Northern Lights Community School is a tuition free public charter school for grades 6-12 located in Warba, MN. NLCS is an environmental project based school that is authorized by the Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center.

The Four Pillars of NLCS:

Safe, small & accepting learning community

Environmental focus

Authentic hands-on projects

Students drive their education

Northern Lights Community School Mission Statement

NLCS is an academically rigorous, project based, individually focused and environmentally engaged learning community serving students grades 6-12 in Northern Minnesota with care, acceptance and authenticity.

Vision/Goals
Every student will be treated as a unique individual and will each have a Personalized Learning Plan (PLP).
Every student will be ensured a safe family-oriented learning environment that focuses on continual growth.
Every student will learn to be environmental stewards community service oriented citizens.
Every student will acquire essential life skills to ensure success in the 21st century.
Every student will learn through authentic hands-on projects.
Every student will have autonomy over their education as they drive toward mastery.

Position Overview: Northern Lights Community School is a Minnesota Charter School for grades 6-12 in Northern MN with a Project-Based Learning (PBL) approach and an environmental focus. The Director is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the schools operations, ensuring compliance with state laws and regulations, fostering a positive learning environment, and promoting student success. This role requires strong leadership, communication and organizational skills, as well as a deep understanding of educational policies and procedures.

Leadership and Administration:

• Provide visionary leadership to the school community, including the staff and students.
• Develop, implement and revise strategic plans to achieve academic and operational goals that meet the needs of the school and demonstrate mastery for our goals with school authorizer, Osprey Wilds.
• Manage day-to-day operations, including budgeting, staffing, scheduling and facilities management.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement among staff members.
• Be able to communicate effectively and in a professional manner.
• Represent the school to external stakeholders, including the authorizer, school board, and community partners.
• Commitment to providing professional development opportunities for licensed teachers to enhance their project-based learning skills, classroom management skills and to stay up to date in their licensure areas.
• Ability to facilitate inquiry-based learning, collaborative projects, and authentic assessments that promote critical thinking, problem-solving and creativity.
• Oversees the hiring of qualified personnel.
• Demonstrates leadership when it comes to human relations, safety, and conflict management.
• Recommend for approval all staff hiring, position modifications, resignations, staff evaluations, discipline, and terminations.

Compliance and Accountability:

• Ensure compliance with all relevant state and federal laws, regulations, and charter agreements.
• Stay abreast of changes in education policy and advocate for the needs of the school, its staff and students.
• Prepare and submit required reports to the authorizer, school board, and other governing bodies.
• Knowledge of special education laws and regulations.
• Monitor academic performance and student outcomes, implementing interventions as needed to support student success.
• Hold staff members accountable for meeting performance expectations and adhering to school policies, procedures and the MN state standards.
• Ability to plan, execute, and document necessary safety procedures such as; fire drill, tornado drills, evacuation procedures etc.
• Commitment to the mission, vision, and strategic plan of Northern Lights Community School, and collaborate and communicate effectively.

Student Support and Engagement:

• Advocate for the diverse needs of students, including those with disabilities and special educational needs.
• Promote a safe, inclusive and supportive learning environment for all students.
• Oversee student discipline procedures, ensuring fairness and consistency while emphasizing restorative practices.
• Collaborate with licensed teachers, project managers, paraprofessionals, special education coordinator and other support services such as; social worker, children’s mental health services, probation and Ross Resources to problem solve attendance, academic and behavioral challenges.
• Celebrate student achievements and promote a positive school culture using Positive Behavior Intervention Strategies (PBIS) and providing ample resources to make it effective.
• Experience in designing and implementing project-based learning experiences for students by promoting ways to focus on environmental education endeavors through lifelong learning opportunities, field trips and hands-on learning.
• Attend and supervise student activities and events.

Communication and Community Relations:

• Serve as the primary spokesperson for the school, communicating with parents, students, staff, and community members.
• Build positive relationships with local stakeholders, including businesses, community organizations, government agencies, and the Northern Lights Building Company.
• Advocate for the school within the broader educational community, highlighting its successes and achievements. (newspaper, radio, promotional materials and hosting events)
• Respond to inquiries and concerns from parents, students, and community members in a timely and professional manner.
• Promote transparency and accountability through regular communication and engagement activities.
• Be visible in the classrooms for observations and evaluations both informally and formally to give constructive feedback to encourage all staff to become members of the school culture and community.
• Works cooperatively with staff members and includes others in decision making processes.

Technical Skills:

• Proficient in the use of educational technology platforms, including Infinite Campus, MARSS, Special Education or similar student information systems.
• Ability to manage student records, including transferring credits from various school districts.
• Familiarity with data analysis and assessment tools to monitor student progress and inform instructional decisions.
• Knowledge of basic and advanced programming such as; e-mail, Google , Google Classroom, Excel spreadsheets etc.

To be able to operate remotely when necessary for extenuating circumstances (ZOOM).

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $80,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Grade school specialties:

• 10th grade
• 11th grade
• 12th grade
• 6th grade
• 7th grade
• 8th grade
• 9th grade

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Work setting:

• Charter school
• In-person

Work Location: In person