Job Description: Assistant Principal, Chestnut Campus, 2024-2025

Last Edit: 4/15/24

Job Title: Assistant Principal

FLSA Status: Professional Exempt

Reports to: Principal

Yu Ming Charter School seeks a dynamic, innovative, and experienced leader to join our team, committed to uplifting and supporting educators who in turn nurture lifelong learners who are bilingual, bicultural and able to create change in their own lives and in our community. We seek leaders that are excited by the possibility of transforming the traditional model of education to be learner-centered through personalized and project based learning that cultivates both the cognitive and social emotional skills our students need to thrive in school and beyond. Yu Ming leaders thrive on exploration, collaboration, and seek to continuously learn and grow as individuals and team members.

ABOUT YU MING CHARTER SCHOOL

Yu Ming Charter School is a non-profit, tuition-free network of public schools located in Oakland and San Leandro and open to all residents of California. As a leader in Mandarin Immersion education, our mission is to nurture our inclusive and diverse community to become empowered, engaged, and outstanding global citizens. We currently serve 864 students across three campuses, and continue to grow our enrollment each year. Our intentionally diverse student body comes from many racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds representing 70 zip codes across the Bay Area and 29 home languages. Founded in 2011, Yu Ming is the first Mandarin immersion public charter school in the state. 

We believe every child, regardless of their background or zip code, deserves a free, high-quality education that prepares them today to succeed tomorrow. Ranked the #7 Elementary School and the #2 Elementary Charter School in California by U.S. News, Yu Ming is a 2019 National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence and a 2020 and 2023 California Distinguished School. Yu Ming’s future-forward model prepares young people to succeed and thrive in an interconnected and multicultural world through personalized and rigorous learning experiences, active student agency, whole child and community focus, and multilingual education. As a result, our students far outperform their peers in the district, county, and state, regardless of socio-economic status, race, language background, and learning differences. We are closing the opportunity gap for our historically underserved students every day. To learn more about our innovative school visit our website www.yumingschool.org.

POSITION OVERVIEW

We are seeking an Assistant Principal who is an experienced and innovative instructional leader with exemplary academic and professional credentials. Reporting directly to the Principal, the Assistant Principal will be responsible for co-managing all operational functions of the school including but not limited to creating a collaborative professional learning community, supporting teachers in their growth, monitoring and guiding educational programs, analyzing and responding to data, ensuring effective administration of personnel, budget, and facilities. The Assistant Principal engages all staff, community partners, and families in serving the whole child and ensuring all children achieve at high levels. The Assistant Principal assumes full responsibility for school operations in the absence of the principal.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• One or more of the following areas of expertise:
  • Personalized learning; 
  • Anti-racist, anti-bias education; 
  • “Whole child” education and deep knowledge of social-emotional learning; and
  • Mandarin immersion or dual language immersion
• Skills to form and maintain relationships with a broad range of individuals and across areas of difference like cultural background, linguistic heritage, race, class, socio-economic status and family structure
• Ability to balance the urgency of problem solving in the moment with the need to establish enduring systems so the school can run efficiently over the long-term
• Exceptional people management skills that inspire team members, help identify their areas of growth and opportunities to support them in their professional development
• Highly flexible and comfortable with change, growth, and possibility
• Skilled collaborator, communicator, and relationship-builder

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Instructional Leadership
  • Serve on the School Site Leadership Team and Instructional Leadership Team to facilitate the development and implementation of a shared vision of teaching, learning and growth for all students 
  • Provide instructional coaching to teachers through classroom observations and feedback and support them in instructional planning and data analysis 
  • Supervise, coach and provide feedback to Instructional Assistants
  • Plan and facilitate department/grade-level meetings and staff professional learning

• School Administration
  • Assist the Principal in the day-to-day operations of the school, to ensure a safe, respectful, and productive learning environment 
  • Help plan daily school activities by participating in the development and coordination of class schedules, teacher assignments, extracurricular activity schedules and special events
  • Oversee, implement, and enforce policies and practices related to student behavior, wellness, safety, and attendance
  • Participate in the hiring process and inform staff recruiting, hiring and retention decisions

• Student Support and Success
  • Lead all-school community meetings, focusing on specific dimensions of the Yu Ming commitments, expectations and community culture
  • Manage student discipline, ensuring fair and consistent enforcement of school rules and policies and communicate with parents/families as needed
  • Oversee student behavioral crisis-intervention, acute behavioral issues, and disciplinary action
  • Facilitate COST (Coordination of Services Team), SST (Student Support Team), and SARB (Student Attendance Review Board) meetings in order to address students’ academic, behavioral, social, and emotional needs
  • Participate as the administrator in IEP (Individualized Education Plan) meetings

• Parent/Family Engagement
  • Build and maintain relationships with parents/families and community stakeholders that establish mutual trust, respect and cooperation
  • Address parent/family concerns and inquiries in a timely and professional manner

QUALIFICATIONS

• A proven instructional leader with experience working in high performing schools with similar grade-spans and is knowledgeable about best practices in language immersion programs
• An exceptional relationship builder who can quickly gain the confidence of multiple stakeholder groups including families, faculty/staff, and students
• A passionate advocate for all students and families who has a commitment to building a strong culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Yu Ming
• Knowledgeable about the academic and social emotional needs of students, especially those of different racial, linguistic, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds
• A skilled facilitator of mediation conversations, with experience in restorative practices
• Dynamic and versatile, able to engage a variety of stakeholders in dialogue and speak in a clear, compelling and authentic manner both about the school’s goals and priorities and the leader’s decision-making process and plans towards meeting them

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Valid California Teaching Credential

Terms of Employment: 12 Months

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 position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk, hear, and communicate with both adults and children. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and occasionally climb ladders. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is moderate to high.

COMPENSATION

Yu Ming offers a generous salary and benefits package which includes:

• $91,000-$97,000 annual base salary
• 100% core benefits coverage on select plans
• Free Access to an Employee Assistance Program offering a variety of services including counseling and legal aid

• Participation in CalSTRS Retirement System
• 10 days paid time off per calendar year, plus school holidays and breaks
• 7 Sick days per calendar year

TO APPLY

Interested candidates should submit the following at https://yumingcharterschool.bamboohr.com/jobs/

• First combined PDF document which includes the following:
  • A Resume
  • Copies of valid California credential 
• Second combined document which includes the following:
  • A cover letter, not to exceed two double-spaced pages, describing your experience leading a school, the most significant event in your career as a leader, and your long-term goals
  • Three letters of recommendation (one from an immediate supervisor) dated within 12 months

Application submission screening and initial phone interviews will be completed on a rolling basis. 

Yu Ming Charter School is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity at all levels.