maintain the safety of the facility/office/departments and responsibly and efficiently manages fiscal and/or other resources.
• Cultivates and facilitates leadership development in staff members through the provision of leadership opportunities.
• Maintains the school philosophy and educational program in consistency with community characteristics and school division goals and practices; implements and enforces School Board policies and regulations.
• Practices ethical standards appropriate to the profession to ethically resolve issues and promote a climate of collaboration and collegiality.
• Prepares the school budget and monitors the expenditure of funds, provides for adequate inventories of school property and for the security of and accountability for that property, and assumes responsibility for the safety, security and appearance of the school plant.
• Provides direction and support in accomplishing instructional, curricular, and/or program requirements.
• Reviews programs and services and assesses how they will meet the needs of students/employees/school division.
• Selects, instructs, supports, and evaluates to retain quality instructional and support personnel.
• Selects, orients, assigns, supervises, and evaluates staff to attain the objectives of the educational program.
• Uses problem-solving techniques in identifying, analyzing, and resolving problems.
• Utilizes a variety of data sources to make informed decisions for enhancing student/employee/program performance.
• Performs other tasks and assumes such other responsibilities as may be required to ensure an efficient and effective work environment.

Clearances

• Criminal Justice Fingerprint/Background Clearance
• Tuberculosis Skin Test

Recruitment Timeline

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