Assistant Principal - Deering High

TITLE: Assistant Principal - Deering High School 

POSITION OVERVIEW: 
Deering High School seeks an Assistant Principal to help lead a positive, inclusive, and academic-focused school community. Under the guidance of the Principal and aligned with the District strategic priorities, the Assistant Principal supports a culture of equity, academic excellence, and student well-being. Among your partners in this work will be the Principal, Culture Coaches, and a team of teachers serving in departmental leadership roles. Deering has a successful history of distributed leadership, meaning that you both will actively contribute to setting a vision and strategy for the school beyond your immediate areas of responsibility and that you will be asked to partner with all members of our school community as you lead.   

Founded over 150 years ago, Deering High School has both a proud history and a vibrant modern identity. Today, it is recognized as one of the most diverse high schools north of Boston—a distinction that our students, families, and staff consistently celebrate as a defining strength. We come together as "All One School," with record participation in clubs and athletics, a strong sense of community, and a shared pride in the dynamic student body we serve. We're "Minds On" in the classroom, offering a wide range of learning experiences to challenge students. Priorities for next year include systematic and strategic use of MTSS/PBIS to build culture and meet student needs, a focus on attendance, and continuing to strengthen "Minds On" learning and teaching.  

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
We seek a well-rounded leader who can contribute to all aspects of the school, including culture, instruction, safety, and operations. Ultimate division of administrative responsibilities has flexibility to match the successful candidate's strengths, experience, and interests, so please share what you bring to the role. The following is a potential portfolio: 

• Go-to administrator for two grades (9/11 or 10/12), including resolving student and family concerns, addressing unsafe behaviors, attending grade-level Student Support Team meetings, facilitating grade-level teacher meetings, running 504s, and attending IEPs
• Leading multi-tiered efforts to combat chronic absenteeism, paying attention to the varied needs of individuals and different subgroups
• Support and supervision for 2-4 departments, including at least one logistical/operations (tech; facilities; safety)
• Leading teachers in walkthroughs of colleagues' classrooms
• Testing administration and expanding the use of data
• Building out Tier 2 and Tier 3 academic interventions (RTI/MTSS)
• Attending after-school events 

No matter the specific responsibilities, Portland Public Schools and Deering look to our administrators to be: 

1. Diversity, Equity, and Belonging Champions

• Promote an inclusive school culture of diversity, equity, belonging, and anti-bias practice
• Model cultural humility, ongoing personal reflection and growth, and a commitment to all cultures, languages, and identities
• Recognize, respond to, and redress inequities and experiences that conflict with the district's vision of diversity, equity, and belonging

2. Culture & Community Builders 

• Build healthy, beneficial, and respectful relationships across the school community, including families and community members
• Model ongoing self-awareness, self-reflection, and a mindset of continuous learning and development
• Promote a positive and safe learning environment which embraces mutual respect and empowers all members of the learning community
• Support the cultivation of a positive, inspiring, inclusive, and nurturing school culture, including the implementation of Culturally Responsive PBIS and Restorative Practices
• Be an enthusiastic ambassador for and representative of the school across a range of settings, including occasionally representing the school at events 

3. Instructional Leaders 

• Be a strong educator with a clear vision of ambitious teaching and learning in a variety of settings
• Guide curriculum, instruction, and assessment aligned to high standards and driven by data
• Enact and spread the school's shared vision of instructional excellence and a culture of learning for both students and staff ,
• Supervise and coach teachers, provide actionable feedback, and lead PD
• Build capacity within school-based instructional leadership teams

4. Data Strategists 

• Support disciplined data collection, monitoring, analysis, and reporting routines, including reporting out by subgroups and overseeing test administration
• Analyze data for all areas of responsibility and use data to set and monitor progress towards ambitious goals
• Help instill and maintain a school-wide culture of ongoing use of data to inform decisions 

5. Talent Managers

• Support recruiting, hiring, development, and retention of strong and diverse staff
• Accurately evaluate teacher performance against district tools and communicate feedback that yields actionable growth
• Serve as a regular presence in classrooms to monitor and improve instructional effectiveness
• Foster staff autonomy and ensure distributed leadership

6. Operations & Logistics Experts

• Exhibit strong management skills, including effective verbal and written communications, engaging in difficult conversations, personal time management, project management, and meeting facilitation
• Identify and respond to emergent school needs and provide real-time leadership during unplanned events or crises.
• Manage day-to-day operations and systems for safety, efficiency, and learning, assuring adherence to policy and state and federal law
• Support scheduling, facilities, and resource allocation to achieve building goals 

COMPETENCIES:

• Change Agent Mindset: Sees education as a relentless effort towards improving students' lives, believing in their ability to make a difference and inspiring others to do the same; not satisfied with the status quo
• Leadership Orientation: Takes strong and principled positions, leans into difficult conversations and decisions, balancing authority with humility, and encouraging innovation
• Student-Centered: Keeps student needs central to every action and decision
• Relationship-Oriented: Recognizes the deep importance of relationships, builds rapport and trust, navigates diverse personalities, and values authentic collaboration
• Coaching Orientation: Champions and advocates for staff, provides actionable feedback, appreciates efforts, and views mistakes as learning opportunities
• Resourceful: Optimizes available resources and networks confidently to broaden impact
• Highly Responsive: Flexible and able to adjust when faced with unexpected, real-time problems
• Strong Communicator: Shares clear, thoughtful, well-defined information, including in-depth data presentations, and synthesizes findings effectively

ADDITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Working knowledge of pertinent curriculum standards, techniques for integrating and adapting curriculum, and effective instructional practices
• Understanding of the teaching and learning process, including the ability to provide instruction that reflects multiple perspectives and trauma-informed practices that engage culturally diverse populations
• Thorough knowledge of Portland Public Schools (PPS) policies and procedures and state and federal regulations and laws
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to connect with diverse stakeholders
• Ability to motivate staff and foster strong morale and performance
• Value for linguistic diversity; candidates who speak another language bring added value to the classroom, school, and district culture and diversity
• Ability to manage multiple work streams and projects effectively
• Ability to serve as Principal in the absence of the Principal and as designated Administrator when needed

EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE:

• Master's degree from an accredited college or university with an emphasis in supervision, educational administration, school curriculum, or a closely related field, required
• Five years of successful teaching experience required
• School-based or district leadership experience, preferred
• Other combinations of applicable education, training, and experience which provide the knowledge, abilities, and skills necessary to perform effectively in the position may be considered

CREDENTIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Maine State Administrator Certificate 040 (Building Administrator) (more info) 

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: 

• Attendance at evening and weekend school activities, events, or other community events and functions, as required

EMPLOYMENT DETAILS:

• Schedule: Full Year, Full Time, 1.0 FTE
• Assignment: Permanent
• Overtime: Salaried position, not eligible for overtime
• Contract: Part of PAA union (see 2023-2026 CBA here, **next contract under negotiation**)
• Salary: Based on experience & education as per CBA (25-26 range was $101,338-$124,742; 26-27 range will be higher)
• Benefits: Generous benefits package, including 25 vacation days per year and full health and dental benefits (see here)
• Reports to: Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools

ABOUT DEERING:

We are a comprehensive public high school in Portland, ME, serving about 900 students.  As one of the most diverse schools in Maine, we are committed to disrupting inequities in our community by creating a joyful place of learning designed to ensure that every student succeeds.

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Portland Public Schools is committed to maintaining a work and learning environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, pregnancy, gender, sexual orientation, marital/civil union status, ancestry, place of birth, age, citizenship status, veteran status, political affiliation or disability, as defined and required by state and federal laws.

Salary : $101,338 - $124,742