Metro

Forest Lake Area Schools is located 30 miles north of the Twin Cities, along the I-35 corridor that runs north to Duluth. The school district’s central office is located in the city of Forest Lake.

General Information “Jackson provides a safe, nurturing, respectful and inclusive environment that offers all children opportunities for acceleration and enrichment to develop their full potential and prepare them to be successful, responsible citizens.” – Jackson Elementary’s Mission Statement Our school believes that children are everyone’s priority. Our teachers, parents, community partners and the St. Paul Promise Neighborhood Initiative are all committed to nurturing each Jackson student as a remarkable individual with limitless potential. Since 2006, Jackson has offered a Hmong Dual Language Program for students in PreK to fifth grade. Research shows that children in a dual language program achieve academically while becoming proficient in two languages. Specialists in science, music, physical education and Hmong culture and literacy enhance our core academic program, and nearly 20 community partners provide extensive academic support, performing and visual arts programs, fitness, field trips, and Hmong and African American cultural enrichment. Position Summary The principal serves as instructional leader of the school and leads school staff, students, and school communities in creating an environment that supports an outstanding education for all students. Reporting Relationship Report to an Assistant Superintendent. Responsibilities The essential functions include, but are not limited to, the following fundamental duties: Serve as the instructional leader for the building by setting clear goals; managing the delivery of curriculum; allocating resources to instruction; ensuring that teachers get the training, direction and support they need to delivery quality instruction to every student; evaluating teachers and related activities. Create a culturally competent environment at the school where diversity is valued and all students and adults thrive and achieve at the highest levels by developing staff through related training, providing support for diverse groups in the school, initiating direct conversations about culture and diversity and integrating learning opportunities that come from a diverse community into the school’s educational opportunities. Lead the utilization of the multiple forms of student-level data and student work available to increase student achievement and identify student interventions including utilizing data to identify areas for instructional improvement, to refine and adapt instructional practices, and to determine appropriate strategies across all grades and content areas. Focus staff on closing achievement gaps between subgroups of students; build staff capacity to effectively and consistently use student data to drive instructional decisions. Build and maintain a focus on ambitious school achievement for students; create structures that enable students to generate activities and ideas that link school to future aspirations and to college and career experiences. Establish processes and systems to ensure a high-quality, high-performing staff including those for recruiting and hiring new staff, staff training and mentoring of staff, staff recognition and performance management; ensure that leadership and professional development growth opportunities are available for staff; analyze staff evaluations and utilize the results to direct professional development activities. Visit classrooms regularly; observe and gather data to make adjustments as necessary and appropriate to meet district and school goals and objectives relating to curriculum, best teaching practices, cultural competency and related factors. Facilitate shared leadership and strategic empowerment; cultivate leaders from within and create opportunities for staff to lead; build a leadership team and teacher leaders to participate in the analysis of school operations and strategic planning. Manage school staff; assign staff to focus on specific goal areas; establish a structure and groups for encouraging professional learning; create a culture of on-going learning; develop an individual learning plan and encourage others to do so; participate in professional development activities. Develop an annual plan for the school and establish a comprehensive school calendar that is aligned to school and district goals; develop interim plans taking into consideration the activities that best address the learning needs of students; Develop a shared vision for the school by effectively engaging the school community in identifying factors critical to student achievement; ensure that all stakeholders are aware of the school’s goals for instruction and achievement. Facilitate strategic planning through analysis of the school’s strengths and weaknesses based upon multiple data sources and staff and community feedback; develop a school improvement plan and establish goals for the school based upon this analysis; lead staff in maintaining focus on these plans. Direct major initiatives taking into consideration the needs and concerns of stakeholders; facilitate change processes; communicate progress on change processes as appropriate. Plan and manage a fiscally responsible budget that supports student achievement; ensure the strategic allocation and equitable use of financial and human capital resources to meet instructional goals and support staff needs; evaluate the success of funding and program decisions. Design a system of open, clear and effective communication for the school; ensure that teaching staff communicate to families about student progress and specific ways to support their children’s learning; utilize feedback from school staff, parents, studentsand community groups to improve school -wide processes; adapt modes and styles of communication that make materials meaningful and engaging to staff, parents, students and community groups; Create processes to resolve problems and/or areas of conflict; address conflicts openly and work to resolve them; monitor discussion about solutions to ensure that all interests are heard and taken into consideration. Lead efforts to design, or design, opportunities for family and community involvement at the school; create a school wide-culture that makes school feel accessible to families and the community. Participate in community events and/or meetings to become known in the community and become knowledge about issues facing the community. Support the District’s Strong Schools/Strong Communities initiative, plan systematically and effectively; utilize time and organizational management skills to achieve District objectives by partnering with other staff to contribute to student achievement and the alignment and sustainability of resources. Perform other related duties as assigned.