Release Date: May 8, 2024 Application Deadline: May 22, 2024

Requisition: 10666

Current benefited staff of SMCPS who submit a timely application and meet the minimum qualifications for the position shall be granted an interview and shall be considered to fill the vacancy prior to external applicants being considered. Questions regarding your application and/or candidacy should be directed to the Department of Human Resources.

Position: Elementary School Principal

(twelve-month assignment)

Location: Greenview Knolls Elementary School

Salary: The salary for this EXEMPT position will be based on SMASA FY2025 salary schedule for eleven and twelve-month employees - Range E ($117,571 - $153,402).

Effective: July 2024

APPLICATION PROCEDURES:

Qualified applicants, including current employees of St. Mary's County Public Schools, must complete an online application. In addition to the online application, a letter of interest, resume, and any support documentation (copy of certification where applicable) must be scanned and uploaded to the School Recruiter application. The online application, letter of interest, resume, and any support documentation must clearly demonstrate that the applicant meets the minimum qualifications, including information about the applicant’s background, experience, professional qualifications, and a statement of the reasons for seeking this position. Failure to submit all required documentation will result in your application being considered incomplete. Incomplete applications will not be forwarded to the selection committee for review. All online application must be completed no later than May 22, 2024. A writing sample may be required for applicants selected for an interview. Following a screening of credentials, interviews will be scheduled. Please contact the Department of Human Resources with questions (301-475-5511, ext. 32187).

NATURE OF WORK:

Serves as the educational leader and chief administrator of the elementary school, responsible for implementing and managing the policies, regulations, and procedures of the Board of Education to ensure that all students are supervised in a safe, child-centered learning environment that meets and exceeds the Maryland Common Core State Standards, following the approved curricula and directives of St. Mary’s County Public Schools. Achieving academic excellence requires that the Elementary School Principal work collaboratively to lead and nurture all members of the school staff and to communicate effectively with parents, members of the community, and colleagues in other districts and schools. Inherent in the position are the responsibilities for planning, curriculum development, program evaluation, extracurricular activities, personnel management, financial management, emergency procedures, resource scheduling, and facilities operations.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Demonstrate excellent leadership and organizational skills and the ability to motivate people;
• Have excellent integrity and demonstrate good moral character and initiative;
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of curriculum development and program evaluation, child growth and development, effective instructional strategies, classroom management, learning assessment and diagnosis, and research related to learning;
• Exhibit a personality that demonstrates enthusiasm and interpersonal skills to relate well with students, staff, administration, parents, and the community;
• Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively in English, both orally and in writing, using proper grammar and vocabulary; and
• Demonstrate the ability to use computers for word processing, data management, and telecommunications.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

School Management

• Organize, manage, evaluate, and supervise effective and clear procedures for the operation and functioning of the entire school consistent with the philosophy, mission, values and goals of the school and district, including instructional programs in the Maryland Common Core State Standards, extracurricular activities, discipline systems to ensure a safe and orderly climate, financial management, facilities maintenance, program evaluation, personnel management, office operations, emergency procedures, and community relations.
• Ensure compliance with all laws, administrative codes, Board policies, and regulations, including Affirmative Action mandates.
• Lead school-level planning processes to ensure the development, implementation, and evaluation of all school programs and activities.
• Establish the master schedule for instructional programs, ensuring sequential learning experiences for students that meet and exceed the Maryland Common Core State Standards.
• Provide and supervise in a fair and consistent manner effective discipline and attendance systems with high standards, consistent with the philosophy, values, and mission of the school and district, in accordance with due process and other laws and regulations. File all required reports regarding violence, vandalism, attendance, health and discipline matters.
• Immediately notify appropriate personnel and agencies, and follow established procedures when there is evidence of substance abuse, child abuse, child neglect, severe medical or social conditions, potential suicide or individuals appearing to be under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or anabolic steroids.
• Organize and supervise assembly programs and comprehensive extra-curricular programs appropriate for the young child that supports the Maryland Common Core State Standards.
• With input from the staff and School Improvement Team, develop a budget for the school. Approve all purchases in accordance with SMCPS policies and procedures.
• Implement an effective accounting and inventory system for all school supplies, materials, and equipment.
• Implement procedures that create and maintain attractive, organized, functional, healthy, clean, and safe facilities, with proper attention to the visual, acoustic, and thermal environments.
• Ensure that all facilities are regularly inspected for compliance with all applicable codes and regulations including access for individuals with handicapping conditions.
• Assume responsibility for the health, safety, and welfare of students, staff, and visitors. Develop clearly understood procedures and provide regular drills for emergencies and disasters, following State, local, and SMCPS guidelines.
• Notify appropriate Central Office staff immediately of any unusual circumstances.
• Maintain a master schedule for the use of the school facilities.
• Implement schedules and procedures for the supervision of students in non-classroom areas, including before and after school, bus loading and unloading, and cafeteria.
• Supervise the production of all school publications.
• Complete, in a timely fashion, all records and reports as required by law and regulation or requested by the Superintendent. Maintain accurate attendance records. Answer correspondence promptly.
• Maintain and account for all student activity funds and money collected from students in accordance with SMCPS policy and auditing recommendations. Correct any audit exceptions immediately.
• Communicate with the Superintendent and appropriate Central Office personnel regularly about the needs, successes, and general operation of the school.
• Ensure that personnel and student record-keeping procedures comply with State and federal law and SMCPS policy. Implement procedures for safe storage and integrity of all public and confidential school records.
• Supervise all personnel assigned to the building, establishing clear expectations for role, responsibilities, and performance to ensure that all job responsibilities are met and exceeded.
• Ensure that personnel evaluation procedures are accomplished in a fair and consistent manner that encourages accountability, growth, and excellence, in accordance with law, Board policy, and contractual requirements.
• Recommend to the Superintendent the renewal, dismissal, or other actions for all personnel assigned to the school, following established procedures and timelines.
• Supervise the exclusion from school of any pupil who shows departure from normal health, who has been exposed to a communicable disease, or whose presence may be detrimental to the health and cleanliness of other pupils, in accordance with State and SMCPS policies. Ensure that the excluded pupil's parents or guardian are apprised of the reason for exclusion.
• Maintain a safe working condition and operate electronic and other equipment needed to carry out job functions and responsibilities.
• Protect confidentiality of records and information gained as part of exercising professional duties and use discretion in sharing such information within legal confines.
• Observe strictly, to avoid the appearance of conflict, all ethics requirements regarding conflicts of interest in employment, purchasing, and other decisions, including solicitation and acceptance of gifts and favors, and submit in a timely fashion the required annual disclosure statement regarding employment and financial interests.
• Perform any duties that are within the scope of employment and certifications, as assigned by the Superintendent and not otherwise prohibited by law or regulation.
• Adhere to Maryland school law, State Board of Education rules and regulations, Board of Education policies and regulations, school regulations and procedures, and contractual obligations.

School Culture

• Establish and promote high standards and expectations for all students and staff for academic performance and responsibility for behavior.
• Involve the staff in developing a school-wide behavior management system which actively teaches desired behaviors, positively reinforces appropriate behavior, and provides low-level interventions for low-level misbehavior.
• Ensure a safe, orderly environment that encourages students to take responsibility for behavior and creates high morale among staff and students. Incorporate procedures for the early identification of potentially disruptive students and the conditions that create or enhance unacceptable behavior (e.g., bullying), and implement programs to address such conditions.
• Establish a safe school environment conducive to learning, including a school security plan.
• Coordinate resources for comprehensive student and family health and social services
• Establish a professional rapport with students and with staff that earns their respect.
• Display the highest ethical and professional behavior and standards when working with students, parents, school personnel, and agencies associated with the school.
• Serve as a role model for students, dressing professionally, demonstrating the importance and relevance of learning, accepting responsibility, and demonstrating pride in the education profession.
• Organize and nurture an effective school leadership team, with clear expectations for role, responsibilities, and performance, holding each individual accountable for the area of assignment.
• Schedule regular meetings of Professional Learning Communities whose work is aligned with the School Improvement Plan focused on results and characterized by collective responsibility for instructional planning and student learning.
• Keep the staff informed and seek ideas for the improvement of the school. Conduct meetings as necessary for the proper functioning of the school.
• Hold regular staff meetings and serve, as appropriate, on staff committees.
• Provide leadership opportunities to a variety of certificated and non-certificated staff members.

Instructional Practices

• Supervise the instructional programs of the school, evaluating lesson plans and observing classes on a regular basis to encourage the use of a variety of instructional strategies and materials consistent with research on learning and child growth and development.
• Ensure that the instructional programs engage the learner in tasks that require analytical and critical thinking, questioning the known, problem solving and creativity, that they address the range of skills and developmental needs found in the classroom, that they encourage the student to define individual goals and accept responsibility for learning, and that they provide a variety of methods for the student to demonstrate performance and achievement.
• Supervise the implementation of curriculum and instruction supported by and integrated with an appropriate array of research-proven strategies.
• Organize and implement a system for the evaluation and selection of equipment and instructional materials that are free of prejudice and stereotyping and designed to meet the Maryland Common Core State Standards, using staff-identified criteria reflecting the needs of the program.
• Regularly review student work to ensure that it is rigorous, purposeful, and engaging.
• Ensure that Professional Learning Communities collaboratively develop common assessments for their student cohorts.
• Regularly review student assessments to ensure that they measure student mastery of the Maryland Common Core State Standards.

Data-Driven Instruction

• Work with school-based leadership and the School Improvement Team to develop a comprehensive plan with annual student achievement targets, supported by parents, staff, and community members.
• Organize and maintain a Pupil Services Team, which intervenes to solve behavioral, nutritional, attendance, and other problems receives data based teacher referrals of students who are not making progress, and makes referrals to appropriate health and human service agencies.
• Organize and supervise data-based procedures for identifying and addressing special needs of students including health-related concerns, and physical, emotional, and learning disabilities, coordinating the resources of the school and community to assist the student and family.
• Collect and analyze data regarding the needs and achievement of students, including local, State, and National assessments, and other pertinent information affecting the design and implementation of services and programs, using the information to recommend new programs and modifications to existing programs.
• Ensure that appropriate intervention/enrichment for individual students are provided, based on results of assessments.
• Analyze student attendance, discipline, and achievement data to identify and eliminate disproportionality.
• Lead school-level planning processes to ensure the development, implementation, and evaluation of all school programs and activities.
• Monitor the amount of instruction students miss due to absences.
• Monitor the amount of instruction students miss due to misbehavior.
• Schedule regular meetings of Professional Learning Communities to analyze student work/data in order to make data-based instructional decisions.
• Analyze data obtained through observing teaching and learning to make recommendations for improvement for individual teachers and in the instructional program.

Technology

• Use technology to accomplish daily tasks.
• Demonstrate proficient use of student data management systems in order to analyze individual student data, teacher data, and the effectiveness of the instructional program.
• Use technology for on-going root cause analysis of student performance to drive instructional decision making.
• Demonstrate proficient use of technology resources for scheduling building use, ordering materials, managing staff absences, communicating with the school community, video camera monitoring, interview/hiring process, etc.
• Demonstrate proficient use of technology resources to observe and evaluate staff.
• Demonstrate proficient use of technology resources developed by MSDE for school improvement.
• Use technology to gather and analyze school attendance, discipline and achievement data in order to identify and eliminate disproportionality.

Professional Development

• Facilitate professional development for all staff focused on the achievement of the Maryland Common Core State Standards, aligned with identified curricular, instructional, and assessment needs and connected to the School Improvement Plan.
• Involve staff in determining their professional development needs.
• Facilitate professional development for all staff focused on developing cultural proficiency.
• Provide opportunities for effective, differentiated staff development that addresses the needs of the instructional program and needs of the staff, including workshops, conferences, visitations, and sessions in which the staff shares successful practices and strategies.
• Continue to grow professionally through collaboration with colleagues and professional growth experiences.
• Summarize, interpret, and disseminate current developments in learning theory and research, instructional strategies and classroom management through reading of professional journals, participation in professional development, and involvement in professional organizations.

Engage the Community

• Working with the staff and families, facilitate the development of a written school vision that encompasses values, challenges, and opportunities for the academic, social, and emotional development of each student.
• Provide information to staff, students, and parents as necessary, and establish and follow procedures for dealing with the media.
• Maintain visibility with students, staff, parents, and the community, attending school and community functions regularly to demonstrate a genuine interest in the students and staff.
• Organize and maintain a public relations system for the school that consistently celebrates and informs parents and the community of the accomplishments of students and staff. The information provided should solicit community and parental support and understanding of the programs and services of the school.
• Communicate regularly with parents, seeking their support and advice, so as to create a cooperative relationship to support students in the school.
• Encourage and work with an active PTA/PTO that supports the efforts of the school.
• Maintain effective communications with agencies and resources outside of the school.
• Use effective presentation skills when addressing students, staff, parents, and the community, including appropriate vocabulary and examples, clear and legible visuals, and articulate and audible speech.
• Use excellent written and oral English skills when communicating with students, parents, and colleagues.
• Maintain positive, cooperative, and mutually supportive relationships with the central administration, parents, and representatives of resource agencies within the community.
• Represent the school and district at community, State, and professional meetings.

QUALIFICATIONS:

The Elementary School Principal shall:

• Hold a Master's degree from an accredited college or university.
• Hold a Maryland Advanced Professional Certificate.
• Hold a Maryland Administrator II endorsement.
• Have at least four (4) years of excellent experience in teaching and working at the appropriate level.
• Have a minimum of three (3) years of successful experience in a leadership role at the school or system level.
• Demonstrate excellent leadership and organizational skills and the ability to motivate people.
• Have excellent integrity and demonstrate good moral character and initiative.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of curriculum development and program evaluation, child growth and development, effective instructional strategies, classroom management, learning assessment and diagnosis, and research related to learning.
• Exhibit a personality that demonstrates enthusiasm and interpersonal skills to relate well with students, staff, administration, parents, and the community.
• Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively in English, both orally and in writing, using proper grammar and vocabulary.
• Demonstrate the ability to use computers for word processing, data management, and telecommunications.
• Meet such alternates to the above qualifications, as the Superintendent may deem appropriate, acceptable, and legal.

TERM OF EMPLOYMENT:

The Elementary School Principal shall be employed under the following terms:

• Work year of twelve months.
• Salary benefits, and leave time as specified in the St. Mary’s Association of Supervisors and Administrators Agreement.
• Conditions established by laws and codes of the State, and policies, rules, and regulations established by the Board of Education.

SALARY GRADE RANGE: The salary for this EXEMPT position will be based on SMASA salary schedule for eleven and twelve-month employees - Range E.

BARGAINING UNIT ELIGIBILITY: SMASA

The Board of Education reserves the right to reject any or all applicants, re-advertise, and/or withdraw the positions.

The St. Mary’s County Public School System does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, age, national origin, marital status or sexual orientation, religion, or disability in matters affecting employment or providing access to programs.