High School Principal - Lighthouse Connections Academy

School Summary

Lighthouse Connections Academy (LCA) is a tuition-free K–12 online public school that students attend from home. Authorized by Oxford Community Schools, Lighthouse Connections Academy is state certified and open to students located throughout Michigan including Troy, Royal Oak, Bloomfield Hills, Rochester, Farmington, and beyond.

Position Summary and Responsibilities

Lighthouse Connections Academy seeks dynamic, visionary leaders and change agents to join its team as Principals.

This position ensures all students receive a personalized learning plan by implementing a distance education instructional program with fidelity. The High School Principal is responsible for establishing an organizational culture: putting the interests of students and families first recruiting, retaining and developing faculty and staff building and growing relationships with key external stakeholders including regulators and implementing the vision where every child receives a personalized and customized education, and academic achievement is at the forefront.

Working from our office in Southfield, Michigan, or a personal home office, the High School Principal will report to the LCAs Executive Director and will manage staff as they consult regularly with Learning Coaches (Student Guardians) and students, ensuring that each child successfully completes his/her instructional program. The High School Principal is responsible for overseeing overall school operations working with parents, students, support staff, and certified teachers who virtually facilitate a home-based student instructional program. The High School Principal will spend the majority of their time working with internal and external stakeholders on matters of academic outcomes, reporting, and supervision. This individual will work closely with key centralized service partners including School Support, Enrollment, Technical Support, Materials Management, Fulfillment, Finance, Human Resources, Payroll and Facilities Management. It is also anticipated that this individual will manage a range of special projects and duties.

The High School Principal must lead by example regarding continuing education and professional development. To lead effectively in these areas, the High School Principal must:

- Participate successfully in the training programs offered

- Review current trends, developments, and research as they pertain to education and school operations

- Be familiar with school law and Michigan State Statutes

School-wide, the High School Principal will be responsible for assisting the Executive Director in one or more key projects

- Assist the Executive Director in developing, leading, implementing, monitoring, and collaborating with other educators in school-wide integration of MTSS/RTI

Provide training, consultation, and support to administrators, teachers, and staff to facilitate implementation of a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) using the Response to Intervention Framework (RTI) school-wide

- Provide observation and feedback, modeling, interpreting data and other supportive assistance necessary to implement a Multi-Tiered System of Supports

- Monitor the fidelity of implementation of MTSS at the school level including the identification of students, delivery of Tier 1, 2, and 3 interventions, and progress monitoring

- Coordinate MTSS/RTI staff development activities for school-based personnel

- Attend professional development and MTSS meetings, as needed

- Assist the Executive Director in strengthening, monitoring, and adjusting Family Engagement Initiatives as measured regularly through data

Develop and coordinate programs and activities to increase family engagement

- Develop and coordinate a series of family and Learning Coach training sessions and programs to increase family and Learning Coach engagement

- Identify best practices of resources and outreach to support family engagement initiatives, and develop a toolkit for educators of best practices and family engagement materials

- Collect and analyze family and community engagement data to adjust and refine programs/services prepare documents, summaries, management reports, and implementation plans as requested

- Assist the Executive Director in developing and maintaining community partnerships throughout the state of Michigan to support student and family needs

Establish, manage, and maintain Community Partnerships across the state of Michigan to support student and family needs

- Plan, create, and facilitate outreach activities and serve as a liaison with community agencies across the state

- Assist the Executive Director in developing, leading, implementing, monitoring, and collaborating with educators to strengthen instructional practices and improve student achievement, with a focus on the schools Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) goals

Provide instructional leadership, coaching, and support to teachers and staff to strengthen Tier 1 instruction, promote evidence-based teaching practices, and ensure alignment with Michigan academic standards

- Lead and facilitate Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and data meetings to analyze student performance, identify achievement gaps, develop instructional action plans, and monitor progress toward school improvement goals

- Conduct regular classroom observations and walkthroughs, provide actionable feedback, and support teachers in using formative assessment and data-driven instructional strategies to improve student learning

- Monitor the effectiveness of instructional practices and academic interventions, collaborate with school leaders and instructional coaches, and coordinate professional development to support continuous improvement in English Language Arts and Mathematics

- Develop, implement, and monitor summer school programming school-wide and serve as the summer school point of contact

Other key responsibilities include the following

- Manage the implementation of the proven Connections Academy curriculum and school operation protocols

- Exhibit high quality communication with all school staff, students and families and ensure that teachers exhibit and maintain a high level of professionalism, instructional support and customer service

- Ensure the academic success of individual students by utilizing all levels of academic support available and by maintaining a high level of communication with parents to deliver program information and address individual student needs

- Work directly with the Executive Director to manage relationships with the Michigan Department of Education, stay current on the states policies, procedures and legislation, including specific count day and audit procedures, etc., and accurately submit all required reports and paperwork in a timely manner

- Work with the Executive Director and school staff as well as other stakeholders to create, implement, manage, and monitor the School Improvement Plan and support the Executive Director in meeting all MICIP requirements

- Work with Pearson Virtual Schools (PVS) and the Executive Director to coordinate marketing, enrollment, curriculum, human resource, and training resources

- Work with department principals regularly as a Community of Practice to complete data analysis and documentation and use data regularly to assess the progress towards meeting department and school-wide goals and in monitoring continuous school improvement using MICIP

- Set up clear systems and structures to identify and provide additional support to at risk students based on student academic data that are below proficiency level

- Seek out professional learning opportunities and collaborate with special education administrators and other support staff to become familiar with different types of disabilities and effective instructional practices that will help ensure student success and build understanding at the department level that each students unique needs, regardless of their disability category must be addressed

- Coach school teams to hold conversations with each other that incorporate the use of student learning performance as a driver for instruction

- Develop, monitor, and maintain grade band PBIS and Behavioral intervention systems including Behavioral Intervention Plans

- Work directly with Truancy Officers to monitor and evaluate the behavioral intervention framework and the truancy intervention framework and collaborate with stakeholders for the purpose of serving as a liaison and resource for development of dropout prevention, intervention and recovery support opportunities for students

- Educate parents, students, and staff regarding compulsory attendance and truancy laws

- Assist the Executive Director and work collaboratively with the administrative team in implementing, monitoring, and supervising the School Year Cycle

- Supervise and evaluate the effectiveness of the staff in a performance-based environment and frequently conduct informal and formal observations (of instruction, phone calls, and grading practices)

- Recruit, supervise and evaluate all school staff as required by the state

- Understand the school budget and how to utilize the available resources successfully to meet the outlined goals of the assigned Department (Elementary, Middle, or High)

- Support school administration in managing the schools budget and various grants

- Handle any student problems escalated by parents and teachers and maintain all Handbook Policies and state requirements in handling these matters

- Respond to all Learning Coach (Student Guardian)/Caretaker inquiries within 24 hours, including responses in Webmail, email, telephone, and message board postings, as appropriate and document all interactions in user logs

- Oversee the implementation and coordination of state standardized testing process, and ensure high student participation rates

- Implement with fidelity the universal design for learning framework along with multi-tiered systems of support that encompass 1) school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports and 2) response to instruction and intervention

- Oversee department goals and initiatives as assigned, which may include, but is not limited to:

Developing, implementing, and overseeing successful student and family transition from Middle School to High School as measured by 9th grade credit sufficiency data

- Developing, implementing, and overseeing the schools credit recovery policies and procedures for high school students and other initiatives to support every student successfully graduating

- Attend and participate in Special Education and Section 504 Meetings as required

- Assist the Executive Director and Office Manager in record keeping, as needed

- Communicate and support caretakers/Learning Coaches (Student Guardians) in successfully supporting their student in a state aligned curriculum that is accessed from home or any place where internet is accessible

- Participate in student recruitment efforts including in-state trips, presentations, Q & A sessions and responding to the press

- Support a robust school community through a program of in person field trips around the state and virtual activities

- Be available to handle emergencies

- All other duties as assigned

Qualifications

- Michigan administrative credential required

- Michigan Residency preferred

- Bachelors and Masters Degree from a regionally accredited college/university required

- Valid Michigan Teaching Certification with three years minimum of successful teaching experience. Virtual teaching experience preferred. Except as otherwise provided by law, the Academy shall use certificated teachers according to state board rule

- Three years of administrative or management experience required, charter school management a plus

- Strong leadership qualities and a commitment to goal-directed management and accountability

- Excellent communication skills, both oral and written

- Knowledge of Professional Learning Communities

- Customer-focused approach

- Flexible, ability to transition from task to task quickly

- Demonstrated ability to work well in fast-paced environment

- Team player

- Technologically proficient (especially with Microsoft Office products and Google Suite)

- Travel and attendance at in-person events, including State Testing is required throughout the school year, as determined by the school. This may require overnight travel

- Ability to work some occasional evening hours, as needed to support some families

Lighthouse Connections Academy strives to create an inclusive environment that welcomes and values the diversity of the people we serve. We foster fairness, equity, and inclusion to create a workplace environment where everyone is treated with respect and dignity.