Principal

YAI•New York, NY

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Principal provides overall direction and management of day-to-day school operations, including education, clinical, student support, and transition services. This role ensures consistency in policies and practices, fosters transparent communication, and promotes the YAI and school missions and goals. The Principal is responsible for student well-being through safe and appropriate supports and educational services, ensuring compliance with all regulatory requirements. This position emphasizes collaboration between departments to deliver quality educational and support services, engaging students with individualized instruction and a multisensory approach to develop life skills and empower independence. The Principal regularly evaluates operational needs, identifies trends and inefficiencies, and collaborates with leadership to propose solutions. This role works closely with the YAI Senior Leadership Team and the school’s Board of Trustees to advance the school's mission and vision, including cultivating a diverse Board and facilitating valuable relationships. The Principal oversees strategic planning, develops operating procedures, and leads enhancements to educational programs. Budget management, staff recruitment, engagement, and development are key responsibilities, as is providing supervision, training, and administrative management to the school leadership team. The Principal monitors daily operations, empowers leadership, and supports them in securing resources. Communication with parents and participation in student-specific meetings are also integral, as is ensuring accurate staff status changes in Workday and reviewing timekeeping records. The Principal monitors student cases, supports parents and legal teams through IEP meetings and hearings, and addresses concerns with physical facilities and technology. Regular school leadership meetings are planned and facilitated, and the Principal advocates for persons with disabilities and fosters interagency collaboration. Compliance, ethical standards, risk management, and staying current with regulations and trends in special education are critical. The role involves representing the organization in various meetings and events and ensuring staff compliance with all regulations, including HIPAA.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Special Education or a related discipline
Current professional certification as a classroom teacher in any discipline issued by the New York State Education Department
Holds or obtains within five (5) years of appointment, certification and registration as a School Building Leader or equivalent permanent certificate issued by the New York State Education Department and maintains for duration of assignment
Ten (10) years of experience in special education including classroom teaching and/or providing related services to students with disabilities between the ages of 3 – 22 years, which includes or is supplemented by at least five (5) years of experience as a supervisor of professional staff
Satisfactory equivalent combination of education, experience and/or training; however, all candidates must hold or obtain School Building Leader certification as described above.
Ability to report on-site to school on a regular basis and to travel across New York City metropolitan area to visit headquarters, schools, attend meetings and/or conferences, as needed or requested.
Extensive knowledge of applicable Federal, State, Local and oversight agency regulations, including New York State Education Department (NYSED) and NYC Department of Education (DOE).
Extensive knowledge of the needs of neurodivergent students or students with complex needs based on student population, including current and new teaching methodologies and philosophies that best support the population.
Proficiency with computers and using electronic systems including email, Microsoft Office Suite, Salesforce and/or Workday (or other HCM systems) to complete tasks.
Excellent communication skills (e.g., speaking, writing, presenting).
Exceptional interpersonal, supervisory and leadership skills and ability to effectively manage, coach and support teams through hands-on support.
Strong planning, organizational and decision-making skills, including the ability to anticipate roadblocks and think strategically.
Ability to meet essential physical demands of position, including the ability to sit for extended periods, lift and carry files or documents weighing up to 10 pounds and to move around the school to interact with school staff and students.
Ability to collaborate, negotiate and build consensus and to effect transformational change.
Financial and business acumen including familiarity with budgets, staffing patterns, operating expenses, etc.

Nice To Haves

Three (3) or more years of experience in a leadership position at a school for neurodivergent students or students with complex needs based on student population
Current School Building Leader (or equivalent permanent) certification issued by NYSED

Responsibilities

Provides overall direction and management of day-to-day school operations and for education, clinical, student support and transition services offered by school, ensuring consistency in application of policies, practices and procedures and creating a structure of consistent and transparent communication with staff.
Consistently articulates and promotes YAI and school missions and goals, providing leadership and guidance to staff and ensuring student well-being through safe and appropriate supports and educational services in line with agency philosophy, department practices and Federal, State, Local and other applicable regulatory requirements by appropriately trained, certified, licensed and/or other qualified staff.
Ensures collaboration between all departments to support provision of quality educational and support services that conform to best practices and applicable standards engaging students with comprehensive, individualized instruction with a multisensory approach, which aids in the development of life skills and empowers students to achieve their highest levels of independence.
Regularly evaluates and monitors educational, therapeutic and operational needs, identifying unmet needs, trends, inefficiencies and opportunities and collaborates with applicable school leadership to propose specific recommendations and/or escalates to Chief of Education to develop solutions and implement revisions to correct issues or deficiencies.
Works collaboratively with YAI Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and school’s Board of Trustees to further the mission and vision of school, including to identify and cultivate a diverse Board that links the school to stakeholders and facilitates valuable relationships and resources for the school and communicates school-related matters to the Board, as directed by Chief of Education.
Oversees and directs regular cycles of long-range strategic planning for assigned school including leading planning related to all aspects of school operations, physical facilities, educational and related services and annual goal setting in conjunction with the Chief of Education, SLT and/or Board, presenting recommendations and coordinating with applicable parties and stakeholders to implement or introduce updates, changes and/or new services.
Collaborates with Chief of Education and applicable school leadership to plan, develop and implement operating procedures and systems to address new or changing needs, regulatory or other requirements, develop annual academic and therapeutic goals, ensure appropriate classroom and other supports and/or to otherwise enhance educational or other services.
Leads the development and implementation of changes or enhancements to educational programs, related services and/or supports, working with applicable school leadership to ensure smooth transitions with clear communication and appropriate supports and resources for staff, students and circles of support.
Develops and manages the school’s budgets in collaboration with Chief of Education and oversees management of budgets, ensuring that departments are operating within budgetary guidelines, providing oversight of all financial and educational systems and ensuring accuracy and timeliness of billing/documentation, to support financial and program performance objectives.
Actively participates in the development and implementation of recruitment and engagement initiatives to attract and retain highly qualified staff schoolwide in collaboration with applicable leadership and Human Resources; manages, nurtures and develops talent to ensure effective utilization of resources and continually assesses and makes recommendations regarding future staffing and workforce development needs.
Provides overall supervision, training, professional development and administrative management of school leadership team including regular supervision, impact discussions, feedback and annual reviews and supports operational needs and planning for school, as well as overall performance management of school staff.
Regularly monitors day-to-day operations and appropriateness of overall workforce, fiscal and system management by leadership, empowering them to take action and responsibility to address operational, planning and staffing needs and supports school leadership with securing appropriate resources and addressing related needs.
Communicates with parents and circles of support and participates student-specific meetings as needed in collaboration with or in place of applicable leadership, ensuring parents are appropriately involved in their child’s activities and progress and collaborating regarding admissions and exmissions, when needed.
Ensures leadership team are appropriately managing and/or submitting changes in Workday for staff status, work hour, promotions/demotions, transfers and/or other adjustments and reviewing/approving timekeeping records to support accurate payroll processing in a timely manner.
Regularly monitors student cases with school leadership team, ensuring appropriate support for parents and legal teams through IEP meetings and hearings, including comprehensive, accurate and complete supporting documentation for presentation in court; participates in hearings or provides support and/or guidance for cases, as needed.
Reports concerns with physical facilities and technology to ensure safe, secure and operational order, collaborating with school leadership team, YAI support departments and/or external parties as needed to support coordination and implementation of facility-related initiatives.
Plans and facilitates regular school leadership meetings to remain informed and discuss coordination of services, address operational or other concerns and needs and/or to provide or receive updates; coordinates schoolwide meetings and announcements, as needed.
Develops professional, empathetic relationships with families, service providers and/or community members and advocates for persons with disabilities to local government and community, fostering interagency collaboration and communication between relevant supports and ensuring the development and maintenance of partnerships with external organizations to facilitate volunteer, internship and student teaching arrangements by school leadership team.
Participates in the establishment and oversight of measures and controls to ensure compliance, ethical and quality standards and to manage and mitigate risk and conducts reviews and/or audits to ensure compliant and safe operations, implementing corrective actions in collaboration with YAI Compliance and Quality and other support departments, as needed.
Stays abreast of applicable Federal, State, Local, regulatory and agency regulations, maintaining awareness of changes and remains current with trends in special education; participates in agency or education-related or other committees, conferences and/or seminars.
Represents the organization by participating in internal meetings and events and participates in events with external entities such as educational organizations, conferences, etc.
Complies with and ensures that staff complies with all Federal, State, Local and other relevant regulatory agency requirements, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and ensures cooperation with appropriate entities in any inspection, inquiry or investigation.
Performs all other duties, as assigned.