Assistant Principal - Lincoln Middle

Working under the direction of the school principal and guided by District Teaching and Learning Priorities and the School Success Plan, the Assistant Principal is an integral member of the school's leadership team. This role involves administering and supervising the total school program, providing educational leadership for students and staff consistent with the educational goals of the community, and contributing to a collaborative culture of high expectations dedicated to student growth, achievement, and social-emotional well-being.

Among your partners in this work will be the Principal, Culture Coaches, and a team of teachers serving in departmental leadership roles.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Demonstrate a commitment to the district's vision of equity by internalizing DEB priorities and policies to recognize, respond to, and redress inequity
• Model behaviors to reinforce an equity-based, diverse, and inclusive culture
• Reflect on personal biases and commit to personal DEB growth and cultural humility
• Address experiences that conflict with stated DEB priorities, values, and beliefs, and respond with strategies to decrease reoccurrences
• Cultivate a culture of inclusion and belonging, with awareness and understanding of the impact on a community of diverse needs
• Communicate a commitment to the dignity and contribution of all cultures, languages, and identities

• Build healthy, beneficial, and respectful relationships across the school community, including families and community members
• Model ongoing self-awareness, self-reflection, and a mindset of continuous learning and development
• Promote a positive and safe learning environment which embraces mutual respect and empowers all members of the learning community
• Support effective communication of district priorities with all stakeholders
• Help create and sustain an organizational culture that promotes collective efficacy and high instructional and professional expectations
• Support the cultivation of a positive, inspiring, inclusive, and nurturing school culture, including the implementation of Culturally Responsive PBIS and Restorative Practices

• Ensure that all strategy and instructional design, delivery, and decision-making is centered around active and rigorous student learning and high expectations
• Enact the school's shared vision of instructional excellence, guided by research-based instructional practices
• Ensure assessments, curriculum, and instruction are aligned to outcomes that produce high-quality grade-level learning, interdisciplinary and critical thinking, closing opportunity gaps, and social-emotional learning
• Build and support school-based instructional leadership teams
• Provide coaching, supervision, and evaluation of teachers, offering actionable feedback to improve instructional performance
• Lead professional development activities

• Support and deliver data-driven instruction through the analysis of comprehensive, relevant, and accurate data
• Refine and implement goals-based management skills to set ambitious and measurable school- and classroom-level goals
• Help instill and maintain a school-wide culture of ongoing accountability checks
• Support disciplined data collection, monitoring, analysis, and reporting routines
• Lead efforts to track academic outcomes by student subgroups, with a particular focus on minimizing achievement and opportunity gaps
• Oversee test administration and the collection, management, and use of data for school improvement

• Collaborate to cultivate and engage candidates, serving as an enthusiastic school ambassador to attract effective and diverse staff
• Assist in the selection, hiring, and retention of high percentages of strong staff
• Serve as a regular presence in classrooms to monitor and improve instructional effectiveness
• Accurately evaluate teacher performance against district tools and communicate feedback that yields actionable change
• Foster supported staff autonomy and ensure distributed leadership

• Exhibit strong management skills, including effective verbal and written communications, engaging in difficult conversations, personal time management, project management, and meeting facilitation
• Support management of school operations including financial, human, facility, and technological resources effectively, efficiently, and strategically
• Help manage operational design, implementation, and time to maximize instructional learning and drive student growth and achievement
• Ensure school safety and adhere to Title IX procedures

• Change Agent Mindset: Sees education as a relentless effort towards improving students' lives, believing in their ability to make a difference and inspiring others to do the same; not satisfied with the status quo
• Leadership Orientation: Takes strong and principled positions, leans into difficult conversations and decisions, balancing authority with humility, and encouraging innovation
• Student-Centered: Keeps student needs central to every action and decision
• Relationship-Oriented: Recognizes the deep importance of relationships, builds rapport and trust, navigates diverse personalities, and values authentic collaboration
• Coaching Orientation: Champions and advocates for staff, provides actionable feedback, appreciates efforts, and views mistakes as learning opportunities
• Resourceful: Optimizes available resources and networks confidently to broaden impact
• Highly Responsive: Flexible and able to adjust when faced with unexpected, real-time problems
• Strong Communicator: Shares clear, thoughtful, well-defined information, including in-depth data presentations, and synthesizes findings effectively

• Working knowledge of pertinent curriculum standards, techniques for integrating and adapting curriculum, and effective instructional practices
• Understanding of the teaching and learning process, including the ability to provide instruction that reflects multiple perspectives and trauma-informed practices that engage culturally diverse populations
• Thorough knowledge of Portland Public Schools (PPS) policies and procedures, the PPS curriculum, and state and federal regulations and laws
• Ability to motivate, encourage, and work with staff to ensure outstanding performance and good morale
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Excellent human relations skills; the ability to connect and work effectively with administrators, colleagues, central office, school-based staff, students, and families
• Value for linguistic diversity; candidates who speak another language bring added value to the classroom, school, and district culture and diversity
• Ability to manage multiple tasks effectively
• Interest in all aspects of managing a large high school/middle school (depending on placement)
• Ability to serve as Principal in the absence of the Principal and as designated Administrator when needed

EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE:

• Master's degree from an accredited college or university with an emphasis in supervision, educational administration, school curriculum, or a closely related field
• Five years of successful teaching experience required
• Five years of successful experience working with middle school students is preferred
• Two years of school-based teacher leadership experience is preferred
• Two years of experience in a district office setting may be substituted for experience requirements
• Other combinations of applicable education, training, and experience which provide the knowledge, abilities, and skills necessary to perform effectively in the position may be considered

• Meets Maine certification requirements related to Assistant Building Administrator certification (045)

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Attendance at evening and weekend school activities, events, Parent Teacher Association (PTA) meetings, or other community events and functions, as required.

EMPLOYMENT DETAILS:

• Year-round position
• Permanent
• Full Time, 1.0 FTE
• Salaried position, not eligible for overtime
• Covered under the PAA contract (see 2023-2026 CBA here)
• Salary based on education and experience, as outlined in CBA
• Eligible for benefits as outlined here (may not be updated with 25-26 plan information or $ amounts)

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Portland Public Schools is committed to maintaining a work and learning environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, pregnancy, gender, sexual orientation, marital/civil union status, ancestry, place of birth, age, citizenship status, veteran status, political affiliation or disability, as defined and required by state and federal laws.