ROLE OVERVIEW / KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Research tells us__and we know through experience__that principals matter. Effective principals positively impact student achievement and staff retention. Effective principals create a culture of high expectations with support. Effective principals care about the growth and development of students and adults. We are seeking a visionary and dynamic Founding Middle School Principal to lead the establishment of our new middle school. This is an extraordinary opportunity for an innovative educational leader with proven success in instructional leadership, systems development, and building a positive culture.  Key responsibilities will include (but are not limited to) effectively lead, manage, and oversee all functions of the school:

• Provide instructional leadership aligned to the HPS Arc of the Year playbook
• Establish and implement a vision for school improvement that is focused on outcomes, maintains high expectations for teaching and learning, and is aligned to the district’s strategy for turnaround
• Enhance the consistency and rigor of classroom instruction through implementing the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks, which include Common Core Standards
• Support and inspire teachers to continuously improve planning and instruction through coaching, feedback, resources, training, and evaluation
• Build a culture that utilizes performance and other data at the school-, grade-, classroom-, and student-levels to understand student needs, help teachers improve instruction, and monitor teacher/student progress

In particular, HPS is seeking an experienced school leader at a new middle school building, which will serve 500-550 students. The new middle school is scheduled to open in August 2025. Two existing school communities__Holyoke STEM and Metcalf Middle__will merge to become the new middle school. More information about the new middle school is available at: https://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us/page/new-middle-school. 

Build and cultivate a high-performing and collaborative school culture:

• Maintain high academic and behavioral expectations for the achievement of all students, particularly the traditionally underserved student populations (i.e., students with disabilities, limited language proficiency, and low socio-economic status)
• Build and develop a school instructional leadership team that effectively cultivates a high-performing and student-centered school culture
• Effectively plan and lead meetings and professional development that prioritize high-quality instruction and productive students and adult cultures
• Cultivate an environment that promotes collaboration and hard work
• Lead the implementation of a multi-tiered system for student support

Manage and operate a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment:

Develop and execute systems and procedures (e.g., student behavior management systems, schedules, interventions, PD, food services, transportation) that promote teaching and learning

• Manage a human capital system (e.g., hiring, induction, evaluation, coaching, development) that ensures high-quality teaching in every classroom
• Build and manage a budget that prioritizes teaching and learning while controlling costs
• Adhere to district policies and state/federal regulations (e.g., special education, English Learner services)

Partner with families and community members:

• Build relationships and engage frequently with parents and community members as critical partners in student development and school improvement
• Understand the diverse culture and backgrounds of students and families

Reports to: Executive Director of School Leadership

SKILLS / COMPETENCIES:

We are seeking a passionate and committed leader who demonstrates:

• Student-first mentality: holds high expectations for student achievement; makes decisions that prioritize the needs of students above all other competing priorities; measures success by student outcomes and student academic and social emotional success; believes families are an integral component to student and school achievement
• Commitment to urban education: has a strong commitment to equity and social justice; maintains a high level of commitment to traditionally underrepresented student populations (i.e., students with disabilities, limited language, and low socio-economic status); maintains a commitment to high performance standards and unwavering belief that all students can excel
• Instructional leadership: has a demonstrated history of raising student achievement; identifies and cultivates high-quality instruction and effective instructional programming; has a strong understanding of the Common Core State Standards and pedagogy; has a proven track record of using individual student and school-wide assessment data to drive student achievement gains in an urban setting;
• Organizational leadership: builds high-performing and collaborative classroom/school culture; inspires and leads others in driving towards improved student outcomes and a strong school culture; builds strong relationships and is able to have difficult conversations when necessary; believes in a shared leadership approach to school improvement
• Problem-solving and persistence: responds to challenges or uncertainties with resourcefulness, creativity, hard work, and resiliency; proactively develops solutions to problems, with a focus on improving student results
• Growth mindset: possesses the belief that oneself, students and adults can learn and achieve more when working hard and persevering, which creates a love of learning and desire for continuous improvement; desires feedback
• People and team-orientation: collaborates effectively with school staff and other district leaders; embraces and empowers families as an integral component of our collective job of educating all children; contributes to and is aligned with the district-wide vision for turnaround; demonstrates professionalism, humility and respect
• Strong communication: Possesses strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to guide and inspire teachers, school staff, school leaders and central office staff toward a common goal 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree, and Master’s degree in Education (or related field) Required
• Certified (or in the process of obtaining certification) in Massachusetts as a school principal
• Minimum 2 years of experience as a school instructional leader
• Demonstrated history of raising student achievement, particularly that of underserved populations (i.e. students with disabilities, ELs)
• Experience effectively leading, supervising, coaching, and developing educators

Required license(s): 

Principal/Assistant Principal, 5-8 with SEI Endorsement

TIMELINE:

HPS would like to identify and hire the leader by February 1, 2025. The full-time position begins on July 1, 2025. HPS would like the leader to complete work from February - June on a contract basis to prepare for merging two school communities together and opening a new school, in partnership with district leaders.