Principal In Residence

Scope of Work: Executive Leader & Chief Coach
The Principal in Residence is the ultimate owner of school outcomes.

This role exists to ensure:

• High-quality execution of the academic program
• Strong, consistent, joyful student culture
• Continuous development of adults
• Measurable academic growth for every scholar
• The Principal in Residence is not primarily a manager of tasks

The Principal in Residence is: 

• Vision Carrier – keeping the model alive through what we see, hear, and experience
• Executive Coach – developing leaders who develop teachers
• Bar-Setter – defining and resetting excellence relentlessly, aligned to BPS unified model
• Outcome Owner – ensuring strong results for kids
• The Principal in Residence reports to the Managing Director of Schools.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
1. Vision & Unified Model Execution
The Principal in Residence ensures Breakthrough’s Unified School Model and Arc of the Year are fully alive in daily practice.

This includes:

• Internalizing and driving the vision for excellent classrooms
• Ensuring alignment between adult actions and student experience
• Monitoring execution through constant observation of classrooms and leadership practice
• Naming and reinforcing the quality bar
• Intervening quickly and directly when execution slips

Anyone entering the building should see and feel:

• Academic rigor
• Strong classroom systems
• Purposeful student engagement
• High expectations paired with high support
• Joy

The Principal in Residence ensures the vision is not theoretical — it is visible.

2. Instructional Leadership & Academic Outcomes
The Principal in Residence is the ultimate owner of student achievement.

Key accountabilities include:

• Driving strong assessment and data analysis cycles
• Ensuring rigorous, standards-aligned instruction in every classroom
• Monitoring intervention systems to guarantee growth for all students
• Holding leaders accountable for high-quality coaching cycles
• Using real-time feedback to close instructional gaps immediately

The Principal in Residence builds a culture where:

• Adults know the standards
• Adults know their student data
• Adults take ownership of results
• Instruction improves weekly, not yearly
• Success is defined by measurable student growth and consistent instructional quality across classrooms.

3. Executive Coaching & Adult Development
The Principal in Residence serves as executive coach to the School Leadership Team.

This includes:

• Coaching leaders to deliver high-quality, in-the-moment feedback to teachers and staff
• Conducting joint walkthroughs to calibrate around instructional and culture quality
• Modeling effective feedback conversations and practice sessions
• Developing leaders’ ability to analyze data and drive improvement within and across functions
• Building leadership capacity, not dependency

The Principal in Residence ensures:

• Every teacher and staff member receives frequent, actionable coaching
• Every leader improves their coaching craft
• Adult development is systematic and measurable
• The strength of the school is reflected in the growth of its adults.

4. Culture & Student Experience
The Principal in Residence ensures a safe, structured, and joyful student experience aligned to Breakthrough’s philosophy.

This includes:

• Defining and reinforcing clear, consistent expectations
• Monitoring culture data and responding proactively
• Developing leaders who can uphold high expectations while building strong relationships
• Partnering with families to build trust and shared accountability
• Culture is proactive, predictable, and aligned to academic excellence.

5. Talent & Leadership Team Development
The Principal in Residence builds and develops a high-performing leadership team.

This includes:

• Hiring leaders aligned to Breakthrough’s unified model
• Setting clear expectations for performance
• Holding leaders accountable to measurable outcomes
• Addressing performance gaps directly and swiftly
• Creating pathways for leadership development

The Principal in Residence fosters a culture where:

• Excellence is normal
• Feedback is frequent
• Accountability is clear
• Student needs drive adult decisions

6. Equity & Inclusive Leadership
The Principal in Residence models and drives equitable and inclusive practices.
This includes:

• Ensuring all students have access to rigorous instruction
• Analyzing data by subgroup to identify and address inequities
• Closing gaps in academic and culture outcomes
• Building inclusive adult and student communities that recognize and celebrate unique identities and lived experience
• Equity is demonstrated through results.

What Success Looks Like
A successful Breakthrough Principal in Residence:

• Clearly articulates the Unified School Model and Arc of the Year
• Spends the majority of time observing, coaching, and developing adults
• Uses data to drive urgency and decisions
• Intervenes immediately when execution falls below the bar
• Develops leaders who can independently uphold excellence
• Produces strong academic growth for students

Most importantly:
The school feels different because the leadership is different.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Education

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s preferred

Skills & Qualifications

• Proven track record of driving student academic growth
• Strong instructional knowledge and coaching ability
• Experience leading and developing adults
• Ability to give direct, actionable feedback
• Comfort operating in high-accountability environments
• 3–5 years of teaching or leadership experience (urban education preferred)

Licensure and Certification(s):

• Valid teaching license required
• Current Principal license and/or completion of Principal licensure within 2 years required
• Candidate must possess a valid driver’s license with a driving record in accordance with the BPS’s acceptable guidelines.

Why Breakthrough
At Breakthrough Public Schools, leadership is not a title — it is a mindset.

We believe transformative schools are built by leaders who embody a clear set of mindsets that shape every decision, every interaction, and every outcome.

Our Principals in Residence lead with the following mindsets:

We Do Our Job.

• We take full ownership of results.
• We do not blame circumstances, systems, or people — we improve them.
• We ensure the work gets done at a high level because students are counting on us.

We Hold High Expectations.

• We believe all students can achieve at the highest levels.
• We define excellence clearly and refuse to lower the bar.
• We intervene quickly when performance slips — in ourselves and in others.

Kid Needs > Adult Needs.

• We make decisions based on what is best for students, even when it is hard.
• We prioritize long-term student success over short-term adult comfort.

We Communicate Openly and Honestly.

• We give direct, actionable feedback.
• We say what needs to be said in service of growth.
• We seek clarity and alignment rather than comfort.

We Remain Committed.

• We persist through challenge.
• We do not waver when the work is difficult.
• We understand that consistency — not intensity — drives transformation.

We Center Joy.

• We believe rigor and joy coexist.
• We create environments where adults and students feel purpose, belonging, and pride.
• We celebrate growth and progress along the way.

Breakthrough operates as a unified system across five campuses, grounded in a shared school model and a clear Arc of the Year for adult and instructional excellence.

We are seeking Principals in Residence who are relentless about outcomes, courageous in coaching adults, and unwavering in their commitment to students.

If you are energized by building strong teams, setting a clear bar, and driving meaningful academic growth for children — you will find your work here matters deeply.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
Performs work in an office setting with moderate levels of noise, sitting and standing for long periods of time, repetitive motion using computers and phones, with exposure to fluorescent lighting.

ANY PERSON WHO KNOWINGLY MAKES A FALSE STATEMENT IS GUILTY OF FALISIFCATION UNDER SECTION 2921.13 OF THE REVISED CODE, WHICH IS A MISDEMEANOR OF THE FIRST DEGREE

DISCLAIMER:The information outlined in this job description indicates the general nature and type of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not intended to provide a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities or competencies required of employees within this classification.

Benefits:

Compensation packages are competitive and commensurate with experience. Breakthrough Schools offer a comprehensive benefit package that includes medical, dental and vision, life and disability coverage. Employees are also eligible to participate in the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio (STRS) or the School Employees Retirement System of Ohio (SERS).
Breakthrough Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin.

Salary : $91,200 - $114,000