Elementary Principal - Prairie Trail Elementary (School Year 2025-2026)

The Ankeny Community School District (CSD) enjoys a reputation as one of the premier school districts in Iowa and the midwest, with students, staff and parents unified in their efforts to excel in academics, athletics, the arts and activities. Located in the heart of Iowa, Ankeny is just 6 miles from the capital city of Des Moines The District serves over 12,200 PK-12 students. Ankeny CSD is the 7th largest school district in the state of Iowa, growing an average of 300 students per school year. The district offers a competitive salary and benefit packages.

JDE: 2.12

Principal

Purpose Statement

Principals provide a clear vision for learning for all students; ensure a safe, secure and orderly learning environment; and cultivate strong relationships with and act in service to diverse stakeholders, including families and communities. Principals are expected to promote high-quality instructional practices, passionately enjoy working with children, and believe that all students can achieve. Principals are responsible for selecting and assigning staff, supporting differentiated professional growth and building the leadership capacity of staff. Principals in the District must collect, analyze and use multiple sources of data to guide continuous improvement in student achievement, manage school operations, and effectively evaluate and develop staff.

Job Title: Principal

Salary Grade:

• Elementary Principal: Grade 18

Benefit Summary: A

Contract: 12-mo Administrative (279) Contract

Reports To: Superintendent and Executive Cabinet

Wage/Hour Status: Exempt

Minimum Qualifications:

• Minimum of five years related experience, including administrative and instructional leadership experience and/or teaching experience at the respective level.
• Demonstrated excellence in communication, both oral and written
• Positive work record which includes a high degree of organization and knowledge of research.
• Demonstrated excellence in maintaining effective relationships with students, staff, and the community

Education Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Education, Education Administration or related field.

Licensure:

• Iowa Professional Administrative license, by the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners (BOEE).

Essential Functions

Mission, Vision and Core Values

• Develop, articulate, steward, and operationalize a clear vision for learning for all students and implement a strategic plan to accomplish that vision.
• Articulates and advocates a core set of values that decides the school’s culture, vision, and mission.
• Develops and implements actions that support and achieve the mission.
• Uses data to inform school actions that promote student success in alignment with school’s vision, mission, or core values. Initiates continuous improvement efforts.
• Ensure that all school stakeholders are able to articulate a clear and shared vision for learning.

Ethics and Professional Norms

• Develop a culture of collegial and professional relationships among staff and students that promote critical reflection, shared accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Makes the well-being of students the fundamental value in all decision making and actions.
• Plans for and thoroughly navigates disagreements constructively at all levels.
• Addresses and confronts unethical and unprofessional behavior.
• Is respectful and appropriately interacts with staff, students, and visitors.
• Advances the District’s professional image by maintaining open/effective communications, uses problem solving techniques to tactfully address and resolve questions/concerns, and engages in active listening.
• Embodies high ethical standards and integrity, by embracing diversity, managing individual and group interactions skillfully while helping students understand and embrace ethical conduct and democratic values.
• Promotes a positive tone for collaborative school/community relations by articulating the mission, seeking community support, and fostering rapport with all stakeholders.
• Ensure a safe, secure and orderly environment for all.
• Understands the intent of local, state, and federal laws, regulations, and policies to ensure the rights of employees and students are fully protected.

Equity and Cultural Responsiveness

• Embodies cultural proficiency as a leader
• Addresses matters of equity and cultural responsiveness in all aspects of leadership.
• Leads a collaborative and comprehensive improvement process to address disproportionality and in equities
• Engages staff in discussing students strengths, diversity, and culture as aspects for teaching and learning and supports staff in building relationships with all students.
• Intentionally, comprehensively, and systematically aligns resources to advocate for equitable student learning experiences and environment.
• Holds self, staff, and students accountable for engaging in equitable and culturally responsive practices and conversations that address student marginalization, deficit-based schooling, and low expectations.

Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

• Provide instructional leadership for all aspects of the instructional programs, school environment and the operational/fiscal health of the school campus, focused on current research and best practices in order to continually increase student achievement.
• Oversees the professional development of teachers and staff, including regular supervision and evaluations.
• Promote high-quality instructional practices that consistently allow for excellent instruction school-wide.
• Works with the leadership team to create and implement an integrated tiered system of supports that meets the diverse needs of student learners.
• Clearly communicate learning and development goals that reflect high expectations for learning and growth, a belief that all students can learn, and a commitment to meet each student’s educational needs
• Analyze, share, and use school and student achievement data to develop and implement the school improvement management plan.
• Implement systematic procedures to assess program effectiveness.
• Monitor curriculum implementation to ensure that the appropriate content and sequence are followed.

Community of Care and Support for Students

• Create and sustain a school environment in which each student is known, accepted and valued, trusted and respected, cared for, and encouraged to be an active and responsible member of the school community.
• Fosters an environment of respect and rapport based on clear and agreed upon guidelines for behavior, while maintaining high expectations for behavior and performance and helping with student management issues.
• Coordinate the development and implementation of a behavior plan and strategies that are consistent with state law and district policies.
• Ensures compliance and alignment of special education programing, English Learning programing, 504’s and other essential educational programs.
• Be a visible and consistent presence throughout the school.
• Ensures that students are appropriately supervised (e.g., arrivals/departures, lunch periods, hallways, extra-curricular programs, etc.).

Professional Capacity of School Personnel

• Facilitates staff selection processes by carefully selecting and effectively assigning staff, while also effectively managing staff turnover and succession, providing for effective induction and mentoring of staff.
• Support the professional growth of staff members in a differentiated manner based on identified needs and individual goals and identify staff training needs; develop and implement school improvement training plans to meet those needs.
• Supervises, monitors, and coaches staff in the building with a focus on continuous improvement. Delivers descriptive, actionable and timely feedback based on evidence; monitors staff to ensure feedback is incorporated into practice.
• Deliberately build leadership capacity among staff and empowers teacher leaders to perform the responsibilities of their roles.
• Hold staff to high expectations and provide support to improve staff performance (e.g., observations, consultations, meetings, etc.). Encourages innovations. Identify strategies and approaches to address and maintain personal/professional health and well-being.

Professional Community for Teachers and Staff

• Fosters an environment where staff and faculty work cooperatively together and hold each other accountable to reach high levels of student achievement.
• Builds capacity of staff by distributing leadership opportunities to advance student learning and social and emotional well-being.
• Builds capacity of staff to use data to evaluate the effect of their practice on students' progress and achievement.
• Develop systems and a school culture that promotes peer feedback, support, use of data and collaboration.
• Interacts with staff in a way that reflects trust, transparency, and positive interactions which improves professional practice.

Meaningful Engagement of Families and Community

• Leverages understanding of cultural, social, intellectual, and political context of school and community to engage families more intentionally.
• Collaborates with families and stakeholders who represent diverse community interests and needs; mobilizes community resources that support and improve teaching and learning.
• Confers with parents and staff to discuss educational activities, policies and student behavioral or learning issues.
• Self-motivated to initiate and sustain relationships with community business, cultural and not for profit partners
• Encourages parent organizations and promotes school-sponsored activities.
• Ensures self and staff are actively engaging with families and community members to support student learning and social and emotional well-being.

Operations and Management

• Allocates and coordinates the movement of resources to ensure the health, safety, and productive learning of staff and students.
• Leverages and maximizes school and district resources to support strategic plan/s and building goals in equitable ways.
• Manages organizational systems and resources for a safe, high-performing learning environment.
• Effectively manages school operations in terms of personnel, budgets, buildings and grounds, etc.
• Protects, provides, and prioritizes both student and staff learning time.
• Ensure the district policies and procedures, as well as state and federal laws are followed.

School Improvement

• Collect, analyze, and use multiple sources of data to guide continuous improvement in student achievement, student and staff well-being, and professional development for staff.
• Effectively manage the change process within the school to improve student learning.
• Regularly leads processes for staff to assess and provide input on practices that present evidence of improvement.
• Maintains shared accountability for instructional decisions targeting achievement and growth goals.
• Ensure individual professional development plans, school improvement plans, and district plans align.
• Collaborates with other principals and district administrators to provide an overall direction for teaching and learning in the school district.

Essential Competencies

• Clear and effective communication skills for diverse audiences including students, staff and families Well-organized, ability to balance competing priorities and multi-task

• Leadership style that encourages teamwork and collaboration to support excellent instruction Willingness to foster creativity and innovation
• Persistence in the face of obstacles, productive problem-solving to counter setbacks, initiative to seize opportunities to make change
• Belief in student empowerment and willingness to allow students to play an active role in supporting the school’s vision and climate
• Ability to reflect on how to improve, self-awareness of strengths and weaknesses, willingness to take responsibility for actions and mistakes
• Recognizes and respects staff and student's strengths, diversity, and culture as assets.
• Empathy for the perspectives of students, staff and stakeholders
• Clear understanding of policies and law affecting special populations, LEP students and students receiving special education services
• Ability to model an exemplary work ethic
• Demonstrate initiative and the ability to work without close supervision.
• Demonstrates integrity and maintains confidentiality.
• Demonstrates the ability to attend work on a regular and routine basis to avoid disruption to District operations.
• Upholds and adheres to safety rules and policies of the Ankeny Community School District safety program.
• Responds to emergency situations for the purpose of resolving immediate safety concerns and/or directing appropriate personnel for resolution.
• Performs other related duties, as assigned, for the purpose of ensuring the efficient and effective functioning of the work unit.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Specific knowledge based competencies required to satisfactorily perform the functions of the job include:
• • Instruction and assessment practices
  • Child development, brain development, and best practices in education
  • Analyze situations to define issues and draw conclusion
  • Cultural proficiency
  • Curriculum development
  • Leadership development
  • Continuous improvement processes
  • Safety practices and procedures
  • Conflict resolution
  • Crisis de-escalation techniques

• Specific skill based competencies required to satisfactorily perform the functions of the job include:
• • Interacting effectively with students, teachers/staff, the community and parents
  • Adhering to safety practices
  • Operating standard office equipment including using pertinent software applications
  • Preparing and maintaining accurate records
  • Using district approved crisis intervention techniques

• Specific ability based competencies required to satisfactorily perform the functions of the job include:
• • Establishing and maintaining constructive relationship
  • Flexibility is required to independently work with others in a wide variety of circumstances
  • Ability to work with a significant diversity of individuals and/or groups
  • Ability to problem solve
  • Ability to use effective hiring techniques
  • Budget management
  • Exhibiting tact and patience
  • Adaptability to changing work priorities
  • Maintaining confidentiality

Working Environment

Mental Demands/Physical Demands/Environmental Factors:

The usual and customary methods of performing the position functions require the following physical demands: significant lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, climbing, reaching, driving, standing and walking. Working conditions may include extreme temperatures and humidity. Hazards may include exposure to communicable diseases. This position requires one to maintain emotional control under stress.

Responsibility

Responsibilities include: working independently under broad organizational guidelines to achieve unit objectives; directing other persons within a department, large work unit, and/or across several small work units; directing the use of budgeted funds within a work unit; utilization of some resources from other work units is often required to perform the job’s functions. There is a continual opportunity to significantly impact the organization’s services.

Supervision

Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws. Is responsible for the overall direction, management, coordination, and evaluation of employees assigned to the school.

Terms of Employment

Work year established by the Superintendent; Salary according to schedule adopted annually.

Clearances

Criminal Justice Fingerprint/Background Clearance

Evaluation:

Job performance will be evaluated annually, as per district policies and procedures

The foregoing statements describe the general purpose and responsibilities assigned to this job and are not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties that may be assigned or skills that may be required.

Reviewed by: Justin Mohr Date: January 15th, 2024

Ankeny Community School District is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. It is the policy of the District to provide equal employment opportunities and not to illegally discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, religion, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, color, age or marital status in its employment and personnel practices. The job categories where the representative groups are underrepresented.