Assistant Principal

Position Summary

The Assistant Principal is a cornerstone of our school community, a leader, collaborator, and champion for students. In this pivotal role, you’ll wear many hats: instructional leader, problem solver, mentor, and partner to the principal. Together, you’ll shape a school culture where joy and rigor go hand-in-hand, families feel connected, and every child has the opportunity to thrive. From driving academic excellence to nurturing a safe and supportive environment, you’ll play a vital part in guiding our students, staff, and school community toward continuous growth and success.

Essential  Responsibilities

Champion Amber Charter School’s Culture and Community

• Set and model high academic expectations, ensuring all students meet or exceed grade-level standards.
• Drive progress toward ambitious academic and organizational goals.
• Contribute to the creation of a climate of inquiry that challenges the school community to continually re-purpose itself by building on its core values and beliefs about its future and develop the necessary pathways to achieve it.
• Ensure the Amber Way is evident and well established; maintain a safe environment for teaching and learning.
• Ensure that the school’s policies, procedures and protocols for holding all students to high behavioral expectations as stated in the Code of Conduct are understood, promoted and reinforced, equitably and consistently, by all students and staff members.
• Supervise arrival, dismissal, transitions, lunch and/or recess as needed, ensuring the safety of the students.
• In collaboration with the Special Education Coordinator, support the school’s Child Study Team (attend weekly meetings, manage referrals, monitor recommended plans, and help determine students who are in need of an evaluation for special education services).
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date student conduct data and records regarding interventions, including merits and demerits earned by students, conferences held, awards and acknowledgements, suspensions, and communication with families.
• Maintain monthly records to assist teachers in the classroom with promoting positive behaviors and mitigating problem behaviors.
• Closely track and prepare data and information regarding student behavior, consequences, supports and interventions to inform school-wide, subgroup and individual student strategies and decisions as a member of the school leadership team and school culture committee.  
• Closely monitor and problem-solve student attendance challenges, in partnership with families and colleagues.
• Support student social-emotional development, learning of the AMBER Way core values and the recognition of growth and progress. 
• Engage, communicate and partner with parents/guardians to ensure students are successful learners and community members.
• Contribute to the cultivation of ACS as an authentically diverse, equitable and inclusive organization.
• Collaborate with and support the Parent Association.

Contribute to the Day to Day Success and Ongoing Evolution of the School

• Assume responsibility for school operations in the absence of the principal.
• Help to recruit, interview and onboard new instructional and operational team members.
• Manage and support individuals and teams as assigned. 
• Represent the school leadership team at network-level/ Shared Service Team initiatives as assigned.
• Coordinate staff coverage as needed for daily and extended absences.
• Assign and monitor student teachers and interns.
• Contribute to extended learning beyond the typical school day (academic tutoring, summer school, etc.)
• Prepare and submit all reports required by authorizing agencies.
• Attend board meetings as assigned.

Facilitate the Professional Growth of All Staff

• Ensure professional development efforts contribute to school-wide, grade and content-specific student achievement absolute and growth goals. 
• Review and analyze formative and summative assessment data and evidence at the student, class, grade and school levels to inform instructional and professional development plans.
• Plan and facilitate relevant network-wide and school-based professional development and provide ongoing guidance and support to ensure content, learning standards and curriculum materials are fully understood, and instruction is implemented in accordance with network and school expectations.
• Implement consistent instructional professional development protocols and plans (e.g. PD calendar, walkthroughs and observations, modeling, peer observations, data and student work product reviews, etc.). 
• Formally evaluate staff and assist in the identification of growth goals in order to improve performance.
• Informally coach and provide evidence-based feedback to staff, appropriately balancing accountability and support.
• Leverage the strengths and develop the leadership capacities of the school’s most effective teachers.

Support Instructional Staff to Develop and Implement Effective, Impactful Teaching Practices

• Lead the strategic planning, implementation, and evaluation of classroom-based intervention and targeted academic support across the school to support teaching, learning, and administration.
• Manage and develop the school’s classroom-based intervention  and targeted academic support structures.
• Contribute to the implementation and improvements of flexible and seamless in person and remote learning pathways that serve the learning needs of all students.
• Research and recommend NYLS-aligned, high-quality, evidence-based core and supplementary curriculum materials, resources and technologies to support the learning of all students, particularly those who are struggling, have identified or suspected disabilities and/or are English language learners.  
• Ensure all leaders and teachers have access to and are guided by clearly-articulated scope and sequence documents for each content area, at each grade level.
• Support leaders and teachers to establish, implement and monitor a comprehensive, data-driven Response to Intervention (RtI) framework of tiered academic supports.
• Work with the data manager to support teachers in effectively using data and evidence to inform instruction. 
• Support teachers as they prepare for parent/teacher conferences and prepare trimester report cards and progress reports, ensuring appropriate alignment among data and evidence, ratings, comments and communications. 
• Perform other duties as assigned. 

Required Experience and Qualifications 

• Master’s degree in School Administration or a related field.
• 5 years as an effective, impactful classroom teacher.
• 2+ years leading, coaching and developing teachers, including planning and facilitating intellectual preparation, unit unpacking, and data meetings, as well as designing, delivering, and evaluating high-impact professional development.
• NYS Teacher certification
• Familiarity with remote learning systems (e.g. Google Classroom, on-line curriculum platforms).
• Strong command of all Microsoft Office and Google drive programs.
• A high degree of comfort and confidence modeling effective classroom management and  instruction.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple obligations and initiatives, strong attention to detail and excellent time management.
• Knowledge of change management theory and practice, team building, and group dynamics.
• Completion and clearance of pre-employment Fingerprinting and Reference check process.
• Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States and must not require employer sponsorship for employment visa status, either now or in the future. Amber Charter Schools does not provide employment visa sponsorship.

Preferred Experience and Qualifications

• Master’s degree in an education field/administration and supervision
• 5 years as an effective, impactful classroom teacher, in the elementary grades
• NYS School Building Leader certification
• Experience in charter schools in urban communities.
• Ability to speak, write and understand Spanish 

Amber’s Expectations

• Regular attendance and punctuality  
• Well-groomed and able to maintain a professional appearance 
• Organizational fit for Amber culture, that is, exhibit the Amber Traits of Achievement, Community, Responsibility, Honesty and Respect  
• Holds a deep belief that all students can learn and achieve, that every family deserves access to a high-quality public school, and that our communities grow by building on their existing strengths.
• Builds strong, trusting relationships through clear, persuasive communication and a collaborative approach to decision-making with people at all levels.
• Data-driven and outcomes-oriented, with high ambition and a track record of driving results.
• Models lifelong learning and meets change, challenges, and ambiguity with optimism, perseverance, and patience.

 Equipment

• Laptop, Promethean board, classroom, and office equipment, provided by Amber Charter Schools 

Work Schedule

• 12-month work schedule

Work Environment/Physical Effort:  

• Regularly required to sit, stand for long periods of time, walk, climb stairs, speak loudly and clearly, visually observe, hear, operate a computer, and other classroom, school, and office equipment, reach with hands and arms, bend down, and must occasionally lift, move and/or support up to 20 pounds. Work is being performed in a traditional multi-floor school environment with limited to no elevator access.

Compensation

Amber Charter Schools strictly follow a salary schedule for each role to ensure our continued commitment towards pay equity. The expected salary range for this role is $110,000- $120,000 depending on verified relevant work experience, highest level of completed education, and required certifications and/or licenses for the role. This is an exempt position.