Principal

St. James School in Biddeford is seeking a principal who will work to foster the school's Catholic identity and serve as the school’s ministerial and educational leader. St. James is a Catholic, pre-K to eighth-grade school operated under the auspices of Good Shepherd Parish and the Diocese of Portland. The principal’s primary responsibility is to envision and implement a rich academic program and lead faculty, students, and parents in working together to realize  our communal and full potential in service to God.

REPORTS TO:

• Parish pastor and superintendent of Catholic schools

SUPERVISES:

• Teachers
• Administrative assistant
• Other administrative personnel as identified

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POSITION:

The Principal of St. James School is the school's educational leader. The principal is directly responsible for the daily operations of the academic program and the teaching/learning process and must be committed and knowledgeable in the use and implementation of technology.

The key responsibilities of this critical role are:

Faculty

• Leads the faculty in the implementation of curriculum (blended and traditional) that meets the educational needs of the students and in analyzing and assessing of school-­wide outcomes
• Conducts the teacher observation and performance evaluation process, as well as the evaluation, training, development, and mentoring of faculty and staff
• Coordinates professional development opportunities that foster continuous improvement of delivery of academic program
• Responsible for hiring, supervision, evaluation and dismissal of faculty and staff in consultation with the pastor
• Supervises those team members responsible for student activities

Families and Students

• Communicates learning targets and outcomes to colleagues, parents, and students on a regular basis
• Builds and maintains positive, transparent relationships with the parents and support educators to optimize and evolve their students' personalized learning experience
• Facilitates and supports parent programming, including parent meetings, parent-­teacher conferences, Back-­to-­School night, holiday celebrations and open house(s)
• Actively works on admission efforts
• Collaborates with the pastor to ensure spiritual centering / messaging of school programs

Administration

• Coordinates and oversees the planning and development of the master calendar
• Maintains an effective and safe school environment, including holding fire drills, implementing emergency evacuations, and lockdowns
• Coordinates the updating and consistent use of the Student Handbook
• Plans and implements the facilities and technology needs of the school as they relate to the academic program
• Develops and oversees implementation of an annual budget that reflects the school's priorities as set forth by the pastor, the schoolboard and the diocese

School culture:

• Exemplifies the spirit of Christ in word and deed
• Attends extracurricular events including plays, concerts, athletic contests, etc.
• Demonstrates the ability to communicate to large and small groups by both verbal and written means, including digitally
• Motivates, relates to, and interacts with people of all ages

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Demonstrated leadership of a private or parochial school
• Active, practicing Roman Catholic in good standing with the Church
• Master of Education Degree or equivalent certification in administration
• Maine State Department of Education Building Administrator Certificate
• Highly capable in the areas of theology, religious education, and curriculum design and development
• Highly effective organizational and interpersonal skills, with the demonstrated ability to inspire faculty
• Classroom teaching experience working with multiple grade levels
• Knowledge and belief in the mission of the school and Church

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT:

Annual Ministerial Agreement

EVALUATION:

Performance of this job will be evaluated yearly by the pastor in collaboration with the superintendent of schools

SALARY:

This is a salaried exempt position.