The Ewing Marion Kauffman School (Kauffman School) is a three-school campus of mission-driven college preparatory schools in Kansas City, MO unrelentingly focused on student achievement. The school’s mission is summarized in three words: create college graduates. The school design is based on inspiring examples of charter schools throughout the country that are helping urban students achieve at high academic levels. The Kauffman School has a longer school day and a longer school year. Students receive two periods of math and three periods of reading instruction each day. The school has a talented and dedicated staff and an intentional set of structures and systems—all of which focus on student achievement. The Kauffman School expects outstanding outcomes from its students and staff and believes every student can excel behaviorally and academically. Kauffman Students are empowered by their identities and place in the community, and develop a critical consciousness of the world around them.
By 2018, the Kauffman School will grow to serving grades 5-12 with more than 1,100 students. The Kauffman School looks to its dedicated staff to support this growth.
The Ewing Marion Kauffman School seeks a dedicated and inspirational High School Principal Fellow. The Principal Fellowship is a one-year residency designed to prepare individuals to become a High School Principal at the Kauffman School. The Fellow will report to the Chief Executive Officer. The Kauffman School looks to the Principal Fellow to build upon the school’s strong foundation and carry forward its commitment to academic achievement, high standards, and college completion for all students.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Principal Fellowship equips the Fellow with the tools to serve as the instructional and cultural leader of a Kauffman School. The fellowship prepares the Fellow to open a new high school. The Fellow will serve as a model teacher and coach throughout the residency. The Fellow will learn the systems, structures, and culture of the school. S/he will teach across subject and grade levels, observe and provide feedback to teachers, conduct whole-school professional development, lead school-wide events, and complete special assignments based on areas s/he needs to grow designed to ensure that the Fellow is ready to assume leadership.
Teaching and Coaching
Based on the individualized development goals of the Fellow, s/he will gain opportunities to practice in the following categories:
• Curriculum development and implementation
• Observation and feedback
• Teaching core content areas (Math, English, Guided Reading, Science)
• Teacher and administrator coaching
• Leading professional development
• Co-construct a long-term culture and academic plan for the high school
Teacher Development and Evaluation
• Plan and execute instruction in core content areas
• Lead instructional staff to achieve high performance through goal setting and evaluation
• Coach teachers and administrators on best practices and interventions to raise achievement for struggling students
• Advise, support, and mentor individual teachers and administrators to improve instruction through:
Daily classroom observation and feedback
Curriculum, unit, and lesson collaborative planning and review
Continuous, high-quality assessment preparation
Comprehensive and evolving professional development programming
Student Achievement
• Set ambitious goals for student achievement and performance and hold staff accountable for achieving results
• Research, design, and align scope and sequence, and curriculum with Common Core standards
• In partnership with the CEO and Principals, evaluate school performance data to make holistic and individual recommendations for improving instructional practices
• Facilitate data-driven discussions with instructional staff regarding student performance
Management and Leadership
• Embody and advocate the mission, vision, and strategic direction of the Kauffman School
• Work with parents and the community to achieve maximum involvement in and support of student performance
• Coordinate summer staff orientation and summer curriculum development
• Manage staff recruitment, hiring, and onboarding
• Serve as a key member of the Kauffman School Leadership Team, representing the school to a variety of audiences and supporting all necessary functions for school management and success
• Supervise school wide events and daily systems
• Other duties as assigned by the Chief Executive Officer
Professional Development
The Fellow will receive development tailored to his/her personal growth and in alignment with the core competencies of a Kauffman School Principal:
• Establishing a Strong, Supportive Team
• Leading and Developing Teachers and Administrators
• Building a School Culture of High Expectations
• Using Data to Drive Instruction
The professional development will be a combination of coaching from the current Chief Executive Officer and training from external partners with expertise in the core competencies.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Ideal candidates will have experience as a teacher or leader in a top performing charter, district, or independent school. They will be deeply committed to meeting the urgent challenges posed by the achievement gap in American education.
• Ability to start the position on or before June 1, 2017
• Bachelor’s degree required, masters preferred
• At least 3 years of experience teaching low-income, minority, or historically underachieving students, with a record of exemplary results
• Ability to work extended school day hours and extended school year days
• Successful experience leading adults
• History of effectively coaching/mentoring both new and experienced teachers
• Significant experience with curriculum development, instructional methodology, and classroom management
• Commitment and complete belief in the Kauffman School’s mission and organizational success
• Ability to take feedback well and implement changes immediately
• Acute attention to detail coupled with the ability to think and act strategically
• Entrepreneurial energy and ambition necessary for lead a startup
• Ability to maintain a calm, professional demeanor in the face of competing demands and external pressures
• Personal qualities of maturity, humility, self-reflection, strong work ethic, and “whatever it takes” attitude
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
The Kauffman School offers a competitive compensation package commensurate with anticipated duties and responsibilities and includes comprehensive health benefits.
TO APPLY:
Interested applicants should complete a formal application through the Kauffman School Careers page at http://www.kauffmanschool.org/.
Your cover letter should address your interest in the Kauffman School Principal Fellowship and prior experiences that make you a uniquely qualified candidate:
• Share significant academic gains you have led teachers to achieve with students, citing specific evidence and/or data. Explain how your coaching led the teacher to successful results
• Highlight your experience working with low-income, minority, or historically underachieving students
• Provide specific evidence of your alignment with the Kauffman School’s missions of “creating college graduates” and/or the Kauffman School’s PREP Values
The Kauffman School is an Equal Opportunity Employer, welcoming people to flourish in an open and inclusive work environment. A diverse pool of candidates is welcomed and encouraged.