Upper School Principal

Mission Statement:

The Upper School Principal will oversee the operation of the 6th-12th Grades and provide leadership, supervision and spiritual guidance to the teaching staff, students and school community. The Principal will work alongside the Head of School and school staff to provide the high-quality delivery of Classical Christian education for the students and partner with parents in the spiritual development of the whole student. This strong leadership and oversight will help shape the school and guide it in accomplishing the overall mission.

Required Spiritual Qualities:

• Acknowledge Christ as Savior and seek to live life as His disciple.
• Believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative, inerrant Word of God—our standard for faith and practice.
• Believe and actively support the school’s statement of faith.
• Demonstrate a desire for spiritual growth as evidenced by his or her church attendance, prayer life, Bible study, and spiritual outreach to others.
• Be a Christian role model in attitude, speech, and actions toward others (Luke 6:40).
• Evidence the fruit of the Spirit in dealing with people.
• Share the Christian faith with others. Have a Christ-centered home.
• A Member in Good Standing with a local Bible-believing church.

Required Professional Qualities:

• Have a minimum of three years of successful classroom teaching experience, and preferably two years of successful administration experience, preferably in a Christian school.
• Demonstrate a reasonable level of computer literacy, having a basic proficiency in doing word processing, creating and using a spreadsheet, e-mailing, and accessing the Internet.
• Maintain current infant/child CPR and first aid certification.
• Have the spiritual maturity, academic ability, and personal leadership qualities to “train a child in the way he should go” (Prov. 22:6, NIV).
• Be an enthusiastic visionary, an encourager, and a self-starter with a high-energy level.
• Demonstrate sensitivity toward staff, parent, volunteers, and children, and an ability to interact effectively with them.
• Meet everyday stress with emotional stability, objectivity, and optimism.
• Understand the importance of discernment, discretion, and confidentiality in the operation of the school.
• Display friendliness and a good sense of humor.
• Display courtesy and patience in dealing with others.
• Defend principles and conviction in the face of pressure and partisan influence.
• Recognize his or her own mistakes and take measures to correct them.
• Use acceptable English in written and oral communication. Speak with clear articulation.
• Respectfully submit and be loyal to constituted authority.
• Make an effort to appreciate and understand the uniqueness of the community/culture.
• Maintain a personal appearance that is a Christian role model of cleanliness, modesty, and good taste consistent with school policy.

Spiritual Leadership

• Have a conviction that God has called her or him to Christian school administration.
• Motivate students to accept God’s gift of salvation and be a Christian witness and role model to them in order to help them grow in their faith.
• Maintain high standards of ethics, honesty, and integrity in all personal and professional matters.
• Ensure that the campus work environment is Christian-based, nurturing, wholesome, and loving.
• Lead the Upper School staff, students, and school families into a deeper spiritual commitment by example and teaching.
• Work with the Head of School and staff to address the spiritual formation needs of the students.
• Carry out Christ-centered counseling with students and staff or recommend them to professionals who can assist with the counseling as needed.

Academic Leadership

• Have a thorough knowledge and understanding of the Classical Christian philosophy of education that will enable him or her to provide leadership and guidance in the school’s development of and commitment to a Christian worldview.
• Lead in such a way that the school’s expected student outcomes are thoroughly addressed through educational programs.
• Have knowledge of the school’s curriculum, standards, and mission.
• Have a thorough knowledge and understanding of the philosophy and objectives of the school.
• Provide assistance and input in regard to the curriculum development of the school.
• Have knowledge of the physical and emotional development of children and understand the problems they face while growing up.
• Monitor the certification and licensure status of the teachers.
• Ensure that school classrooms reflect a professional and Christian environment.
• Lead the school staff in continuous professional development through such activities as new staff orientation, in-service opportunities, continuing education, and teaching demonstrations and training.
• Endeavor to be a resource person when teachers need help with their curriculum planning, teaching techniques or methods, and teacher-child or child-parent relationships.
• Evaluate employees using formal and informal evaluation and hold evaluation conferences for staff members.
• Coordinate and supervise the parent-teacher conferences.

Administrative Leadership

• Provide the school environment with appropriate rules, structure, and procedures in which staff, students, and volunteers can function efficiently, effectively, and productively.
• Provide leadership in planning the master schedule
• Meet regularly with the Head of School to ensure coordination of programs and prompt problem resolution.
• Assist Head of School in supervision of staff, improvement of instruction, and selection of curriculum.
• Ensure that school staff communicates with parents consistently and expediently.
• Be available to assist the teachers in matters relating to student needs and problems.
• Oversee and maintain positive discipline while ensuring that discipline is consistently maintained within biblical guidelines.
• Lead administrative team to include, but not limited to, Director of Educational Services, Curriculum Director, and College Counselor
• Maintain a physical presence with the students by attending and, when possible, participating in school chapels, assemblies, athletics events, and other presentations.
• Respect professional ethics that require confidentiality concerning the sharing of information about students, parents, or staff.
• Provide for the evaluation, orientation, and placement of all incoming families and students.
• Monitor compliance with relevant laws and regulations that apply to schools and file all legal and regulatory documents in a timely manner.

Governance

• Assist the Head of School in developing and training a pool of competent substitute teachers and volunteers to ensure continuity of the school program.
• Provide input to the Head of School that will help establish, implement, and refine procedures for the recruitment, orientation, supervision, evaluation, and motivation of personnel.
• Provide input to the Head of School for staff development and in-service programs on and off campus.
• Annually evaluate the school staff and provide each employee with a written evaluation.
• Provide appropriate information to the Head of School regarding the evaluations.
• Ensure that all personnel files are current, treated with appropriate confidentiality, and adequately safeguarded.

Business and Finances

• Possess an awareness and understanding of basic business and financial concepts and be able to use these concepts to meet the needs of the school.
• Assist the Head of School in planning for both short- and long-term budgetary needs to include but not be limited to operations, capital improvements, reserve, and endowment.
• Present purchases outside the school budget to the Head of School/Business Office for approval before they are executed.
• Provide input to the Head of School for the development and implementation of the school’s long-range financial plan.
• Provide input to the Head of School for the annual budget.