High Tech High Mesa School Director (Principal)

High Tech High•San Diego, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Developed by a coalition of San Diego civic leaders and educators, High Tech High (“HTH”) opened in September 2000 as a small public project-based charter school with plans to serve approximately 450 students. HTH has evolved into an integrated network of sixteen charter schools serving approximately 6,300 students in grades K-12 across four San Diego County campuses (Point Loma, Clairemont, North County, and Chula Vista). The HTH organization also includes a comprehensive adult learning environment including a Teacher Credentialing Program and the High Tech High Graduate School of Education, offering professional development opportunities serving national and international educators. High Tech High is guided by four connected design principles—equity, personalization, authentic work, and collaborative design—that set aspirational goals and create a foundation for understanding our approach. High Tech High is an equity project. Teachers work to address inequities and help students reach their full potential. Our schools are intentionally diverse and integrated, enrolling students through a zip code-based lottery aimed at creating schools that are reflective of the communities we serve. Teachers recognize the value of having students from different backgrounds working together and employ a variety of approaches to accommodate diverse learners without academic tracking. High Tech High has an acute focus on college entrance and college completion for all students. High Tech High teachers practice a learner-centered, inclusive approach that supports and challenges each student. Students pursue their passions through projects and reflect on their learning. Recognizing that identity development and personal growth occur in the context of community, our schools foster relationships of trust, caring, and mutual respect among students and adults through program design elements such as small school size, small classes, home visits, advisories, and student collaborative work. High Tech High school projects integrate hands and minds and incorporate inquiry across multiple disciplines, leading to the creation of meaningful and beautiful work. Students engage in work that matters to them, to their teachers, and to the world outside of school. Students connect their studies to the world through fieldwork, community service, internships, and consultation with outside experts. Our facilities are collaborative workplaces with small group learning and project areas, relevant technology, and common spaces where artwork, prototypes, and other artifacts of student thinking are created and displayed. High Tech High teachers collaborate to design curriculum and projects, lead professional development, and participate in hiring while seeking student experience and voice in each of these areas. With students as design partners, staff function as reflective practitioners, conducting inquiry into equitable teaching and learning, school culture, project design, and authentic assessment. We are all still learning. Under the direct supervision of the Chief Executive Officer, the School Director sets the strategy and direction for the school in conjunction with overall institutional goals. The School Director ensures high-quality instruction and an equitable and positive educational experience for students, families, and staff, by working with staff members to design, evaluate and improve student-centered instruction. HTH School Directors must cultivate positive relationships with students, teachers, families, colleagues, and the community at large.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree required; Masters’ degree preferred
At least three (3) years K-12 teaching experience is strongly preferred
Three plus years of experience in a school setting required
Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with staff, students, and families grounded in mutual trust and respect
Ability to develop expectations and guidelines that create a respectful learning environment that fosters creativity and learning
Approaches school leadership with enthusiasm and positivity
Ability to effectively empower, supervise and organize employees
Demonstrated skill in handling challenging staff, student, and family issues
Ability to build and maintain effective teams
Proven decision-making skills
Effective time management skills
Possesses active listening skills
Accepting of the ideas of others
Reflective practitioner who seeks feedback in service of continuous improvement
Strong knowledge of curriculum development and evaluation skills
Knowledge of pedagogical techniques and strategies
Proficient knowledge of applicable laws, policies, and procedures and demonstrated ability to operate within these regulations
Ability to accurately scope out the length and difficulty of tasks and projects
Ability to apply effective practices to achieve performance goals
Ability to remove obstacles that get in the way of effective performance
Demonstrated financial management skills
Workflow management skills
Computer and systems skills
Effective written and verbal communication skills
Ability to provide staff with the information needed for effective performance
Provides timely and useful information to all stakeholders
Demonstrated knowledge of facilitation techniques
Leverages diversity and applies institutional design principles to create and sustain respectful relationships between students, teachers, staff
Open to the ideas of others
Interacts effectively with all races, nationalities, cultures, disabilities, ages and gender identities
Treats all kinds and classes of people with dignity and respect
Hires, and distributes work and responsibility equitably
Demands equal and fair treatment and opportunity for all

Responsibilities

Embodies the High Tech High design principles of Equity, Personalization, Authentic Work, and Collaborative Design in all work activities and actions for the purpose of creating an environment where staff and students are successful
Achieves institutional goals through effective administration of staff, curricula, and institutional culture
Instructional Leader for the school - responsible for student achievement, focused conversations with teachers, classroom oversight, development of effective teaching strategies, encouraging teamwork, creating and maintaining a positive school culture
Supervises school personnel for the purpose of monitoring and evaluating performance, providing for professional growth and achieving overall objectives of school's curriculum, and includes staff in the team effort of accomplishing institutional goals
Coordinates with Human Resources to recruit, hire, train, and support staff, as well as, conduct regular performance evaluations
Positively manages internal staff and external stakeholder relationships
Effectively oversees school’s daily operations
Effectively manages school budget
Composes a wide variety of documentation/reports (e.g. attendance reports, student activities, correspondence, etc.) for the purpose of documenting activities, providing written reference, and/or conveying information
Ensures institutional standards and procedures are followed