Principal - Elementary

Release Date: May 30, 2025

Application Deadline: June 13, 2025

Requisition: 11418

POSITION: Elementary School Principal

REPORTS TO: Deputy Superintendent

LOCATION: Ridge Elementary School

SALARY: The salary for this EXEMPT position will be based on the SMASA salary schedule for 11 and 12-month employees Range F.

EFFECTIVE: July 2025

APPLICATION PROCEDURES:

Qualified applicants, including current employees of St. Mary's County Public Schools, must complete a TalentEd online application. In addition to the online application, any support documentation (copy of certification where applicable) must be scanned and uploaded to the TalentEd application. The online application and any support documentation must clearly demonstrate that the applicant meets the minimum qualifications, including information about the applicant’s background, experience, and professional qualifications. Failure to submit all required documentation will result in your application being considered incomplete. Incomplete applications will not be forwarded to the selection committee for review. All online applications must be completed no later than June 13, 2025. Following a screening of credentials, interviews will be scheduled. Please contact the Department of Human Resources with questions at, ext. 1 or .

NATURE OF WORK:

Serves as the educational leader and chief administrator of the elementary school, responsible for implementing and managing the policies, regulations, and procedures of the Board of Education to ensure that all students are supervised in a safe, child-centered learning environment that meets and exceeds the Maryland Common Core State Standards, following the approved curricula and directives of St. Mary’s County Public Schools. Achieving academic excellence requires that the Elementary School Principal work collaboratively to lead and nurture all members of the school staff and to communicate effectively with parents, members of the community, and colleagues in other districts and schools. Inherent in the position are the responsibilities for planning, curriculum development, program evaluation, extracurricular activities, personnel management, financial management, emergency procedures, resource scheduling, and facilities operations.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Ability to professionally relate to and collaborate with co-workers, students, and community members

Ability to understand and maintain confidentiality

Ability to use technology effectively to complete tasks

Ability to report to work daily and on time

Ability to organize, supervise, coordinate and establish priorities of tasks to be completed

Ability to work independently in the absence of detailed instructions and to follow complex oral and/or written instructions

Ability to communicate orally or in writing, courteously and tactfully, with staff, students, parents, and the community in a timely manner

Ability to work under pressure

Ability to oversee and provide direction to the designed department (personnel support for certificated and non-certificated employees)

Ability to plan and implement short and long-range objectives which relate to the departmental and system-wide objectives

Ability to lead, support the staff, and communicate professionally and effectively with internal and external stockholders

Ability to exhibit a personality that demonstrates enthusiasm, and interpersonal skills to relate well with students, staff, administration, parents, colleagues, and the community

Ability to demonstrate excellent leadership and organizational skills and the ability to motivate people and facilitate productive academic/organizational change

Possess excellent time management skills and the ability to take initiative and make decisions within assigned responsibility in a challenging, fast-paced professional environment and be flexible in work responsibilities and hours

Possess thorough knowledge of applicable Maryland laws, State Board of Education rules and regulations, Board of Education policies and regulations, regulations and procedures, and contractual obligations

Possess knowledge of the programs, policies, and procedures of the St. Mary’s County Public School

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

School Management

Organizes, manages, evaluates, and supervises effective and clear procedures for the operation and functioning of the entire school consistent with the philosophy, mission, values and goals of the school and district, including instructional programs in the Maryland College and Career Readiness Standards, extracurricular activities, discipline systems to ensure a safe and orderly climate, financial management, facilities maintenance, program evaluation, personnel management, office operations, emergency procedures, and community relations

Ensures compliance with all laws, administrative codes, Board policies and regulations, including Affirmative Action mandates

Leads school level planning processes to ensure the development, implementation, and evaluation of all school programs and activities

Establishes the master schedule for instructional programs, ensuring sequential learning experiences for students that meet and exceed the Maryland College and Career Readiness Standards

Provides and supervises in a fair and consistent manner effective discipline and attendance systems with high standards, consistent with the philosophy, values, and mission of the school and district, in accordance with due process and other laws and regulations. File all required reports regarding violence, vandalism, attendance, health, and discipline matters

Immediately notifies appropriate personnel and agencies and follows established procedures when there is evidence of substance abuse, child abuse, child neglect, severe medical or social conditions, potential suicide or individuals appearing to be under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or anabolic steroids

Organizes and supervises assembly programs and comprehensive extra-curricular programs appropriate for the young child that supports the Maryland College and Career Readiness Standards

Develops a budget for the school with input from the staff and School Improvement Team and approves all purchases in accordance with SMCPS policies and procedures

Implements an effective accounting and inventory system for all school supplies, materials, and equipment

Implements procedures that create and maintain attractive, organized, functional, healthy, clean, and safe facilities, with proper attention to the visual, acoustic, and thermal environments

Ensures that all facilities are regularly inspected for compliance with all applicable codes and regulations including access for individuals with handicapping conditions

Assumes responsibility for the health, safety, and welfare of students, staff, and visitors; develops clearly understood procedures and provides regular drills for emergencies and disasters, following State, local, and SMCPS guidelines

Notifies appropriate Central Office staff immediately of any unusual circumstances

Maintains a master schedule for the use of the school facilities

Implements schedules and procedures for the supervision of students in non-classroom areas, including before and after school, bus loading and unloading, and

Supervises the production of all school publications

Completes, in a timely fashion, all records and reports as required by law and regulation or requested by the Superintendent

Maintains accurate attendance records

Maintains and accounts for all student activity funds and money collected from students in accordance with SMCPS policy and auditing Correct any audit exceptions immediately

Communicates with the Superintendent and appropriate Central Office personnel regularly about the needs, successes, and general operation of the school

Ensures that personnel and student record keeping procedures comply with State and federal law and SMCPS policy, and implements procedures for safe storage and integrity of all public and confidential school records

Supervises all personnel assigned to the building, establishing clear expectations for role, responsibilities, and performance to ensure that all job responsibilities are met and exceeded

Ensures that personnel evaluation procedures are accomplished in a fair and consistent manner that encourages accountability, growth and excellence, in accordance with law, Board policy, and contractual requirements

Recommends to the Superintendent the renewal, dismissal, or other actions for all personnel assigned to the school, following established procedures and timelines

Supervises the exclusion from school of any pupil who shows departure from normal health, who has been exposed to a communicable disease, or whose presence may be detrimental to the health and cleanliness of other pupils, in accordance with State and SMCPS policies; ensure that the excluded pupil's parents or guardian are apprised of the reason for exclusion

Protects confidentiality of records and information gained as part of exercising professional duties and uses discretion in sharing such information within legal confines

Observes strictly, to avoid the appearance of conflict, all ethics requirements regarding conflicts of interest in employment, purchasing, and other decisions, including solicitation and acceptance of gifts and favors, and submit in a timely fashion the required annual disclosure statement regarding employment and financial interests

Performs any duties that are within the scope of employment and certifications, as assigned by the Superintendent and not otherwise prohibited by law or

School Culture

Establishes and promotes high standards and expectations for all students and staff for academic performance and responsibility for behavior

Involves the staff in developing a school-wide behavior management system which actively teaches desired behaviors, positively reinforces appropriate behavior and provides low level interventions for low level misbehavior

Ensures a safe, orderly environment that is conducive to learning, includes a school security plan, encourages students to take responsibility for behavior, and creates high morale among staff and students

Incorporates procedures for the early identification of potentially disruptive students and the conditions that create or enhance unacceptable behavior (e.g., bullying), and implement programs to address such conditions

Coordinates resources for comprehensive student and family health and social services

Establishes a professional rapport with students and with staff that earns their respect

Displays the highest ethical and professional behavior and standards when working with students, parents, school personnel, and agencies associated with the school

Serves as a role model for students, dressing professionally, demonstrating the importance and relevance of learning, accepting responsibility, and demonstrating pride in the education profession

Organizes and nurtures an effective school leadership team, with clear expectations for role, responsibilities, and performance, holding each individual accountable for the area of assignment

Schedules regular meetings of Professional Learning Communities whose work is aligned with the School Improvement Plan, focused on data analysis results and characterized by collective responsibility for instructional planning and student learning

Keeps the staff informed and seeks ideas for the improvement of the school, and conducts meetings as necessary for the proper functioning of the school

Holds regular staff meetings and serves, as appropriate, on staff committees

Provides leadership opportunities to a variety of certificated and non-certificated staff members

Instructional Practices

Supervises the instructional programs of the school, evaluating lesson plans and observing classes on a regular basis to encourage the use of a variety of instructional strategies and materials consistent with research on learning and child growth and development

Ensures that the instructional programs engage the learner in tasks that require analytical and critical thinking, questioning the known, problem solving and creativity, that they address the range of skills and developmental needs found in the classroom, that they encourage the student to define individual goals and accept responsibility for learning, and that they provide a variety of methods for the student to demonstrate performance and achievement

Supervises the implementation of curriculum and instruction supported by and integrated with an appropriate array of research proven strategies

Organizes and implements a system for the evaluation and selection of equipment and instructional materials that are free of prejudice and stereotyping and designed to meet the Maryland College and Career Readiness Standards, using staff identified criteria reflecting the needs of the program

Regularly reviews student work to ensure that it is rigorous, purposeful and engaging

Ensures that Professional Learning Communities collaboratively develop common assessments for their student cohorts

Regularly reviews student assessments to ensure that they measure student mastery of the Maryland College and Career Readiness Standards

Data Driven Instruction

Works with school-based leadership and the School Improvement Team to develop a comprehensive plan with annual student achievement targets, supported by parents, staff, and community members

Organizes and maintains a Pupil Services Team, which intervenes to solve behavioral, nutritional, attendance and other problems, receives data based teacher referrals of students who are not making progress and makes referrals to appropriate health and human service agencies

Organizes and supervises data-based procedures for identifying and addressing special needs of students including health related concerns, and physical, emotional, and learning disabilities, coordinating the resources of the school and community to assist the student and family

Collects and analyzes data regarding the needs and achievement of students, including local, state and national assessments, and other pertinent information affecting the design and implementation of services and programs, using the information to recommend new programs and modifications to existing programs

Ensures that appropriate intervention/enrichment for individual students are provided, based on results of assessments

Analyzes student attendance, discipline and achievement data to identify and eliminate disproportionality

Leads school level planning processes to ensure the development, implementation, and evaluation of all school programs and activities

Monitors the amount of instruction students miss due to absences and misbehavior

Analyzes data obtained through teacher observation and learning to make recommendations for improvement for individual teachers and in the instructional program

Technology

Demonstrates proficient use of student data management systems to analyze individual student data, teacher data and the effectiveness of the instructional program.

Uses technology for on-going root cause analysis of student performance to drive instructional decision making.

Uses technology to gather and analyze school attendance, discipline, and achievement data to identify and eliminate disproportionality.

Professional Development

Facilitates professional development for all staff focused on the achievement of the Maryland College and Career Readiness Standards, aligned with identified curricular, instructional and assessment needs and connected to the School Improvement Plan

Involves staff in determining their professional development needs

Facilitates professional development for all staff focused on developing cultural proficiency

Provides opportunities for effective, differentiated staff development that addresses the needs of