Principals (26-27 SY)

Principal

The mission of Independence Mission Schools is to provide a transformative Catholic education that develops students intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually and that provides children of all faiths across the City of Philadelphia with the opportunity to learn in an academically rigorous environment and to grow in a culture of love, setting them on the path to a promising future.

Our vision is that IMS students will leave our school community emotionally and spiritually formed by our Catholic example, performing at or above grade level, and enrolled in an academically rigorous high school program ready to achieve their dreams. We strive to become a top-tier academic destination for all children in Philadelphia.

The Principal will guide their school in the realization of this IMS vision within their school. Keeping the work emblematic of the school's unique Catholic identity and legacy, the Principal will advance the moral formation, teaching and learning within their school to continually improve outcomes for our students. The Principal sets the tone for the entire school through direction within the school and through interactions at all levels with faculty, staff, students, parents, central office team members, and community partners. The ideal candidate will be committed to the development, achievement, and well-being of the school's students and the pursuit of academic excellence by those students.

As a member of the Independence Mission Schools network, the principal serves not only as the instructional and spiritual leader of the school, but also as a collaborative leader within a system of Catholic schools. The principal is expected to actively support network initiatives, attend required meetings and professional development, implement network-wide priorities with fidelity, and contribute to a culture of shared accountability and continuous improvement across IMS.

Position Competencies

1. Catholic Identity, School Mission and Vision
   • Committed to ensuring opportunities for faculty, staff, and students to encounter God and the beauty of the Faith.
   • Drives a schoolwide compelling vision of academic excellence and equity through strategic planning, change leadership and school improvement, and innovative practices and balancing time-tested, researched strategies.
   • Cultivates and upholds the mission, vision, and values of the school. Ensures this lives in all actions, communications, and plans.
2. Leading Learning
   • Builds, develops and empowers the school's staff and families to ensure all students engage in rigorous and personalized learning and demonstrate high academic achievement.
   • Collects and assesses data to make decisions and determine the most pressing needs of their schools.
   • Drives results using strategic action plans that center on achieving school goals.
3. Talent Management and Development
   • Recruits, selects, retains, coaches, and grows a highly effective leadership team and staff, developing a culture of continuous learning that maximizes staff and student morale and performance.
4. School Culture, Community, and DEI
   • Leads a positive, diverse, and inclusive school community that supports the development of the whole person and meaningfully engages all students, families and community members.
   • Designs and upholds clear vision as well as norms, values, and expectations for all members of the school community.
5. Strategic Organization and Operations
   • Sets and achieves rigorous school goals by maximizing resources and ensuring effective management of school systems and operations.
   • Designs and upholds a year-long school action plan that targets all areas of the school rubric to achieve goals.
   • Makes decisions with a focus on balancing short-term payoffs and long-term improvement and considers all stakeholders and implications to plan accordingly.
6. Personal Development, Decision-Making, and Self-Management
   • Dedicated to continuous learning and improvement which is demonstrated by an awareness of their own strengths and areas for improvement and has the capacity to manage them appropriately, seeks and gives feedback and is self-motivated.
   • Manages time in a way that seeks to consistently prioritize goal-impacting work while balancing the immediate needs of the school and school community.
   • Handles setbacks, mistakes, and difficult situations with confidence and poise and seeks to learn, adapt, and adjust to these situations.
7. School Advancement
   • Serve as an ambassador and advocate of the school's mission, goals and achievements and oversee student recruitment, admissions, and advancement.
   • Support school development and community relations, including public relations and fundraising activities for the school as needed
   • Collaborate closely with the Independence Mission Schools Advancement Team to support donor engagement and fundraising strategies; ensure alignment with network messaging and campaigns; and provide timely data, storytelling, and partnership to support shared advancement goals.

Education and/or Experience:

• An individual of strong Catholic faith who is possessed of a growth mindset, is mission-drive, and is committed to serving children of all faiths
• Current PA School Administrator's License (K-12) or working towards completion
• A Master's (or higher) degree in education or related fields (or commensurate experience), with a minimum of 5-7 years of experience in the field as a teacher, instructional leader, principal, or other leader
• Clearances on all background checks

Qualifications

• Experience in teaching and/or coaching teaching staff to use Common Core Standards-aligned curriculum materials
• Ability to effectively build, develop, and maintain strong relationships with internal and external constituents including staff, teachers, parents, students, central office team members, and community stakeholders
• Demonstrated success leading a high-performing K-8 school or schools in an urban setting, using strategic educational initiatives that result in measurably improved student achievement and preferably experience in administration across multiple schools or in a network setting
• Demonstrated experience in design, implementation and management of a school's academic program including knowledge of and experience with high-quality, standards-aligned curriculum, effective instructional practices, analyzing, interpreting, using data to drive results, and leadership development
• Strong leadership and staff development skills including an encouraging, motivating presence exhibited in conflict management, team building, and staff engagement
• Ability to self-direct and prioritize among competing goals, exhibit flexibility and good judgment, and drive results in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment
• Capable of representing the organization and its goals effectively in both oral and written communications and across multiple venues

Physical Demands:

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.
• Must be able to access and navigate all areas of the school and other facilities as needed

Successful candidates must be able to clear all background check and clearance requirements.

EOE:

IMS is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and celebrates staff diversity. We strive to be and build a diverse team that is representative of our students and the communities in which we serve.