Principal Role

The Schenectady City School District is committed to the elimination of race, economics, and disability as predictors of student achievement. SCSD is seeking an innovative leader with an equity and culturally responsive mindset, vision and skills to lead the school to excellence and recognition. The principal must be willing to be an advocate, organizational developer and an agent of cultural change. He or she must provide evidence of and commitment to developing a culture of high expectations for students, staff and families as well as implementing research-based instructional practices, using data to monitor, measure, and improve student achievement.  A principal should provide leadership in creating a learning environment that encourages innovation, creativity, and student success. This position requires a high degree of skill in engaging visionary leadership, effective instructional practices, intensive academic interventions, explicit acknowledgment of race, and parental and community engagement driven by equity and culturally responsive practices.

Principal Expectations

• Demonstrated expertise in the use of data-driven instruction to support all students and to tailor interventions based on student lived experiences;
• Proven ability to motivate staff and students to achieve equity and excellence;
• Supervision and evaluation of staff and programs;
• Knowledge of content and behavioral standards, instructional and assessment practices that incorporate research based strategies and methodologies, while ensuring alignment with equity and culturally responsive practices;
• Team development and leadership skills that engage staff on continuous learning;
• Ability to work collaboratively with staff members, and administrators of all backgrounds;
• Ability to build strong relationships with diverse students, staff, parents and the community;
• Administers the overall school program using principles driven by equity;
• Maintains a safe and orderly learning environment using restorative and positive behavioral supports;
• Supervises and evaluates all teaching and support staff within the school by creating a positive and creative culture that is aligned with District APPR and evaluation guidelines;
• Provides instructional leadership for the school by analyzing and interpreting student data to make sound instructional decisions;
• Creates a positive, high-expectations and high support academic environment for students and staff;
• Assigns and schedules teachers and staff to best meet student needs;

• Develops and maintains a fiscally morally responsible budget that meets student, staff and community needs;
• Attend parent conferences and team meetings as needed;
• Foster and maintain positive and respectful relationships between home, school and the community that sustains continuous communication and collaboration;
• Defines problems, collects data, establishes facts, and draws valid conclusions using an Equity and Culturally Responsive lens;
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Superintendent
• Participates in district-wide activities, professional development and committees.

Principal Key Qualities

• Establish leadership approach aligned with systems and a school culture that nurtures those whose first language is not English; those who live below the poverty line; those who are from unrepresented groups; Those who have learning differences; and those who are marginalized and underserved due to their immigration status, sexual orientation, religious preferences, and geographic location;
• Embrace, celebrate, deeply understand, and build on the richness of diversity school-wide;
• Integrate and marry diversity and equity within every aspect of school building;
• Committed to developing environments, systems, and practices in ways that provide students with what they need based on careful attention to student circumstances;
• Prevent and dismantle punitive disciplinary policies that harm students academically and socially; Provide assistant principals, social workers, school counselors, and teachers opportunities to develop and improve their practices;
• Attract teachers who know their content and subject matter well and understand how to align student experiences with instructional practices;
• Develop systems to make sure families and communities are actively involved in the education of their children;
• Strive to increase the teacher of color pipeline in your school;
• Focus more on continuous learning organizationally, curriculum and instruction and less discipline;
• Establish a culture that focus on helping students develop a life-long love of learning;
• Acknowledges that without high-quality teaching, increased hours of instruction do not equal increased learning. The increase in learning is directly dependent on the quality of the teaching.

Assistant Principal

This position reports to principal of a midsize urban school district located in the Capital region of Upstate New York. The Assistant Principal is expected to execute practices that incorporate research based strategies and methodologies that will lead to improvements in the areas of teaching and learning, equity, engagement and efficiency. The Assistant Principal will supervise and evaluate staff and programs.  The Assistant Principal is tasked with supporting staff in implementing the common core, behavioral standards, as well as, instructional practices and assessments using a culturally responsive lens. The Assistant Principal fosters positive relationships between home, school and the community. This position requires a high degree of trust, professionalism and sound judgment.

Assistant Principal Expectations

• Manage building operations at the direction of the principal;
• Use of data-driven instruction and decision-making;
• Maintain a safe and orderly learning environment;
• Supervise teachers and staff;
• Evaluate teachers following district APPR guidelines;
• Address student discipline issues as needed and follow through discipline referrals with teachers, parents and students;
• Create and monitor student behavior plans;
• Prepare and attends Superintendent Hearings;
• General student supervision including arrival and dismissal, lunch room and after school events;
• Attend parent conferences and team meetings;
• Assist Principal with various projects and duties as assigned;
• Serve on district and building committees as assigned.

Assistant Principal Key Qualities

• Proven ability to motivate staff and students to achieve excellence;
• Team development and leadership skills;
• Ability to work collaboratively with staff members, and administrators;
• Ability to build strong relationships with students, staff, parents and the community;
• Excellent organizational, verbal, and written communication skills.

Assistant Principal

This position reports to principal of a midsize urban school district located in the Capital region of Upstate New York. The Assistant Principal is expected to execute practices that incorporate research based strategies and methodologies that will lead to improvements in the areas of teaching and learning, equity, engagement and efficiency. The Assistant Principal will supervise and evaluate staff and programs.  The Assistant Principal is tasked with supporting staff in implementing the common core, behavioral standards, as well as, instructional practices and assessments using a culturally responsive lens. The Assistant Principal fosters positive relationships between home, school and the community. This position requires a high degree of trust, professionalism and sound judgment.

Assistant Principal Expectations

• Manage building operations at the direction of the principal;
• Use of data-driven instruction and decision-making;
• Maintain a safe and orderly learning environment;
• Supervise teachers and staff;
• Evaluate teachers following district APPR guidelines;
• Address student discipline issues as needed and follow through discipline referrals with teachers, parents and students;
• Create and monitor student behavior plans;
• Prepare and attends Superintendent Hearings;
• General student supervision including arrival and dismissal, lunch room and after school events;
• Attend parent conferences and team meetings;
• Assist Principal with various projects and duties as assigned;
• Serve on district and building committees as assigned.

Assistant Principal Key Qualities

• Proven ability to motivate staff and students to achieve excellence;
• Team development and leadership skills;
• Ability to work collaboratively with staff members, and administrators;
• Ability to build strong relationships with students, staff, parents and the community;
• Excellent organizational, verbal, and written communication skills.

The Assistant Director for Fine Arts in the Office of Teaching and Learning will embody, advocate and operationalize the mission, vision and strategic direction of the Schenectady City School District. Support the Office of Teaching and Learning and District schools to achieve the District’s goals for student and graduate success by ensuring equitable student and school access to all programs, resources, and high quality instruction. Assist the District team in establishing District-wide practices that promote equity attending to the need for an antiracist, culturally responsive curriculum.

Primary responsibilities (provide assistance to the Teaching and Learning team):

• Identify, evaluate, and standardize the Fine Arts curriculum and instructional resources that promote equity, diversity, and inclusions and lead to improved student outcomes;
• Lead the research and development of Fine Arts instructional practices, programs, and policies that maximize educational and co-curricular options and lead to improved academic success for all students;
• Serve as a resource to Principals, teachers, and community partners (universities, colleges, non-profit educational organizations) to provide assistance to adopt culturally responsive curriculum and effective pedagogical practices for the purpose of advancing educational equity;
• Develop fine arts professional development opportunities for teachers to increase educational outcomes.

Specifically:

Identify, evaluate, and standardize curriculum and instructional resources that promote equity and lead to improved student outcomes

• Assists the district in understanding, interpreting, and operationalizing the art, music, theatre, and dance Learning Standards as set forth by New York State Education Department;
• Integral role in assuring that the goals of the Student and Graduate Success Pillar are a central focus in work undertaken, operationalizing the defined pillar strategies to move measures towards successful completion;
• Analyzes and utilizes student data for the purpose of developing or co-developing appropriate curriculum and guiding instructional conversations;
• Promotes the use of the most effective and appropriate technologies to support teaching and learning and ensures that necessary resources are available.

Lead the research and development of instructional practices, programs, and policies that maximize educational options and lead to improved academic success for all students

• Research topics required to maintain the integrity of equity work (e.g. relevant policies, new federal and state statutes, financial resources, etc.) for the purpose of developing new Fine Arts programs, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, securing general information and/or responding to requests;
• Assist building administration and faculty in analysis and use of data to reflect on teaching practice, make instructional and programmatic decisions, give feedback on art and music lesson plans to meet the needs of diverse learners;
• Provide support to foster a culture that motivates teachers and administrators to perform at the level of excellence necessary to improve student achievement and close educational opportunity gaps;
• Review and observe current art, music, theater, and dance teaching methods and learning materials as needed for areas of District improvement and to ensure they meet the current local, state and federal requirements.
• Assist in the development and coordination of the sections of the budget that pertain to Fine Arts. ? Plan the schedules of music and art teachers to provide an equitable distribution of their time in each District school.
• Lead the District Arts and Enrichment Committee to develop systems for the equitable distribution of Arts in Education funds.

Serve as a resource to Principals, teachers, and community partners (universities, colleges, non-profit educational organizations) to provide assistance to adopt culturally responsive curriculum and effective pedagogical practices for the purpose of advancing educational equity

• Serve as a collaborative resource within the district for furthering goals of educational equity in developing and implementing effective Fine Arts learning strategies that reflect and support diversity, equity and inclusion for student academic success;
• Establishes strong working relationships with school and district staff;
• Supports a climate where equity is discussed, challenged and used to promote opportunities for staff and student success;
• Serve on cross-functional teams to provide educational and managerial leadership that builds and supports a high performance educational team, inspiring and aligning the academic work of the District;
• Gathers input from staff and surveys from students as well as formal assessment data as part of process to monitor and evaluate the impact of the instructional and co-curricular program;
• Supports the development of the instructional and leadership capacity of staff.
• Supervise the District-wide Fine Arts Resource Teachers.

Develop professional development opportunities for teachers to increase educational outcomes

• Analyzes and utilizes data to identify professional development needs and to evaluate, improve and report on program effectiveness;
• Communicates the goals, plans and progress of the District’s professional learning program;
• Communicates available fine arts professional learning activities to school and district staff;
• Collaborates on the design and implementation of a comprehensive Professional Development Plan of all staff;
• Implements Fine Arts professional learning opportunities through multiple delivery models including, formal structured workshops and digital platforms;
• Organizes, maintains and supports professional learning communities;
• Remains a learner and informed of innovative professional development techniques to provide the district with the highest quality of professional development activities;
• Participates in the development of the district school calendar to ensure adequate professional learning time;
• Assist in the development and onboarding of new staff.

Secondary responsibilities will include:

• Assist building administrations in the recruitment and hiring of staff when hiring is needed across multiple buildings;
• Will conduct teacher evaluations to ensure proper implementation of curriculum;
• Within the framework of the tenets of the APPR process, provide support and/or supervise and coach teachers by adhering to precise instructional systems, visiting classrooms to observe instruction, modeling effective instructional practices, providing support, and giving feedback.