Vice 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 leadership at the helm of every school and a high quality teacher in every classroom. Syracuse Vice Principals provide transformational leadership to planning and managing one of the district’s schools. This includes: assisting in 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 to achieve the school’s vision and goals. The Vice 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, school culture, systems reform, tools and other resources to accelerate student achievement. REPORTS TO: Principal

Requirements

Possession of a Master’s Degree or Certification in Educational Leadership or related field
Minimum 3 years of teaching experience in an urban district
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 in teaching in urban schools to accelerate student academic and learning performance
Demonstrated success establishing a safe and positive school and/or classroom culture that is conducive to student needs and student learning
Familiar with classroom and/or school level best practices to build and sustain change
Knowledge of current trends and best practices in education policy and research, including comprehensive assessment systems and data-driven instruction
Experience participating in successful design and delivery of educator professional development
Demonstrated success in school leadership activities (student activities, department head, etc.)
Prior demonstration of exemplary attendance is expected of any candidate for hire.
Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) from an accredited College or University
New York State Certificate in Education Administration (School District Administrator or School Building Leader).

Nice To Haves

Training and or experience with Culturally Relevant Education (preferred)
Preference will be given to those internal candidates who have participated in the Syracuse Aspiring Leadership Academy (SALA).

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
Establish and enforce high standards for excellence with students, teachers, and staff
Relentlessly focus school activities on student achievement
Promote a widely shared institutional belief that every child deserves and can have expert instruction and that it is their responsibility to help ensure this practice
Assist in creating a sense of urgency and in taking immediate action to ensure early successes
Effectively plan and take action to achieve goals and objectives under the direction of the principal
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
Identify and engage teachers to drive consensus, build trust and facilitate change
Establish a culture of learning and achievement
Act consistently to influence others’ thinking and behavior to achieve results
Assist in anticipating and responding to stakeholder concerns and identify and engage key influencers and community resources necessary for success
Know and execute teaching and learning best practices, including involving different modalities and engaging a variety of students
Coach teachers on recognizing cause and effect between instructional activities and results
Effectively organize adult teams to mirror vision and produce maximum results
Understand strengths and areas of growth for both team and individuals
Effectively 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 and a positive school culture
Quickly recognize patterns and trends related to school performance
Analyze complex information to help formulate strategic vision and implement action plans
Use qualitative and quantitative data to help in assessing performance and to help drive goals and decision-making
Quickly recognize patterns and trends related to student academic performance and be able to develop this skill in teachers
The Vice Principal will perform other duties assigned by the Superintendent of Schools or his/her designee.