Principal - Elementary

POSITION: School Principal -Elementary

REPORTS TO: Deputy Superintendent

LOCATION: Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary

• Ability to professionally relate to and collaborate with co-workers, students, and community members
• Ability to understand and maintain confidentiality
• Ability to use technology effectively to complete tasks
• Ability to report to work daily and on time
• Ability to organize, supervise, coordinate, and establish priorities of tasks to be completed
• Ability to work independently in the absence of detailed instructions and to follow complex oral and/or written instructions
• Ability to communicate orally or in writing, courteously and tactfully, with staff, students, parents, and the community in a timely manner
• Ability to work under pressure
• Ability to oversee and provide direction to the designed department (personnel support for certificated and non-certificated employees)
• Ability to plan and implement short and long-range objectives that relate to the departmental and system-wide objectives
• Ability to lead, support the staff, and communicate professionally and effectively with internal and external stockholders
• Ability to exhibit a personality that demonstrates enthusiasm and interpersonal skills to relate well with students, staff, administration, parents, colleagues, and the community
• Ability to demonstrate excellent leadership and organizational skills and the ability to motivate people and facilitate productive academic/organizational change
• Possess excellent time management skills and the ability to take initiative and make decisions within assigned responsibility in a challenging, fast-paced professional environment and be flexible in work responsibilities and hours
• Possess thorough knowledge of applicable Maryland laws, State Board of Education rules and regulations, Board of Education policies and regulations, regulations and procedures, and contractual obligations
• Possess knowledge of the programs, policies, and procedures of the St. Mary’s County Public School

• Organizes, manages, evaluates, and supervises effective and clear procedures for the operation and functioning of the entire school consistent with the philosophy, mission, values and goals of the school and district, including instructional programs in the Maryland College and Career Readiness Standards, extracurricular activities, discipline systems to ensure a safe and orderly climate, financial management, facilities maintenance, program evaluation, personnel management, office operations, emergency procedures, and community relations
• Ensures compliance with all laws, administrative codes, Board policies and regulations, including Affirmative Action mandates
• Leads school-level planning processes to ensure the development, implementation, and evaluation of all school programs and activities
• Establishes the master schedule for instructional programs, ensuring sequential learning experiences for students that meet and exceed the Maryland College and Career Readiness Standards
• Provides and supervises in a fair and consistent manner effective discipline and attendance systems with high standards, consistent with the philosophy, values, and mission of the school and district, in accordance with due process and other laws and regulations. File all required reports regarding violence, vandalism, attendance, health, and discipline matters
• Immediately notifies appropriate personnel and agencies and follows established procedures when there is evidence of substance abuse, child abuse, child neglect, severe medical or social conditions, potential suicide, or individuals appearing to be under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or anabolic steroids
• Organizes and supervises assembly programs and comprehensive extra-curricular programs appropriate for the young child that supports the Maryland College and Career Readiness Standards
• Develops a budget for the school with input from the staff and School Improvement Team and approves all purchases in accordance with SMCPS policies and procedures
• Implements an effective accounting and inventory system for all school supplies, materials, and equipment
• Implements procedures that create and maintain attractive, organized, functional, healthy, clean, and safe facilities, with proper attention to the visual, acoustic, and thermal environments
• Ensures that all facilities are regularly inspected for compliance with all applicable codes and regulations, including access for individuals with handicapping conditions
• Assumes responsibility for the health, safety, and welfare of students, staff, and visitors; develops clearly understood procedures and provides regular drills for emergencies and disasters, following State, local, and SMCPS guidelines
• Notifies appropriate Central Office staff immediately of any unusual circumstances
• Maintains a master schedule for the use of the school facilities
• Implements schedules and procedures for the supervision of students in non-classroom areas, including before and after school, bus loading and unloading, and
• Supervises the production of all school publications
• Completes, in a timely fashion, all records and reports as required by law and regulation or requested by the Superintendent
• Maintains accurate attendance records
• Maintains and accounts for all student activity funds and money collected from students in accordance with SMCPS policy and auditing Correct any audit exceptions immediately
• Communicates with the Superintendent and appropriate Central Office personnel regularly about the needs, successes, and general operation of the school
• Ensures that personnel and student record-keeping procedures comply with State and federal law and SMCPS policy and implements procedures for safe storage and integrity of all public and confidential school records
• Supervises all personnel assigned to the building, establishing clear expectations for roles, responsibilities, and performance to ensure that all job responsibilities are met and exceeded
• Ensures that personnel evaluation procedures are accomplished in a fair and consistent manner that encourages accountability, growth, and excellence, in accordance with law, Board policy, and contractual requirements
• Recommends to the Superintendent the renewal, dismissal, or other actions for all personnel assigned to the school, following established procedures and timelines
• Supervises the exclusion from school of any pupil who shows departure from normal health, who has been exposed to a communicable disease, or whose presence may be detrimental to the health and cleanliness of other pupils, in accordance with State and SMCPS policies; ensure that the excluded pupil's parents or guardian are apprised of the reason for exclusion
• Protects confidentiality of records and information gained as part of exercising professional duties and uses discretion in sharing such information within legal confines
• Observes strictly, to avoid the appearance of conflict, all ethics requirements regarding conflicts of interest in employment, purchasing, and other decisions, including solicitation and acceptance of gifts and favors, and submit in a timely fashion the required annual disclosure statement regarding employment and financial interests
• Performs any duties that are within the scope of employment and certifications, as assigned by the Superintendent and not otherwise prohibited by law or

• Establishes and promotes high standards and expectations for all students and staff for academic performance and responsibility for behavior
• Involves the staff in developing a school-wide behavior management system that actively teaches desired behaviors, positively reinforces appropriate behavior, and provides low-level interventions for low-level misbehavior
• Ensures a safe, orderly environment that is conducive to learning, includes a school security plan, encourages students to take responsibility for behavior, and creates high morale among staff and students
• Incorporates procedures for the early identification of potentially disruptive students and the conditions that create or enhance unacceptable behavior (e.g., bullying), and implement programs to address such conditions
• Coordinates resources for comprehensive student and family health and social services
• Establishes a professional rapport with students and with staff that earns their respect
• Displays the highest ethical and professional behavior and standards when working with students, parents, school personnel, and agencies associated with the school
• Serves as a role model for students, dressing professionally, demonstrating the importance and relevance of learning, accepting responsibility, and demonstrating pride in the education profession
• Organizes and nurtures an effective school leadership team, with clear expectations for role, responsibilities, and performance, holding each individual accountable for the area of assignment
• Schedules regular meetings of Professional Learning Communities whose work is aligned with the School Improvement Plan, focused on data analysis results and characterized by collective responsibility for instructional planning and student learning
• Keeps the staff informed and seeks ideas for the improvement of the school, and conducts meetings as necessary for the proper functioning of the school
• Holds regular staff meetings and serves, as appropriate, on staff committees
• Provides leadership opportunities to a variety of certificated and non-certificated staff members

• Supervises the instructional programs of the school, evaluating lesson plans and observing classes on a regular basis to encourage the use of a variety of instructional strategies and materials consistent with research on learning and child growth and development
• Ensures that the instructional programs engage the learner in tasks that require analytical and critical thinking, questioning the known, problem solving and creativity, that they address the range of skills and developmental needs found in the classroom, that they encourage the student to define individual goals and accept responsibility for learning, and that they provide a variety of methods for the student to demonstrate performance and achievement
• Supervises the implementation of curriculum and instruction supported by and integrated with an appropriate array of research-proven strategies
• Organizes and implements a system for the evaluation and selection of equipment and instructional materials that are free of prejudice and stereotyping and designed to meet the Maryland College and Career Readiness Standards, using staff-identified criteria reflecting the needs of the program
• Regularly reviews student work to ensure that it is rigorous, purposeful, and engaging
• Ensures that Professional Learning Communities collaboratively develop common assessments for their student cohorts
• Regularly reviews student assessments to ensure that they measure student mastery of the Maryland College and Career Readiness Standards

• Works with school-based leadership and the School Improvement Team to develop a comprehensive plan with annual student achievement targets, supported by parents, staff, and community members
• Organizes and maintains a Pupil Services Team, which intervenes to solve behavioral, nutritional, attendance, and other problems, receives data based on teacher referrals of students who are not making progress, and makes referrals to appropriate health and human service agencies
• Organizes and supervises data-based procedures for identifying and addressing special needs of students including health-related concerns, and physical, emotional, and learning disabilities, coordinating the resources of the school and community to assist the student and family
• Collects and analyzes data regarding the needs and achievement of students, including local, state, and national assessments, and other pertinent information affecting the design and implementation of services and programs, using the information to recommend new programs and modifications to existing programs
• Ensures that appropriate intervention/enrichment for individual students are provided, based on results of assessments
• Analyzes student attendance, discipline, and achievement data to identify and eliminate disproportionality
• Leads school-level planning processes to ensure the development, implementation, and evaluation of all school programs and activities
• Monitors the amount of instruction students miss due to absences and misbehavior
• Analyzes data obtained through teacher observation and learning to make recommendations for improvement for individual teachers and in the instructional program

• Demonstrates proficient use of student data management systems to analyze individual student data, teacher data, and the effectiveness of the instructional program.
• Uses technology for on-going root cause analysis of student performance to drive instructional decision making.
• Uses technology to gather and analyze school attendance, discipline, and achievement data to identify and eliminate disproportionality.

• Facilitates professional development for all staff focused on the achievement of the Maryland College and Career Readiness Standards, aligned with identified curricular, instructional, and assessment needs and connected to the School Improvement Plan
• Involves staff in determining their professional development needs
• Facilitates professional development for all staff focused on developing cultural proficiency
• Provides opportunities for effective, differentiated staff development that addresses the needs of the instructional program and needs of the staff, including workshops, conferences, visitations, and sessions in which the staff shares successful practices and strategies
• Continues to grow professionally through collaboration with colleagues and professional growth experiences
• Summarizes, interprets, and disseminates current developments in learning theory and research, instructional strategies, and classroom management through reading of professional journals, participation in professional development, and involvement in professional organizations

• Works with the staff and families, facilitates the development of a written school vision that encompasses values, challenges, and opportunities for the academic, social, and emotional development of each student
• Provides information to staff, students, and parents as necessary, and establishes and follows procedures for dealing with the media
• Maintains visibility with students, staff, parents, and the community, attending school and community functions regularly to demonstrate a genuine interest in the students
• Organizes and maintains a public relations system for the school that consistently celebrates and informs parents and the community of the accomplishments of students, and the information provided should solicit community and parental support and understanding of the programs and services of the school.
• Communicates regularly with parents, seeking their support and advice, so as to create a cooperative relationship to support students in the
• Encourages and works with an active PTA/PTO that supports the efforts of the school
• Maintains effective communications with agencies and resources outside of the
• Uses effective presentation skills when addressing students, staff, parents, and the community, including appropriate vocabulary and examples, clear and legible visuals, and articulate and audible speech
• Uses excellent written and oral English skills when communicating with students, parents, and
• Maintains positive, cooperative, and mutually supportive relationships with the central administration, parents, and representatives of resource agencies within the community.
• Represents the school and district at community, State, and professional

• Master's degree from an accredited college or university.
• Maryland Advanced Professional Certificate.
• Maryland Administrator II endorsement.
• Four (4) years of excellent experience in teaching and working at the appropriate level
• Three (3) years of experience in a leadership role at the school or system level