Tonight: Meet the two Mount Vernon Community School Principal finalists on Zoom

Tonight, residents can meet the two final candidates for the principal position at Mount Vernon Community School (2601 Commonwealth Avenue) on Zoom.

After tonight’s meet-and-greet, the finalists to lead the Del Ray school will interview with Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt on Thursday and the new principal is expected to be hired by the School Board in a special meeting on Thursday, July 20.

The candidates, whose identities aren’t yet public, will meet with community stakeholders on Zoom from 6:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.

“We expect to have a new principal in place before the start of the new school year,” Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt wrote in a June 26 letter.

Former MVCS Principal Liza Burrell-Aldana, who was named the Washington Post’s 2023 Principal of the Year, resigned last month.

Kay-Wyatt said that the process is being run by former Alexandria City High School Principal John Porter and Rene Pachal, the acting executive director of ACPS human resources.

“Ultimately, the selected principal will be a school leader who can provide excellent educational, social, and personal outcomes for students, staff, parents, and the community,” Pachal wrote.

An ACPS community survey on the MVCS principal position is also open until Wednesday.

The salary for the principal position is between $118,000 and $181,000. More details from the MVCS principal job listing are below.

Job Description:

The Principal, Elementary directs the development of the school vision and establishes and maintains the school philosophy and educational programs consistent with community characteristics and school division goals and practices.

This job reports to the Executive Director of School Leadership.

Qualifications:

Education: Master’s degree in related field.

Certificates & Licenses: Valid Virginia Department of Education license required, or eligibility to obtain one, with an endorsement in Administration and Supervision.

Experience:

• Minimum of three years of successful experience as an administrator (assistant principal or principal).
• Experience in elementary curriculum and instruction, including programs for special education (particularly inclusion models), ELL, talented and gifted, and compensatory education.
• A performance record that demonstrates high integrity, vision, enthusiasm, and a strong commitment to diverse schools.
• A performance record grounded in the ACPS Core Values of Welcoming, Equity Focused, Empowering, Innovative, and Results Driven.
• Knowledge of Dual Language Instruction highly preferred

Essential Functions:

Leading Instructional Excellence

• Articulates a clear instructional vision with a school-wide focus on teaching and learning that is data-driven, standards-aligned, and rooted in the ACPS Strategic Plan.
• Demonstrates how to lead and guide Dual Language instruction
• Demonstrates knowledge of how to use instruction to reach student achievement goals.
• Able to identify and describe effective instructional practices and how to provide feedback, coaching, and professional development to teachers and assistant principals to improve the quality of instruction throughout the school.
• Demonstrates knowledge of educational theory and practices, including a focus on standards-based instruction.
• Implements consistent school-wide instructional practices that are clear, results-oriented, and research-based.
• Creates opportunities for ongoing learning and staff development that are informed by data in alignment with division foci.
• Provides direction and support in accomplishing instructional, curricular, and/or program requirements.
• Reviews instructional programs and services and assesses how they will meet the needs of students/employees/school division.
• Working collaboratively with other ACPS principals in a community of practice that leads toward division-wide and school improvement.

Dual Language

• Knowledge of dual language instruction as an educational program in which students study grade level content in two languages.
• Knowledge of early years dual language instruction to develop reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills in a second language.
• Serves as the instructional leader to to support staff in the implementation of authentic instructional models in Spanish and English.
• Knowledge and understanding of the long term goals of Dual Language education programs to include:
  • Bilingualism
  • Biliteracy
  • High academic achievement
  • Cultural competency

Leading Student Accessibility and Support

• Demonstrates a belief in student possibility, promise, and potential in every student.
• Demonstrates evidence of student achievement down to the classroom level (teacher, specific subgroups, resources needed for special education, EL, etc.).
• Focusing on evidence-based growth and results to drive the school towards annual and long-term goals.
• Managing the change process, including making tough decisions when necessary to move the school and students forward.
• Engaging in constant personal learning, including the need to learn and adapt when faced with challenges and successes.
• Assures the proper evaluation of student progress and the effectiveness of the program to determine what practices or objectives to maintain or modify.
• Collaboratively develops and implements a school improvement plan in support of increased student success.
• Utilizes a variety of data sources to make informed decisions for enhancing student/employee/program performance.

Leading Staff, Family and Community Engagement

• Engaging school community members effectively to ensure all stakeholders are included in school improvement efforts.
• Listening to and communicating with all the school’s stakeholders; building successful interpersonal relationships with faculty, staff members, family and community members, and students.
• Communicates with parents, employees, and community to establish and maintain professional relationships.
• Cultivates and facilitates leadership development in staff members through the provision of leadership opportunities.

Leading Operations, Strategic Resource Allocation, and Systematic Alignment

• Executing results-focused school operations and resource management that ensure minimal disruptions to teaching and learning and promote the success of all students and staff.
• Developing and maintaining a purposeful school culture that supports a safe and effective learning environment.
• Supporting and implementing a safe and inclusive school environment.
• Aligning human resources to school needs, setting high expectations and effectively managing all school employees to meet school goals.
• Communicates a clear vision of excellence and pursues that excellence in a manner that provides consistency with the goals of the school division.
• Coordinates and supervises all extracurricular programs to maintain high standards of student conduct and enforce discipline.
• Coordinates the daily operations to maintain the safety of the facility/office/departments and responsibly and efficiently manages fiscal and/or other resources.
• Advises the administration on activities in the school for the submission of required reports and responds to the administration’s written and oral requests for information.
• Maintains the school philosophy and educational program in consistency with community characteristics and school division goals and practices and implements and enforces School Board policies and regulations.
• Practices ethical standards appropriate to the profession to ethically resolve issues and promote a climate of collaboration and collegiality.
• Prepares the school budget and monitors the expenditure of funds, provides for adequate inventories of school property and for the security of and accountability for that property, and assumes responsibility for the safety, security, and appearance of the school plant.
• Selects, supports and evaluates to retain quality instructional and support personnel.
• Selects, orients, assigns, supervises, and evaluates staff to attain the objectives of the educational program.
• Uses problem-solving techniques in identifying, analyzing, and resolving problems.
• Performs other tasks and assumes such other responsibilities as may be required to ensure an efficient and effective work environment.

Clearances:

• Criminal Justice Fingerprint/Background Clearance
• Tuberculosis Skin Test

Public Health Compliance

• Proof of COVID vaccination. Exemptions for religious/medical will be reviewed.
• Must follow safety and health protocols.

Image via Google Maps