Westwood High School Principal

Our Community:

Westwood is a welcoming suburban community with an exceptional track record of supporting and celebrating its public schools. As a district, we are committed to creating an environment where diverse perspectives and backgrounds are embraced, and we understand that a diverse team allows us to serve our community better. We welcome and encourage individuals of every race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, and veteran status to seek opportunities within our school district.

You will join the strong professional learning community of the Westwood Public Schools. In our mission to prepare students for college, career,  and civic life, we work collaboratively to provide rich and rigorous curriculum, high-quality instruction, trusting relationships, and authentic educational experiences. Our educators model and encourage a deep investment in learning. Coursework focuses on preparing students for college and careers while also providing them with opportunities to try new things and explore their passions in depth. Westwood is a proud METCO district, with strong program leadership and an unwavering commitment to supporting the values of the nation's oldest and most successful public school racial integration program.

With approximately 2,800 students in grades K - 12, as well as a thriving integrated preschool program, the district provides a close-knit sense of community while offering a comprehensive array of academic programs and co-curricular activities. We are particularly proud of the continuum of services available to support our students. WHS graduates are ready to navigate the future and to contribute to their communities, equipped with the skills highlighted in our Portrait of a Graduate: they are effective communicators and collaborators, able to think critically and creatively, act with integrity, and engage with communities both locally and globally.

Westwood High School:

Westwood High School is a thriving community of hardworking and thoughtful students, families and staff.  With approximately 825 students in grades 9 - 12, the school is able to maintain a small school feel while offering a comprehensive array of academic programs, co-curricular activities and support services.  

The school’s administrative team includes a Principal, a full year Assistant Principal and a school year Dean of Students. The principal oversees an Academic Council of department heads and directors who help the administrative team generate and implement school improvement initiatives. School and district leaders enjoy a respectful, collaborative relationship with the Westwood Teachers’ Association.

The Role:

Westwood High School seeks a Principal to join a dynamic team of educators, dedicated to welcoming, challenging, and supporting a joyful and diverse student body. The Principal leads a collaborative, skilled faculty, and works closely with WPS principal colleagues. The principal is responsible for daily smooth operation of the school, providing thoughtful vision and leadership for the school staff and programming, and skillfully improving teaching and learning for all students. The Principal interacts with students, families and community members at co-curricular events, and facilitates meetings with the school’s Site Council and PTO to support school improvement and student support efforts.

The principal reports to the superintendent, and contributes to the growth of the district as a member of the district-wide administrative team. 

Qualifications 

• Master’s degree in education 
• Massachusetts principal/assistant principal license required
• SEI endorsement must be completed prior to start
• A minimum of eight (8) years of experience in K-12 education (high school experience preferred) and some leadership experience within a school or community program required
• Previous classroom teacher experience and experience as a school administrator.
• Experience in staff supervision and evaluation.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Deep understanding of how to effectively support students’ academic, social and emotional growth
• Ability to provide inclusive and effective educational leadership of general and special education instructional programs.
• Experience and demonstrated skill managing long-term projects and initiatives
• Demonstrated commitment to celebrating diversity, pursuing equity, and promoting integration 
• Familiarity with trauma-sensitive and restorative practices  

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

Student Engagement and Behavior

• Cultivate authentic, supportive relationships with students and their families
• Promote student investment in academics and co-curricular activities 
• Communicate clear expectations and hold students to high standards both academically and behaviorally
• Implement, model and support school staff in approaches to student behavior management that develop students’ skills, promote empathy and responsibility, and build trusting relationships with children and families

Priority Management, Communication, and Culture

• Effectively communicate school and district vision, mission and values
• Create an environment that is welcoming, safe, supportive, and appropriately challenging for all students
• Distribute leadership and delegate effectively
• Provide leadership in emergency preparedness and response
• Demonstrate ambitious academic and personal expectations for oneself and others 
• Ensure the smooth daily operations of the school
• Supervise the maintenance of accurate records on the progress, behavior and attendance of students
• Lead the development and implementation of the school improvement plan
• Oversee budget development and maintenance 
• Create a master schedule that meets students’ needs and makes the most of the community’s investment
• Perform other duties as may be assigned by the superintendent of schools

Student Learning and Achievement

• Demonstrate effective knowledge of MA curriculum standards and curriculum design
• Demonstrate commitment to removing barriers for student learning, and depth of knowledge around culturally responsive pedagogy
• Demonstrate the ability to collect, monitor, analyze, synthesize and present data and use it to inform efforts to meet the needs of individual students
• Assist teachers and departments in the use of both formal and informal assessment data to inform instruction and identify students in need of additional support
• Work with staff and families to create a collaborative, team-based approach to student growth

Educator Growth and Development

• Lead a collaborative and reflective professional community that is focused on student and adult learning
• Recruit, hire, develop, and retain a diverse, highly qualified, and effective staff
• Work with school and district leaders to design professional development that supports students’ academic, social and emotional growth and development
• Supervise instructional staff, providing feedback that leads to professional growth and stronger student learning outcomes

Engagement with Families

• Forge connections with students and families both in school and at co-curricular and community events
• Partner with parents and caregivers in designing effective strategies for supporting students and addressing school improvement goals
• Attend school and community events that celebrate and support the achievements of students and staff

PERSONAL QUALITIES

• Demonstrates caring and concern for all students
• Conveys a love of learning to students
• Makes positive contributions to the larger school community
• Communicates clearly
• Uses good judgment and maintains a professional demeanor  

This is a 12 month position.  

JOB ENVIRONMENT

Work takes place in classrooms and other building rooms/areas, including offices, auditorium, gym, lunchroom and hallways, within a school building setting, primarily indoors.  

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The physical demands described below 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.

• Requires sufficient vision to read printed documents and to view detail on a computer screen for extended periods
• Requires frequent standing, walking, sitting, bending, and reaching, as well as carrying and occasionally lifting up to 30 lbs  
• Ability to speak in an understandable voice with sufficient volume to be heard in normal conversation, on the telephone, and in the classroom
• Ability to hear sounds clearly up to twenty feet
• Travel among buildings may be required

The Westwood Public Schools are committed to creating an environment where diverse perspectives and backgrounds are embraced, and we understand that a diverse team allows us to serve our community better. To that end, we welcome and encourage individuals of every race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, and veteran status to apply for opportunities within our school district.

Salary : $160,000 - $175,000