Reports to: Area Superintendent

Wage/Hour Status: Exempt

Dept./School: Assigned Campus

Pay Family: Professional/Administrators

PC Assignment: Principal, Turnaround

Pay Grade: 08

PC Assignment Code: 58011

Minimum Salary: $111,292

Insight: Principal

Additional Stipend: $12,000

Duty Days: 230 days per school year

This position is designated as a Turnaround Principal assignment and may be reassigned at the discretion of district leadership based on campus needs and accountability requirements.

Primary Purpose:

Provide strategic leadership to effectively implement district policies, instructional programs, and campus operations. Foster a culture of academic excellence, equity, and student success by guiding instructional practices, managing personnel and resources, and strengthening school-community partnerships. Maintain a safe, supportive, and engaging learning environment that meets the diverse needs of all students.

In addition to the responsibilities above, the Turnaround Principal leads the rapid improvement of a historically low-performing campus through urgent, data-driven, and results-oriented leadership. This includes establishing and communicating a clear, coherent turnaround vision; implementing research-based school improvement strategies with fidelity; aligning campus goals, instructional priorities, and operational systems to accelerate student achievement and improve campus accountability outcomes; and building staff capacity to produce measurable, sustained gains for all learners.

Qualifications:

Education and Certification

• Master's degree
• Valid Texas Administrator's Certificate issued by State Board for Educator Certification
• Certified Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS) appraiser

Experience

• Three (3) years of successful experience as a campus principal
• Demonstrated success improving student achievement or leading school improvement efforts
• Experience supervising and developing teachers and instructional leaders
• Experience working in high-needs or underperforming school settings (preferred)
• Experience in leading successful turnaround or school improvement initiatives (preferred)

Knowledge and Skills

• Deep understanding of school improvement frameworks, data-driven instruction, and effective turnaround practices.
• Knowledge of Texas A-F accountability, state intervention requirements, and campus improvement planning under TEC/TEA guidelines.
• Comprehensive knowledge of curriculum and instruction, and best educational practices.
• Advanced verbal and written communication skills, emphasizing clarity and professionalism.
• Advanced interpersonal skills to foster positive relationships with staff, community, and other stakeholders.
• Ability to lead urgent change while building staff capacity, maintaining morale, and supporting instructional excellence.
• Advanced organizational and multitasking abilities.
• Ability to evaluate instructional program and teaching effectiveness.
• Ability to manage budget and personnel.
• Advanced ability to align scheduling, staffing, and resource allocation to school improvement goals.
• Ability to implement policy and procedures.
• Ability to interpret data.
• Skill in analyzing campus performance data to identify root causes, establish priorities, and drive rapid improvement cycles.

Key Responsibilities:

Instructional Leadership

• Serve as campus instructional leader.
• Develop and evaluate educational programs to ensure compliance with state and school board curriculum standards.
• Work with special program coordinators/directors such as special education, bilingual, curriculum, gifted and talented, English as a second language, and textbooks to ensure proper campus participation in these programs.
• Develop and coordinate educational programs through meetings with staff, teachers, and the Campus Leadership Team (CLT) and review staff and teacher performance and activities.
• Monitor student performance on local, state, and national examinations.
• Identify, analyze, and apply research findings (e.g., district performance data and effective school correlates) to facilitate school improvement.
• Use student outcome data (formative, summative, diagnostic) to establish measurable campus goals and monitor progress toward accelerated achievement.
• Ensure implementation of a rigorous, aligned, standards-based curriculum with systems for adjusting instruction based on ongoing assessment results and monitoring fidelity of implementation.
• Implement schoolwide systems that ensure high-quality Tier 1 instruction and targeted intervention for students performing below grade level.

Student and Community Engagement

• Confer with teachers, students, parents, and the community concerning educational and behavioral concerns in the school.
• Establish and maintain relationships with community organizations, colleges, and other schools to coordinate educational, athletic, and social services.
• Build strong, academically focused partnerships with families and community organizations to support student learning and campus improvement efforts.
• Communicate high expectations and a unified campus vision that is understood and supported by staff, students, and families.

Operational Management

• Plan, develop, and monitor the campus budget.
• Monitor requisitions and allocate supplies, equipment, and instructional materials as needed.
• Direct preparation of class schedules, cumulative records, and attendance reports.
• Plan and direct building maintenance.
• Maintain a continuous presence in the school building and on school property to monitor facility maintenance and cleanliness, building and student safety, and security.
• Exercise increased operational flexibility-within district policy-in scheduling, staffing, curriculum, and budget decisions to support turnaround outcomes.
• Align daily schedules and staffing patterns intentionally with identified school improvement priorities.

Personnel Management

• Interview, recommend for hire, train, and evaluate all employees.
• Use the district-approved evaluation processes and procedures timely and appropriately.
• Provide developmental supervision effectively and comprehensively.
• Make educationally and legally sound recommendations for personnel placement, transfer, retention, and dismissal.
• Employ strategic staffing practices to recruit, select, assign, and develop personnel capable of driving significant academic gains.
• Implement job-embedded coaching, targeted professional development, and high-frequency feedback cycles to improve instructional quality.

Compliance and Policy Adherence

• Direct assigned school services to provide for all students equitably.
• Comply with applicable personnel procedures, policies, statutes, and rules (e.g., EEO, Title IX, Fair Labor Standards Act, etc.).
• Comply with policies established by federal and state law, State Board of Education rule, and the local administrative/board policy on the assigned campus.
• Ensure alignment with Texas accountability requirements-including state-directed school improvement expectations-and implement all related district, state, and federal mandates with fidelity.

Budget and Fiscal Responsibility

• Develop budgets based on documented program needs, estimated enrollment, personnel, and other fiscal needs.
• Implement programs within budget limits; maintain fiscal and inventory control; accurately report fiscal information.
• Prioritize campus financial resources in alignment with turnaround goals, strategically allocating funds to support high-impact instructional and intervention needs.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Adhere to all district policies, procedures, and expectations as outlined in the employee handbook and administrative regulations.
• Follow district safety protocols and emergency procedures.
• Engage in strategic planning, leadership collaboration, and continuous professional growth aligned with the goals of the campus and district.
• Perform additional duties as assigned to support the mission and goals of the campus and district.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Supervise, evaluate, and recommend the hiring and firing of staff assigned to campus, including assistant principal(s), teachers, counselor(s), librarian(s), instructional aides, clerical support staff, and custodians.

Mental Demands/Physical Demands/Environmental Factors:

Tools/Equipment Used: Standard office equipment, including personal computer and peripherals

Posture: Prolonged sitting; occasional bending/stooping, pushing/pulling, and twisting

Motion: Repetitive hand motions, including frequent keyboarding and use of mouse; occasional reaching

Lifting: Occasional light lifting and carrying (less than 15 pounds); occasional physical restraint of students to control behavior

Environment: May work prolonged or irregular hours; work inside and outside (exposure to sun, heat, cold, and inclement weather), exposure to noise; occasional districtwide and statewide travel

Mental Demands: Work with frequent interruptions; Maintain emotional control under stress

This document describes the general purpose and responsibilities assigned to this job and is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties that may be assigned or skills that may be required.

Appointment:

The Superintendent of Schools will recommend the appointment of this position to the Board of Trustees based on the applicant's training, experience, and expertise. The Board of Trustees must give final approval.