Westside Atlanta Charter School, K-4 Principal

ORGANIZATION

Our starting point is community. Westside Atlanta Charter School (WACS) was established by neighbors, individuals, and families living on the Westside who aimed to increase educational equity in our growing part of Atlanta. Gifted professionals, educators, and parents crafted a detailed blueprint of an innovative public charter school for a diverse part of our city. After four years of labor, the school opened in August 2013 with 120 students in grades K-2. Each year, Westside added a grade level, and by the 2019-2020 school year, we were at our full capacity of K-8th grades. We now serve 350 students.

Westside fosters a diverse, tight-knit community of lifelong learners, giving each child an excellent academic experience that builds curiosity, critical thinking, and character. To learn more about Westside Atlanta Charter School, please visit our website.

OPPORTUNITY

Westside Atlanta Charter School seeks a K-4 Principal to lead with innovation and impact. This role presents a unique opportunity to shape the educational experience for our students while fostering a culture of holistic growth that encompasses academic, social-emotional, physical, and character development. As a champion of community belonging, the Principal will celebrate diversity, promote inclusivity, and guide students in understanding their meaningful roles in their communities and beyond. This is an opportunity to cultivate curious minds by creating dynamic, student-centered learning environments while embracing the challenge of promoting academic excellence and pushing students to exceed their potential in critical thinking and content mastery. As the educational leader, the Principal will have the opportunity to support and empower teachers, emphasizing high-quality, standards-based instruction. Join our mission-driven team and contribute to building a positive, inclusive school culture that drives high achievement and collaboration. This is a remarkable opportunity to profoundly impact the lives of our students and the broader community we passionately serve.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Key Responsibilities of the Principal include:

Student-Focused Culture of Curiosity and Academic Excellence:

• Foster a culture of inclusion and respect for students, staff, and families.
• Understand and address student needs with decisions driven by student interests.
• Model the belief that all students can learn at high levels, building collaborative and trusting relationships with teachers, staff, leadership, and families.

Communication and Community Belonging:

• Interact, listen, and respond appropriately to staff, student, and community concerns.
• Foster continuous communication and collaboration among all community stakeholders to nurture strong partnerships and collective engagement.
• Create positive experiences for families to participate in and make decisions about their student’s education, encouraging parent visits and involvement in decision-making.

Data-Driven Instructional Leadership:

• Systematically analyze diverse data points to create robust priority plans throughout the school year.
• Actively monitor and analyze non-academic student data for personalized planning and interventions to optimize support for both students and staff.
• Accurately analyze student achievement data from state and curricular assessments, understanding classroom trends, grade levels, content areas, and student sub-groups. Support teachers in differentiating planning, interventions, and coaching for high academic success.

Professional Learning and Talent Development:

• Support high-performing individuals and teams aligned with the school's vision and core values.
• Regularly analyze data to inform leadership decision-making, building teacher leadership capacity.
• Hire and develop a diverse team, promote an inclusive environment, and provide leadership in the development and innovation of educational programs.

Requirements

To effectively meet these responsibilities, the ideal Principal candidate should:

• Showcase expertise as a K-4 educator with the capability and experience to oversee 130 K-4 students.
• Possess a profound understanding of elementary and middle school instructional and administrative practices, with substantial experience in or exposure to an elementary school setting.
• Demonstrate 4+ years of successful experience driving academic and school culture results through leadership in high-performing or high-accelerating schools serving a diverse urban population.
• Hold a Standard Professional Educational Leadership Tier 1 or Tier II Certification, following Georgia's principal certification reciprocity agreement.
• Effectively implement the school’s Multi-Tiered Systems of Support and Response-to-Intervention process, supporting a tiered model of progressive interventions for academics and behavior.
• Lead the development and implementation of clear and achievable goals to ensure high levels of student achievement.
• Model and establish expectations for high levels of student and staff performance.
• Exhibit the ability to be responsive, personable, and approachable in interactions with students, staff, and families.
• Demonstrate a proven ability to be nimble and flexible, adapting to the evolving educational landscape and school community needs.
• Express a strong commitment to collaborative decision-making and the ability to foster a positive and inclusive school culture.

Benefits

This role provides a competitive salary range of $90,000 to $105,000 and comprehensive benefits such as 100% coverage for medical, dental, and vision expenses for employees. Additionally, it includes access to a competitive retirement plan and supplemental retirement options. For additional questions about this position or to speak with someone about your interest, please contact Toren Triepke at [email protected].

Westside Atlanta Charter School is an equal-opportunity employer and an organization that values diversity. Recruiting staff to create an inclusive organization is a priority, and we encourage applicants from all backgrounds. Candidates are evaluated solely on their qualifications to perform the work required. #LI-TT1