High Tech High Mesa School Director (Principal)

High Tech High Mesa School Director (Principal)

Reports To: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

FLSA Classification: Certificated, 220-day

Full Time/Part Time Status: Salary, full time, exempt

Regular/Temporary: Regular

Salary: School Director Framework (Steps 1-23) Range: $111,149.06 - $170,789.96. Salary is commensurate with experience and education level.

Application Opening: 3/23/26

Application Closing: 4/14/26

About High Tech High

Developed by a coalition of San Diego civic leaders and educators, High Tech High (“HTH”) opened in September 2000 as a small public project-based charter school with plans to serve approximately 450 students. HTH has evolved into an integrated network of sixteen charter schools serving approximately 6,300 students in grades K-12 across four San Diego County campuses (Point Loma, Clairemont, North County, and Chula Vista). The HTH organization also includes a comprehensive adult learning environment including a Teacher Credentialing Program and the High Tech High Graduate School of Education, offering professional development opportunities serving national and international educators.

High Tech High is guided by four connected design principles—equity, personalization, authentic work, and collaborative design—that set aspirational goals and create a foundation for understanding our approach.

Equity

High Tech High is an equity project. Teachers work to address inequities and help students reach their full potential. Our schools are intentionally diverse and integrated, enrolling students through a zip code-based lottery aimed at creating schools that are reflective of the communities we serve. Teachers recognize the value of having students from different backgrounds working together and employ a variety of approaches to accommodate diverse learners without academic tracking. High Tech High has an acute focus on college entrance and college completion for all students.

Personalization

High Tech High teachers practice a learner-centered, inclusive approach that supports and challenges each student. Students pursue their passions through projects and reflect on their learning. Recognizing that identity development and personal growth occur in the context of community, our schools foster relationships of trust, caring, and mutual respect among students and adults through program design elements such as small school size, small classes, home visits, advisories, and student collaborative work.

Authentic Work

High Tech High school projects integrate hands and minds and incorporate inquiry across multiple disciplines, leading to the creation of meaningful and beautiful work. Students engage in work that matters to them, to their teachers, and to the world outside of school. Students connect their studies to the world through fieldwork, community service, internships, and consultation with outside experts. Our facilities are collaborative workplaces with small group learning and project areas, relevant technology, and common spaces where artwork, prototypes, and other artifacts of student thinking are created and displayed.

Collaborative Design

High Tech High teachers collaborate to design curriculum and projects, lead professional development, and participate in hiring while seeking student experience and voice in each of these areas. With students as design partners, staff function as reflective practitioners, conducting inquiry into equitable teaching and learning, school culture, project design, and authentic assessment. We are all still learning.

POSITION DESCRIPTION           

Job Summary:

Under the direct supervision of the Chief Executive Officer, the School Director sets the strategy and direction for the school in conjunction with overall institutional goals. The School Director ensures high-quality instruction and an equitable and positive educational experience for students, families, and staff, by working with staff members to design, evaluate and improve student-centered instruction. HTH School Directors must cultivate positive relationships with students, teachers, families, colleagues, and the community at large.

Essential Functions:

●      Embodies the High Tech High design principles of Equity, Personalization, Authentic Work, and Collaborative Design in all work activities and actions for the purpose of creating an environment where staff and students are successful

●      Achieves institutional goals through effective administration of staff, curricula, and institutional culture

●      Instructional Leader for the school - responsible for student achievement, focused conversations with teachers, classroom oversight, development of effective teaching strategies, encouraging teamwork, creating and maintaining a positive school culture

●      Supervises school personnel for the purpose of monitoring and evaluating performance, providing for professional growth and achieving overall objectives of school's curriculum, and includes staff in the team effort of accomplishing institutional goals

●      Coordinates with Human Resources to recruit, hire, train, and support staff, as well as, conduct regular performance evaluations

●      Positively manages internal staff and external stakeholder relationships

●      Effectively oversees school’s daily operations

●      Effectively manages school budget

●      Composes a wide variety of documentation/reports (e.g. attendance reports, student activities, correspondence, etc.) for the purpose of documenting activities, providing written reference, and/or conveying information

●      Ensures institutional standards and procedures are followed

Competencies:

Leadership

●      Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with staff, students, and families grounded in mutual trust and respect

●      Ability to develop expectations and guidelines that create a respectful learning environment that fosters creativity and learning

●      Approaches school leadership with enthusiasm and positivity

●      Ability to effectively empower, supervise and organize employees

●      Demonstrated skill in handling challenging staff, student, and family issues

●      Ability to build and maintain effective teams

●      Proven decision-making skills

●      Effective time management skills

●      Possesses active listening skills

●      Accepting of the ideas of others

●      Reflective practitioner who seeks feedback in service of continuous improvement

Managing Through Systems

●      Strong knowledge of curriculum development and evaluation skills

●      Knowledge of pedagogical techniques and strategies

●      Proficient knowledge of applicable laws, policies, and procedures and demonstrated ability to operate within these regulations

●      Ability to accurately scope out the length and difficulty of tasks and projects

●      Ability to apply effective practices to achieve performance goals

●      Ability to remove obstacles that get in the way of effective performance

●      Demonstrated financial management skills

●      Workflow management skills

●      Computer and systems skills

Informing

●      Effective written and verbal communication skills

●      Ability to provide staff with the information needed for effective performance

●      Provides timely and useful information to all stakeholders

●      Demonstrated knowledge of facilitation techniques

Managing Diversity

●      Leverages diversity and applies institutional design principles to create and sustain respectful relationships between students, teachers, staff

●      Open to the ideas of others

●      Interacts effectively with all races, nationalities, cultures, disabilities, ages and gender identities

●      Treats all kinds and classes of people with dignity and respect

●      Hires, and distributes work and responsibility equitably

●      Demands equal and fair treatment and opportunity for all

Non-Essential Duties:

●      May serve as a point of contact for issues regarding discrimination, Section 504, Title II, and Title IX.

Supervisory Responsibility:

●      Teachers including general education and education specialists

●      Site Managers

●      After Care Coordinator (if applicable)

●      Academic coaches

●      School-based IT staff

Education and/or Experience:

●      Bachelor’s Degree required; Masters’ degree preferred

●      At least three (3) years K-12 teaching experience is strongly preferred

●      Three plus years of experience in a school setting required

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.

Duties performance typically in school settings include offices, classrooms, gymnasium, cafeteria, auditorium, and recreational areas. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly walking and standing; occasionally stooping, lifting up to approximately 20 pounds. Lifting items weighing up to 30 pounds and other physical activities may be required infrequently.

Vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels. Visual acuity is required for preparing and analyzing written or computer data, determining the accuracy and thoroughness of work, and observing general surroundings and activities. Hours may be long when specific needs arise, thus some extended work schedules will be necessary.

Work Environment/Environmental Conditions :

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

The school office environment noise level is typically low to moderate, but occasionally high depending on student activities. The employee may be exposed to wet or humid conditions and outdoor weather conditions. Employees may be exposed to communicable illnesses due to daily personal and close contact with students and staff.

EEO Statement

High Tech High provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, High Tech High complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the practice has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Open until filled.

Salary : $111,149 - $170,789