SY24-25 Principal/School Leader

About AppleTree

AppleTree’s mission is to close the achievement gap before students get to kindergarten. To accomplish this mission, we focus exclusively on Preschool and Pre-K education. We provide free, full-day public charter school programming for three- and four-year olds in 12 locations across Washington, DC,  employing our innovative and award winning instructional model, called Every Child Ready (ECR). This instructional model provides educators with tools and resources for “What to Teach”, “How to Teach” and “How to Measure Success.” Our instructional model is also used with partners across the nation. We continuously test and improve this model through feedback from AppleTree educators, partners and other stakeholders to ensure that children are learning and exploring through play and appropriate instruction.

Position Summary

Principals lead their AppleTree Early Learning Public Charter School (AELPCS) campuses in every aspect of school management including instruction, school operations and community engagement/partnership building. Principals serve as the face of their school and ambassador for AppleTree leading instructional staff, providing training, setting goals, and monitoring progress toward closing the achievement gap before students enter kindergarten. Principals also provide managerial supervision to school-based operational staff ensuring school operations run efficiently and effectively. Lastly, Principals are responsible for building effective relationships with the communities we serve, and within which their campuses are embedded, to ensure our programs and practices meet the needs of stakeholders and communicate AppleTree’s value proposition.

This is an on-site position reporting to the Director, School Leadership.

What you’ll do…

Oversees quality of instructional programming across designated campus

Partners with Every Child Ready Implementation and Impact team to ensure implementation of the ECR instructional model with fidelity
Maximizes student achievement by leading a Response to Intervention (RTI), standards-based, instructional model grounded in research
Uses data to help teachers identify and group children who need additional support
Leads all school staff in implementing an effective and consistent AELPCS behavior management system (PBS) to develop students’ prosocial behavior
Supports teachers to develop and implement classroom based interventions and targeted behavior plans for individual children and groups of children in order to enhance their acquisition of social/emotional and cognitive skills
Works closely with the Special Education Coordinator, Special Education Manager and Language Acquisition & Family Literacy Manager to ensure implementation and integration of special education and best practices for English-language learners to improve achievement for all students
Oversees AELPCS Extended Day and Summer Programs in collaboration with the Extended Day Coordinator (Principal oversees academic program; Operations Coordinator oversees operations)
Recruitment, supervision, mentoring, professional development and evaluation of teachers
Leads the Student Support Team (SST) process with parents and instructional staff.
Works with the Special Education Manager and Special Education Coordinator to facilitate the multidisciplinary team and individualized education plan processes
Collaborates with the Special Education Coordinator and related service providers to help teachers maximize specialist support in the regular classroom.

Provides managerial oversight of efficient and effective school operations

Partners with Director, School Operations and Compliance (oversees AppleTree network operations), School Operations Coordinator (directly manages campus-based operations activities) and School Aide, as applicable to manage school operations inclusive of facilities management, procurement, compliance, meal program oversight, and special projects
Partners with Enrollment Operations Manager to set and oversee student enrollment strategy and processes and assist with annual enrollment audit as necessary
Maintains oversight of campus budget and operational needs

Builds strong and lasting relationships with school and community-based stakeholders

• Maintains strong relationships with instructional and operational staff resulting in high rates of retention
• Builds lasting relationships with the families we serve effectively demonstrating and reflecting AppleTree’s core values
• Recruits, tours and manages families for enrollment; Retains families for following years through community-building efforts
• Establishes relationships and partnerships with community organizations and external agencies to coordinate programming and effectively communicate AppleTree/campus vision
• Fosters a nurturing, inclusive, and engaging natural environment which reflects respect and compassion that is supportive of and accessible to all

What we’re looking for…

• Master’s degree in education administration, early childhood education, elementary education, reading, special education, speech language pathology or a closely related field along with three or more years of successful professional teaching experience teaching young children (PK-3).
• A firm grasp of Response to Intervention (RTI) models and a commitment to data-driven instruction
• Previous experience of a year or more in a school-wide leadership position.
• Demonstrated deep understanding of scientifically-based development of young children, behavior modification strategies and developmentally appropriate instruction for young children
• Ability to communicate effectively to coach and support instructional and operational teams
• Highly diplomatic with demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships with a variety of stakeholders
• Entrepreneurial; Skilled in identifying problems and implementing effective solutions
• Strong belief in AppleTree’s mission and values and passion for early childhood education
• Proficient in the use of online technologies such as (but not limited to): Google Suite, Zoom, Canvas, PowerSchool

Note

The preceding description is not designed to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities required of the Principal/School Leader. All employees may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.

What’s in it for you . . .

• Competitive salary
• Employee Health Benefits in the 95th percentile of other schools in the DC Metro Area
• Fully covered Dental
• Benefits for you and all eligible dependents
• Fully covered Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, Accidental Death and Dismemberment, and Life Insurance with buy-up options
• Free Online Wellness Platform for you and up to four eligible dependents
• Competitive Paid Time Off, including early-close Mental Health Days
• 5% Employer Contribution to your Retirement Account (whether you contribute or not)
• AppleTree Scholarship to pay for continued education
• Network Professional Development Opportunities
• Commitment to Diversity

At AppleTree, we endeavor to foster an environment where each person’s true self and experience are welcome.  We believe that only with a diverse and inclusive environment can you truly celebrate and support all students, families, and staff. Our commitment to diversity is founded on the belief that our community is strengthened by the vibrant exchange that occurs when individuals with different backgrounds, abilities, and heritages share their various perspectives with one another.