Principal (2026-2027)

Syracuse City School District•Syracuse, NY

About The Position

ABOUT OUR DISTRICT: The Syracuse City School District is On the Rise! We are undergoing a new phase of innovation and transformation with the goal of ensuring that all students graduate high school with the skills needed to be ready for college and career. For Syracuse, all means all. The School Board and Syracuse community have charged the Superintendent with improving student achievement, and she is seeking a dedicated and diverse team of educators to partner with her in moving the district toward its goals. The Syracuse City School District represents 35 schools and programs, including 6 high schools, 6 middle schools, 6 K-8 schools, 13 elementary schools, and 4 alternative education programs, serving approximately 19,000 students Pre-K–12. Of these students, 82.3% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, 20.1% are served by the Office of Special Education, and 83% are students of color. JOB DESCRIPTION: The district is committed to ensuring that there is an effective school leader at the helm of every school and a high quality teacher in every classroom. Syracuse principals provide transformational leadership to planning and managing one of the district’s schools. This includes: implementing a school instructional model which focuses on high student achievement; building a positive school climate that supports the whole student; leveraging research and data to drive instructional practice; and building a high-performing staff and leadership team to achieve the school’s vision and goals. The principal will collaborate with parents, community members, the SCSD central office, consultants, as well as other internal/external resources and stakeholders to implement new educational programs, capital improvements, systems reform, tools and other resources to accelerate student achievement. WHO WE WANT: Successful SCSD employees are passionately committed to urban education and all in for Syracuse students. They: Believe strongly that all students can learn at high levels; Demonstrate commitment to serving urban students, schools or communities, and to closing the achievement gap; Demonstrate willingness to put the interests of students above all others; Actively contribute to a culture of high expectations in schools and the district; Adapt seamlessly to the complexities of the urban school environment; and Follow current trends in education policy and research.

Requirements

Possession of a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership or related field
Minimum of three years administrative experience in education
Adaptable to the complexities of the urban school environment
Strong belief that all students can learn at high levels and focus on building this culture school-wide
Proven experience leading urban schools to accelerate student academic and learning performance
Establishes a safe school culture that is conducive to student needs and student learning
Familiar with school-level best practices to build and sustain change
Deep knowledge of current trends and best practices in education policy and research, including comprehensive assessment systems and data-driven instruction
Experienced in successful design and delivery of educator professional development
Proven success in conducting rigorous evaluations of educator and school staff performance
Proven experience managing school budgets and finance
Prior demonstration of exemplary attendance is expected of any candidate for hire.
New York State Certificate in Education Administration (School Building Leader)

Nice To Haves

Training and or experience with Culturally Relevant Education (preferred)

Responsibilities

Promote a widely shared institutional belief that every child deserves and can have expert instruction and that all team members must be advocates for students
Set high performance goals for self and others despite instability and obstacles to success
Create a sense of urgency and take immediate action to ensure early successes
Establish and enforce high standards for excellence with students, teachers, staff, and other stakeholders
Align school resources and prioritize activities to achieve maximum results based on vision and goals
Relentlessly focus school activities on student achievement
Effectively plan and take action to achieve goals and objectives without direction
Consistently identify potential issues and obstacles and proactively take action to create and implement solutions
Formulate and execute on action plans despite ambiguity, obstacles or resistance
Establish a culture of learning and achievement
Act consistently to influence others’ thinking and behavior to achieve results
Communicate a clear vision of success and benefits to engage all stakeholders (e.g. families, students, teachers, community members)
Identify and engage stakeholders to drive consensus, build trust and facilitate change
Anticipate and respond to stakeholder concerns and identify and engage key influencers and community resources necessary for success
Influence others to take action and demand change
Effectively build and organize adult teams to mirror vision and produce maximum results
Understand strengths and areas of growth for both team and individuals
Effectively delegate to others and engage team in shared decision-making when appropriate
Encourage learning and consistently provide instruction, expectations, feedback and other developmental activities to encourage leadership and build capacity
Consistently inspire excellence and promote high morale
Quickly recognize patterns and trends related to school performance
Analyze complex information to formulate strategic vision and develop action plans
Identify appropriate metrics and use qualitative and quantitative data to assess performance and drive goals and decision-making.
Recognize cause and effect between instructional activities and results
Develop right balance of strategic and tactical plans to achieve immediate success while maintaining long-term vision
Develop effective processes to achieve desired results
The Principal will perform other duties assigned by the Superintendent of Schools or his/her designee.