Southeast

JOB ID: 4659 – Director of Special Services – Full-time position available 07/01/2026.

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Location: District Office

Scheduled Hours/Days: Full-time, year round.

Qualifications: 

Northfield Public Schools is seeking a skilled, forward-thinking, equity-minded Director of Special Services who is committed to preparing every student for lifelong success.  The successful candidate will ensure an exemplary school culture where students, families, and staff feel safe, welcomed, and valued. The successful candidate will prioritize academic excellence by ensuring achievement of the school district’s strategic plan vision, commitments, and benchmarks. Prior experience working with diverse student populations is preferred. A current Minnesota Director of Special Education license is required.

Under the direction of the Superintendent, the Director of Special Services directs, develops and provides ongoing leadership for coordinated and comprehensive Special Education services, within established policies, goals and philosophies of the Northfield School District and any applicable Federal or State mandates, which provides education and special services for students with special needs. Programmatic responsibilities include special education, multilingual services, Title I services, Section 504, School Health Services, School Social Work, and School Psychology.

The successful candidate will be skilled in:
» Leadership, including providing purpose and direction for groups and individuals, facilitating the development of a shared vision for the school, and formulating goals and planning changes with the staff by setting priorities in terms of the community, the district, staff, and students.
» Cultural competency to effectively serve district staff, students, families, and community members from diverse backgrounds.
» Information collection, including gathering facts and data, seeking knowledge of policies, rules, laws, precedents and practices, managing data flow, and classifying and organizing information for decision making and monitoring.
» Problem analysis including analyzing information, framing issues and identifying causes, seeking additional information, framing and reframing possible solutions, demonstrating conceptual flexibility and assisting others in forming opinions.
» Judgment, including the ability to formulate logical conclusions from quality and timely decisions, adaptability and the ability to prioritize.
» Organizational oversight, including scheduling work to use resources appropriately to meet goals, scheduling activity flow, monitoring procedures to regulate activities, as well as project deadlines.
» Implementation, including putting programs into action, facilitating coordination and collaboration of tasks, establishing checkpoints and monitoring progress, providing corrections when required, and supporting those who are responsible.
» Delegation of authority, including assigning tasks so that they can be accomplished in a timely and appropriate manner, utilizing subordinates appropriately, and follows up on work tasks.
» Ability to accommodate cognition and achievement differences.
» Written and oral communications.
» The ability to transport self among district buildings and to regional and state meetings and workshops as necessary.

Pay Rate/Range: Base Salary starting at $181,533 – Subject to change upon the settlement of the 2026-28 Northfield Non-Union Administrators Agreement.

Compensation/Benefits/Perks:
Comprehensive and affordable benefits package including:
Medical. Dental. Vision.
Life/AD&D, and Long-Term Disability Coverage.
403 (b) Plan and District Match
District Paid Life Insurance

Deadline: 3/5/2026 – EOE (2/12/2026) Employment is contingent upon completion of a background check.

*Applicants must upload a minimum of 3 current letters of recommendation. 

JOB ID: 4658 – Principal – Two full-time positions available 07/01/2026.

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Locations: Spring Creek and Bridgewater Elementary Schools

Scheduled Hours/Days: 1.0 FTE 47 weeks/year

Qualifications: 

Northfield Public Schools is seeking two skilled, forward-thinking, equity-minded principals committed to preparing every student for lifelong success at Bridgewater and Spring Creek Elementary Schools. The successful candidate will ensure an exemplary school culture in which students, families, and staff feel safe, welcome, and valued. The successful candidate will prioritize academic excellence by ensuring achievement of the school district’s strategic plan vision, commitments, and benchmarks. Prior experience working with diverse student populations is preferred. A current principal’s license issued by the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board is required.

 

Under the direction of the Superintendent of Schools, the elementary principal manages the operation and educational programs of the elementary school, including supervising teachers and other staff, and evaluating and pursuing related programs.

 

Each principal shall administer in such places as shall be designated by the Board of Education, shall faithfully perform the duties prescribed by the School Board for the position held, and shall be governed by federal laws, the laws of the State of Minnesota, rules and regulations of the Minnesota Department of Education, and by Board policies, rules, regulations and orders issued by properly designated officials of the school district.

 

The successful candidate will be skilled in:

» Leadership, including providing purpose and direction for groups and individuals, facilitating the development of a shared vision for the school, and formulating goals and planning changes with the staff by setting priorities in terms of the community, the district, staff, and students.

» Cultural competency to effectively serve district staff, students, families, and community members from diverse backgrounds. Information collection, including gathering facts and data, seeking knowledge of policies, rules, laws, precedents and practices, managing data flow, and classifying and organizing information for decision making and monitoring.

» Problem analysis, including analyzing information, framing issues, and identifying causes, seeking additional information, framing and reframing possible solutions, demonstrating conceptual flexibility, and assisting others in forming opinions.

» Judgment, including the ability to formulate logical conclusions from quality and timely decisions, adaptability and the ability to prioritize.

» Organizational oversight, including scheduling work to use resources appropriately to meet goals, scheduling activity flow, monitoring procedures to regulate activities, as well as project deadlines.

» Implementation, including putting programs into action, facilitating coordination and collaboration of tasks, establishing checkpoints and monitoring progress, providing corrections when required, and supporting those who are responsible.

» Delegation of authority, including assigning tasks so that they can be accomplished in a timely and appropriate manner, utilizing subordinates appropriately, and following up on work tasks.

» Ability to accommodate cognition and achievement differences. Written and oral communications.

» The ability to transport self among district buildings and to regional and state meetings and workshops as necessary.

 

Pay Rate/Range: Base Salary starting at $166,471 – Subject to change upon the settlement of the 2026-28 Northfield Principals Association Agreement.

Compensation/Benefits/Perks:
Comprehensive and affordable benefits package including:
Medical. Dental. Vision.
Life/AD&D, and Long-Term Disability Coverage.
403 (b) Plan and District Match
District Paid Life Insurance
$5,500 Doctorate Stipends

 

Deadline: 3/5/2026 – EOE (2/12/2026) Employment is contingent upon completion of a background check.

*Applicants must upload a minimum of 3 current letters of recommendation.

 

 

Responsibilities:

 

The principal supervises licensed and non-licensed staff, including providing for performance evaluation and staff development.

» Recruits, interviews and recommends staff for employment.

» Engages faculty and others to plan and participate in recruitment and development.

» Develops and evaluates the performance of staff. ´» Provides feedback on performance and arranges for remedial assistance.

» Provides work assignments to staff and directs their activities.

» Mobilizes the appropriate staff in creating an appropriate instructional and learning environment.

» Works with faculty and staff to identify staff development needs; then, plans, organizes and facilitates programs to improve effectiveness consistent with organizational goals and needs.

» Initiates self development.

» Ensures training of all regular staff and interagency staff on skills for collaboration, teaming, consulting and conflict resolution.

» Administers various elementary school education programs, including measurement and evaluation.

» Creates a school culture for learning and envisions and enables instructional and auxiliary programs; plans programs.

» Schedules courses and activities.

» Coordinates with other school programs.

» Develops policies and procedures to facilitate the delivery of programs, student discipline, and parent and public relations.

» Provides for student guidance programs and auxiliary services.

» Utilizes community organizations in response to family needs.

» Enlists others to design and conduct programs connecting with adult life.

» Plans comprehensive student activities.

» Determines needed diagnostic information about students, staff and environment.

» Examines outcomes related to standards, goals, and priorities.

» Draws inferences for program revision.

» Interprets measurements and evaluation.

» Relates programs to outcomes.

» Develops equivalent measurements of competence and design accountability mechanisms.

 

Manages the school’s budget and facilities. 

» Plans and develops the budget process with appropriate staff; prepares budget recommendations and maintains the approved budget.

» Selects and purchases materials.

» Supervises the maintenance of the physical plant by observing and reviewing reports of problems, assessing needs and directing maintenance and repair activities.

» Procures, apportions, monitors, accounts for and evaluates the fiscal, human, and time resources needed to reach outcomes that reflect the needs or goals of the school.

 

Evaluates educational programs and plans curriculum. 

» Analyzes the results of the testing programs.

» Monitors individual student progress through special staffing.

» Collaborates with other district administrators in assessing and recommending district programs and services.

» Initiates needs analysis and, with the staff, plans and implements a framework for curriculum.

» Aligns curriculum and outcomes.

» Monitors social and technological developments, including youth service, regarding curriculum.

» Solicits input from families, businesses, and parents and the public regarding curriculum.

» Adjusts curriculum, as needed.