High School Assistant Principal of Academics (2024-2025 SY)

Location: Nashville, Tennessee

Employment Type: Full-time, in-person, 12-month school-based leadership role for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year.

Salary: The salary range for this role is $74,400-$85,600, with placement based on prior comparable professional and leadership experience.

About Valor: Founded in 2014, Valor Collegiate Academies is a top-performing, public charter school network in Nashville, Tennessee, serving students in Grades 5-12 across three schools. Our mission is to create a community where students of all backgrounds have equitable access to an education that prepares them to live inspired and purposeful lives. This mission is made possible through an innovative school model that balances rigorous academics and whole-child education in an intentionally diverse environment. Learn more about Valor: https://valorcollegiate.org/our-model/

Role Overview:

Our high school, Valor College Prep, is hiring an exceptional High School Assistant Principal of Academics who is excited to share our mission of academic excellence and empowering scholars to live inspired and purposeful lives.

Structurally, our high school is split and managed by two Principals: one overseeing our lower school (9-10th grades) and one overseeing the upper school (11-12th grades). Within the lower and upper school, we have two Assistant Principals for Academics and one Assistant Principal for Culture. Together, they collaborate and partner closely to establish strong academic and culture systems for their respective grade levels, while maintaining overall alignment with the school’s overarching goals and vision for student success. For the 2024-2025 school year, we are hiring for an Assistant Principal of Academics for our upper school.

The ideal candidate for the AP of Academics role is an experienced school leader with expertise in high school academics, with a preference for expertise in either Humanities or in STEM and a demonstrated track record of success in their previous leadership role. As Valor is committed to providing a balanced education for our diverse student body – with academic rigor paired with comprehensive human development at the heart of our model – it is essential that all of our school leaders have a deep passion for both academic excellence and whole-child development.

Key Responsibilities:

The upcoming 2024-25 school year will be our high school’s second year operating in the split leadership structure, which means the Assistant Principal role will likely continue to evolve over time, requiring a school leader with an entrepreneurial mindset and flexibility. Below is a list of responsibilities that provides a general overview for this role:

Teacher Coaching and Academic Leadership

Coach a portfolio of teachers and create targeted, individualized coaching plans to empower teachers’ growth and development through 1:1 weekly coaching, feedback cycles, and classroom walkthrough observations
Lead professional development sessions and collaborative planning, and model strong instructional practice to ensure consistent, high-quality instruction
Provide teachers with support in intellectual preparation of their subject areas as well as high-quality, actionable data analysis
Lead and collaborate with teachers and leaders on grade level and/or content-specific meetings
Design and lead ongoing network and school-based professional development sessions for teachers, instructional coaches, and other school-based faculty
Support school culture and academic data analysis alongside the school leadership team to identify gaps in data and effectively problem solve
Manage testing coordination processes, including preparing test materials and testing schedules
Collaborate with the operations team on matters related to school operations
School Culture

Support the Principal, Culture AP, and Compass Team to implement strong systems and routines in order to create a safe, productive, and joyful school environment
Maintain active and strong relationships with students and families to support students in meeting academic goals or provide social-emotional support
Support the “Compass Team” to align the vision and implementation of Valor’s Compass system, the school-wide positive behavioral intervention system
Serve as a liaison between teachers, parents, leaders, and the community
Support the on-going improvement of the school in optimizing the learning of all students
Participate in parent engagement and communication, including home visits, family meetings, parent calls, and school events.
Serve as a member of the school-based leadership team to ensure effective, building-wide, consistent student discipline systems and routines.
Family Engagement and Support

Oversee all aspects of parent engagement and communication, including home visits, parent calls, parent meetings, and conferences
Facilitate parent education and involvement, including reinforcing the need for parents to support the school’s policies and practices for student discipline, dress code, homework, and events.
With school leaders, manage high-need student, family, and faculty situations that require individualized responses (including high-need IEPs, faculty relationship issues, student discipline concerns, Title IX process, etc)
School-Based Responsibilities

Participate as an active member of the school leadership team, meeting weekly for strategic planning and discussion of school initiatives and data
Participate as a key member of the high school hiring team by participating in the interview and selection process of new candidates
Enforce, uphold, and exhibit school’s values, student management policies, and culture
Own school entry, breakfast, lunch, transitions, and dismissal duties to ensure safety
Attend and/or lead family meetings, orientation, and other major school-wide events
Attend and/or lead faculty Circles once a week
Key Experiences and Qualifications:

At Valor, we believe our diversity makes us strong and we are committed to building a team of educators with diverse experiences, backgrounds, and expertise. Candidates with the following are highly encouraged to apply for this position:

Qualifications & Experiences

A Bachelor’s degree, with advanced degree preferred
A least 3 years of K-12 teaching experience, plus at least 1 year of formal K-12 school leadership or teacher-leader experience (i.e. Assistant Principal, Principal, Dean, grade level lead, department chair, instructional coach, or a similar role)
A strong track record of success and exceptional results in previous and current school-based role
Strong technical skills with fluency in Gmail and Google Suites (Google Sheets, Slides, Docs), and ability to learn new tech platforms quickly
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Ability to prioritize well and to work efficiently under pressure
A demonstrated track record of meeting high expectations and accomplishing goals even in the face of obstacles
Other Skills, Characteristics & Driving Beliefs

Experience managing multiple projects and deadlines, with the ability to efficiently and effectively complete tasks in a fast-paced environment
Deep belief that all students deserve an excellent education
A history of working well as part of a team, with a strong “whatever it takes” orientation
Ability to model, live, and reinforce the school’s core values inside and outside the classroom with colleagues, scholars, parents, and the larger community
Optimism, resilience, curiosity, a sense of humor, and a burning passion for personal growth and student success
Ability to handle confidential matters with discretion
Ability to model the mission, values, and goals of the school to all staff, parents, students, and the community
Interview Process:

Resume & Cover Letter Review
Phone Interview
Performance Task
Interview with School Leaders
Reference Checks
Offer Extension
Compensation & Benefits

Full-time role with an annualized salary of between $74,400 to $85,600
Robust retirement and benefits plan through Metro Nashville Public School
Comprehensive health (medical, dental, and vision) and retirement benefits
Fully-paid 8 week parental leave policy
15 days of PTO annually, plus access to an org-wide PTO Sharing program
Free access to an on-site strength & conditioning facility, Vanderbilt Health Clinic, retirement counseling, and mental health support and resources
Employee laptop and unlimited supplies
Full-time employees wishing to enroll their child at Valor in grades 5-12 will be placed at the top of the new student waitlist.
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:

Valor believes in the importance of being a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization that enables students and staff to thrive. As an equal opportunity employer, we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We actively seek applications from people of all backgrounds to strengthen our community and the perspectives needed to thrive in a diverse world.