Elementary School Principal - Longfellow

Required

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Class 3 Montana Administrative Certificate with an Elementary Principal (K-8) endorsement;
• 5 years Successful teaching experience.
  
  

EMPLOYMENT DATES: Contracted 210 days (annually)

STARTING DATE: July 1, 2026

Salary

Base Pay: $104,760.00

(Based on 2026/2027 Salary Schedule;

Extensive Benefits

Dependent on qualifications and experience)

LOCATION: Longfellow Elementary School

CLOSING DATE: Tuesday, May 5, 2026

A Frontline Application must be received in the Frontline Application program (available at www.gfps.k12.mt.us) by the closing date.

Belief Statements

• All students deserve teachers and staff who thrive on student success.
• Each student will have fair and equitable opportunity for quality instruction and academic success.
• All students learn when their individual needs are met through a personalized school experience.
• All students and staff learn and work best in a safe, secure, and nurturing environment.
  
  

Summary

The Principal is the instructional leader of the school, responsible for establishing an instructional vision and a focused plan for improving student achievement; monitoring and supervising instruction; supporting teachers in improving their instructional practice; creating a community of continuous learning for all staff and students; and fostering a culture of high expectations for all staff and students. In addition, the Principal is charged with building strong partnerships with families and community, creating a safe, supportive school climate, and effectively managing operational, technical, and staff issues to promote instructional progress.

Qualifications

• Required completion of courses in leadership, curriculum and instruction, assessment, and educational administration
• A minimum of three (3) years of successful school experience as a licensed professional, preferably at the elementary school level
• Required possession of a valid Montana Educator's License endorsed as an elementary or secondary teacher
• Required possession of a valid Montana Educator's License endorsed as a principal
• Master's Degree in Education
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Properly licensed and endorsed in accordance with state statutes and Board of Public Education rules, or considered appropriately assigned if the principal is enrolled in an internship
• Ability to write reports and business correspondence
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from staff, parents, and the general public
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with students, staff, and the community
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely in both oral and written form
• Excellent organizational skills to provide effective administration
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with students, staff, and the community
• Ability to handle stressful situations
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of employment and student matters
• Ability to effectively manage time and responsibilities
• Leadership ability and general knowledge of issues and problems in all aspects of the elementary school
• Ability to navigate technology
  
  

Essential Functions

The Elementary Principal will:

• Develop, implement, and evaluate goals and objectives as they pertain to the curriculum and instructional needs of the District as directed.
• Establish a climate within the areas of responsibility that is conducive to appropriate conduct, performance, attitude, job satisfaction, and service orientation.
• Work collaboratively with the Central Office Leadership Team and other administrators to ensure the coordination, alignment, and articulation of a comprehensive curriculum and instructional program pre-K-12 that meets the needs of the diverse student population of the District.
• Assist Professional Learning Communities to identify specific challenges and strategies to help the school attain its goals.
• Lead the development, evaluation, and improvement of instructional programs that provide access and support to the rigorous instruction for all students.
• Promote a positive, caring climate for learning; deal sensitively and fairly with persons from diverse cultural backgrounds; and communicate effectively with students, staff, and parents.
• Lead development of school improvement plans with staff, parents, and community members; develop, maintain, and use information systems and relevant data to track progress on school performance objectives and academic excellence indicators.
• Regularly observe classroom instruction and work to improve employee performance as principal evaluator for employee evaluation systems.
• Assist in interviewing and selecting staff; orients new staff; manage staffing allocations.
• Articulate the school's mission to parents and solicit their support in accomplishing the mission; and use appropriate and effective techniques to encourage parental involvement.
• Supervise or delegate all school operations, including daily school activities, the development of class schedules, teacher assignments, and extracurricular activity schedules; supervise monitoring of student attendance; and comply with federal and state laws, Office of Public Instruction rules, and board policy.
• Ensure that students are adequately supervised during non-instructional periods; develop and/or help maintain a student discipline management system that results in positive student behavior; ensure that school rules are uniformly observed and that student discipline is appropriate and equitable, conducting conferences on student and school issues with students, parents, and teachers.
• Apply current research to ensure effective teaching and learning experiences for teachers and students.
• Follow a planned professional growth program; participate actively in local and state professional associations/organizations as assigned; and study local, state, and national guidelines for effective services in areas of responsibility.
• Prepare and manage the school's annual budget in accord with District parameters and the school's instructional and operational needs.
• Supervise and evaluate the performance of assigned staff, and arranges for appropriate training of subordinates and provides for remediation of employees when necessary.
• Assure accurate and timely dissemination of information.
• Serve on committees as appropriate or assigned by immediate supervisor.
• Represent the District as a liaison in meetings and committees that are related to areas of responsibility as assigned.
• Represent the District, when so assigned in social, organizational, ceremonial, political, or other functions.
• Keep informed of current trends in improved student learning and positive climate within schools, and other pertinent areas, such as federal, state and local laws and District regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Provide leadership and expertise in forming, guiding, and counseling District committees, groups, councils, and advisories for assigned areas of responsibility; provide leadership, support, and guidance to staff and members of the community to ensure thorough communication relative to the educational design and delivery process.
• Assist in maintaining safety of students, volunteers, parenting plans, crossing guards and traffic.
• Monitors and coordinates volunteers.
• Coordinates with Student Resource Officers (SRO) for student safety, parenting plans and student discipline.
• Oversees social media and parent communication.
• Monitors ADA compliance, 504 plans and Special Education plans.
• Facilitates team building with all stakeholders.
• Models appropriate use of technology.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.
  
  

Physical Demands

• Climbing. Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. Body agility is emphasized. This factor is important if the amount and kind of climbing required exceeds that required for ordinary locomotion.
• Balancing. Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling and walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. This factor is important if the amount of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium.
• Stooping. Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. This factor is important if it occurs to a considerable degree and requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles.
• Kneeling. Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees.
• Crouching. Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
• Reaching. Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• Standing. Particularly for sustained periods of time.
• Walking. Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.
• Pushing. Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward or outward.
• Pulling. Using upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.
• Lifting. Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. This factor is important if it occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles.
• Picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling. Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
• Talking. Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. Those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Hearing. Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discriminations in sound.
• Repetitive motion. Substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.
• Medium work. Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 30 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.
• The worker is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; visual inspection involving small defects, small parts, and/or operation of machines (including inspection); using measurement devices; and/or assembly or fabrication parts at distances close to the eyes.
• The worker is subject to indoor and outdoor environmental conditions, such as weather temperature changes.
• The worker is subject to noise. There is sufficient noise to cause the worker to shout in order to be heard above ambient noise level.