Principal of Academics

Are you interested in working with an organization that is transforming the way America cares for and educates its children?

The Children’s Guild is seeking an experienced Director of Academics to establish a culture consistent with the tenets of Transformation Education (TranZed) as a means of assuring the existence of a milieu that produces students who are prepared for high school by being able to think critically, problem solve creatively, be self-disciplined, to learn how to learn and who understands that the goal of life is to serve a cause larger than oneself. This position serves as the chief academic officer for the school. The Director of Academics assists the principal in planning, development and implementation of all aspects of the TranZed school program. S/he works alongside the principal and participates in all aspects of the TranZed school design including curriculum development, staff development, evaluation and program documentation and other administrative responsibilities as required by the school district.

Summary

The Children's Guild Alliance is a nonprofit organization serving children, families, and child-serving organizations. We are dedicated to transforming how America educates and cares for its children through education, behavioral health, national training, and consultation services. Affiliates of The Children's Guild Alliance include The Children's Guild, Monarch Academy public charter and contract schools, Monarch Preschool College Park, TranZed Academy for Working Students, TranZed Apprenticeships, The Children's Guild DC Public Charter School, Transformation Education Institute, and The National Children's Guild Fund. We are among the most experienced child-serving organizations in the Greater Baltimore/Washington region and are currently expanding in national and international programs. Each year, the agency's continuum of care and hundreds of professional staff help thousands of youth and young adults and their families achieve excel and succeed. We operate public charter and contract schools; special education schools; preschool; apprenticeships, and pre-career programs; therapeutic group homes; treatment foster care; and behavior health services. We invite you to be part of our innovative team!

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assist teachers with implementing the Transformation Education approaches to learning

• Must have extensive Autism Experience

• Participate in the development of compelling topics and learning targets that are aligned with the core curriculum

• Support organizational structures and intervention levels for tiered instruction

• Lead curriculum development projects

• Design internal writing benchmarks for assessing students writing

• Monitor instruction by daily learning walks and observations

• Coach and model for staff the student assessment protocols

• Model direct instruction techniques which are brain based

• Assist in data analysis of summative and formative assessments

• Supervise teachers and teacher assistants and provide feedback for professional growth and instructional delivery

• Assist principal with data collection of student achievement and monitors accountability plan

• Assist individual teachers and teacher teams in developing high quality learning projects (in depth, project-based investigations aligned with standards) as the primary way of organizing curriculum

• Motivate teachers to continue to develop their content knowledge and instructional repertoire through modeling effective instructional practices in staff meetings, professional development sessions and crew meetings

• Design an effective professional learning community

• Organize staff development schedule and monitor effectiveness of professional development activities

• Link the physical environment to the desired learning experience to meet the brains need for contrast, challenge and variety

• Assumes other duties as assigned

Supervisory Responsibilities

Directly supervises teachers, teacher’s assistants, and instructional coaches in the school program. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Competencies

To perform the job successfully, an individual will retain accountability for the following Key Result Areas (KRAs).

Key Result Area #1: Professional Development

• Develops the professional development calendar in alignment with the school improvement plans, instructional needs, and the organization’s mission.

• Presents professional development trainings on various educational topics during in-service days, orientation, and at organizational gatherings.

• Assists and trains instructional staff with development of lesson plans, individualized education programs, report cards, instructional strategies, assessment tools, data interpretation, instructional technology and behavior management strategies.

• Conducts ongoing coaching/mentoring with educational staff: Instructional Coaches, Teachers, Teaching Assistants, and therapeutic behavioral aides.

• Evidence of self-directed learning through attendance at conferences, seminars, workshops, and continuing education aligned with the organization’s mission.

Key Result Area # 2: Instructional Leadership

• Provides instructional staff members with the resources and staff development needed to grow professionally.

• Ensures all teachers implement lesson plans and project-based learning aligned with Maryland state standards and are provided assistance as needed on creating, writing and executing lesson plans.

• Conducts formal observations on teachers at least twice a school year and continually provides feedback to teachers through informal walkthroughs.

• Develops, implements, and monitors Professional Learning Communities.

• Conduct walk-throughs to determine program needs, staff training needs, evaluate progress and provide feedback to instructional staff in collaboration with the principal.

• Responsible for training classroom teams in the Team Primacy process, participates in team primacy meetings to provide support and guidance to classroom teams, and audit the proper deployment of the process.

• Develops and maintains the instructional inventory to ensure there are adequate instructional materials and curricula for teachers to reach students across all grade and functional levels.

Key Result Area # 3: Communication

• Communicate effectively with students, parents, and staff members through email, phone calls, flyers, and in-person meetings.

• Participate in and lead team meetings focused on school-based instructional practices weekly.

• Effectively communicate with staff members when instructional requirements are not met.

• Provide reports on student achievement and instructional programming as requested in a timely manner.

• Provide communication and feedback when necessary, for staff improvement in alignment with the organization’s progressive disciplinary process.

Key Result Area # 4: School Improvement

• Continuous Quality Improvement reports are accurate and submitted quarterly to the Vice President of Special Education and Related Services

• The related service tracking system is in place and audited on a monthly basis. This will involve an auditing of clinical and educational services as stipulated on the IEP.

• A tracking system is in place for recording IEP reviews.

• Report cards are reviewed and distributed on a quarterly basis.

• Assessment of ongoing training needs for the program is conducted using various tools.

• The school environment reflects the Children’s Guild’s philosophy, values and culture.

• Identifies College of Transformation courses with staff on their Staff Individual Growth Plan

• Discharges are discussed with, and approved by, the Vice President of Special Education and Student Services and Educational testing and behavior assessments are carried out in a timely and effective way and the data is used to improve student instruction.

• All educational IEP services are being carried out in accordance with the specifications on the IEP.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

A Master’s Degree with emphasis on supervision, educational administration, elementary or secondary school curriculum or a closely related field. It is essential to have a minimum of five years of classroom teaching experience and successful completion of classroom observations. Other combinations of applicable education, training, and experience which provide the knowledge, abilities and skills necessary to perform effectively in the position may be considered.

Must have extensive autism experience.

The successful candidate will possess an understanding of and an appreciation for Transformation Education approaches to learning. It is required that this position meet Maryland or a collaborating state’s certification requirements for Administrator I or elementary principal and supervisor.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

Hold or be eligible for a Maryland teaching certification.

Certified or eligible for certification in crisis management.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and talk or hear. The employee must frequently lift and/or move more than 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include the ability to adjust focus.

All Childrens Guild employees are expected to demonstrate an awareness of, respect for, and attention to the diversity of the people with whom they interact (person served, personnel, families/caregivers, and other stakeholders) that are reflected in attitudes, organizational structure, policies, and services.