Middle School Principal

Middle School Principal

(2024 - 2025 School Year)

Coney Island Preparatory Public Charter School

Brooklyn, New York

What is the Role?

Coney Island Prep’s Middle School is hiring our next instructional and culture leader of students, adults, and families in our community. Leading through an equity lens, the Principal sets and guides academic and culture visions and directly manages three Vice Principals (Humanities/Social Studies, Science/Electives, Math) and a School Culture Team of five. They co-lead the school alongside the Director of Operations, who is responsible for managing the building’s Operations Team. The incoming Principal will be hired by and report to the Chief Schools Officer. 

What You’ll Be Asked To Do

Center Our Mission and Values: School Leadership

• Reinforce the mission of the school with staff and inspire them to act on the mission every single day; exude strategic urgency, excellence, and optimism; use the mission as a litmus test for school-based decisions
• Exercise strong decision making, prioritizing what will have the greatest impact on students; instill staff with a feeling that they are contributing to something greater than themselves
• Reflect on actions and adjust behavior and systems accordingly, ask for feedback regularly model humility and admit mistakes, seek out thought partners
• Oversee curriculum implementation in collaboration with three Vice principals, the Academics Team, and the Chief Academic Officer  
• Maintain a robust personal organization system that ensures all tasks or “To Do” items are captured, prioritized, and ultimately accomplished
• Actively participate in Principal and School Leader Development meetings, engaging in discussion, sharing best practices, and participating in school audit visits
• Collaborate and co-lead with the network office team  to ensure compliance with CIP policies and procedures in a timely manner
• Adhere to CIP HR policies and state/federal employment laws
• Partner with Chief Schools Officer on collaborative approaches to all instructional and culture-related items  
• Work collaboratively with the Director of Operations to ensure strong school-wide systems, proactive planning for every component needed to have a successful school year,  and effective problem solving around campus issues
• Ensure the safety and security of all students, staff, visitors, and public and private property

Build a Diverse, Equitable and Inclusive School Community

• Work across differences while ensuring that structures and practices exemplify cultural competence
• Demonstrate a personal and professional value for DEIJ work
• Commit to building structures and systems that create an equitable and inclusive school environment for students, parents, and staff 
• Develop positive relationships with community stakeholders
• Exhibit a high degree of professionalism in all elements of this position, while serving as a contributing member of the school team and a dedicated role model for all employees

Develop Talent: Teacher and Leader Coaching

• Manage, coach, evaluate, and develop secondary school leaders including Deans of Student Culture, Vice Principals, Dean of Special Education, and Social Workers to ensure excellence and consistency among teaching staff
• Support secondary leaders in developing leadership skills in instructional coaches and grade-team leaders
• Observe lessons and provide on-going, specific, actionable, positive and constructive feedback that ensures the teacher can translate the feedback into improved instruction
• When necessary, directly manage teachers, ensuring their constant improvement in teaching practices through coaching, professional development, modeling, and collaborative planning
• Hold teaching staff accountable for implementation of research-based curriculum, teaching methodologies and practices ensuring rigorous instruction that prepares students daily for college or post high school careers
• Analyze school-wide data regularly. Establish a data-driven culture in which student performance and mastery of standards drives instructional decisions
• Build and provide accountability to academic systems
• Collaborate with the Director of Academic Inclusion to ensure student needs are met and best practices for students with special needs are implemented by teachers on a daily basis
• Design and run high-quality professional development sessions
• Work with each team member to set clear, measurable, outcome-oriented academic goals for the year and plan professional development opportunities around those goals
• Monitor progress of all academic goals and ensure implementation of academic program to meet or exceed yearly student achievement goals

Deliver Exceptional Academic Results: School Culture

• Ensure that the learning environment and classroom instruction maximize student learning
• Build effective relationships among teachers, parents, and the community to improve student performance
• Lead and grow a learning environment where character development practices are present and active in the work of staff and evident in work with families
• Ensure disciplinary issues are addressed immediately or in a timely manner with consistency
• Ensure and maintain high standards for student behavior, performance, and attendance 
• Foster a school climate that supports both student and staff success and promotes respect and appreciation for all students, staff, and parents that is aligned with the mission and values of the school

What You’ll Need

• Passion for education and a dedication to Coney Island Prep’s mission, beliefs, and values and its commitment to anti-racism 
• Steadfast belief that all students can achieve at the highest academic levels and deserve an opportunity to succeed in the college and career of their choice
• Bachelor's degree required, Master’s degree preferred
• Experience with Google Suite, MacBooks, Chromebooks, and flat panels 
• Cultural competencies and a willingness to examine your beliefs and biases across lines of difference

Culturally responsive and age appropriate conflict resolution skills

• Proven organizational, oral, and written communication skills; timeliness; accuracy; and consistent and regular communication; and ability to meet deadlines for deliverables
• Champion effective instructional data practices and assessments
• Ensure that systematic interventions occur whenever students are struggling; monitor quality and effectiveness of interventions to ensure they are rigorous, disciplined, and high-impact
• Experience driving a culture of high academic and behavioral expectations
• A background in championing effective instructional data practices and assessments
• Self-reflective and open to feedback, with the ambition and desire to grow and develop; curiosity and the tendency to ask questions of your colleagues in order to learn and improve
• A positive, solution-oriented attitude and drive for excellence
• A strong track record of building positive relationships with families, students and staff, while demonstrating value towards diversity and inclusivity

Who are we?

Coney Island Prep Middle School is a public charter school in Brooklyn that serves 350 students in grades 6-8. We are a high-performing, college prep school that offers hands-on lessons, laptops for every scholar, special education services, and after-school programming. Our responsive and committed teachers support our families every step of the way and we provide free breakfast, lunch, snacks, and school supplies. Rigorous academics, a close-knit community, and high expectations, have all been in the heart of Coney Island since 2009.  

Commitment to Anti-racism, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice

Coney Island Prep is committed to building a team that collectively reflects the various backgrounds, experiences, and identities of our scholars. We recognize and respond to different points of access, so that everyone maximizes their highest potential. We also recognize that because of institutionalized racism and systemic oppression, historically marginalized groups are at a disadvantage when it comes to most application and hiring processes. We want to ensure that all candidates, regardless of their identity, are able to demonstrate their qualifications and are not limited by a lack of opportunity or access. We are committed to creating a space where everyone’s identity is acknowledged, respected, and welcomed. We are intentional about creating an environment where people feel comfortable being their authentic selves at work by constantly examining our organization culture and challenging our traditions.

Benefits and Compensation

• Employees at Coney Island Prep are provided with salaries that are highly competitive, set through a lens of equity, and based on an individual’s skills and experiences relevant to the role. The salary for this role is $145,000.
• As a regular full time employee of Coney Island Prep, you will be eligible for benefits that include medical, dental, vision, and life insurance as well as a 403(b) retirement benefit package with match and Paid Family Leave.
• Staff are provided with a MacBook Air and access to all the necessary technology and resources needed to succeed in their role.

Are you “All In?” This position starts in April, 2025. To apply, head to our Careers Page!

Coney Island Preparatory Public Charter School is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital or familial status, national origin, citizenship or disability. We want Coney Island Prep to be a place where students and staff of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities feel as though they are valued and can excel.