The School Principal is responsible for providing leadership, management, and supervisory skills to promote student achievement. S/he is also tasked with sustaining and improving a culture of high excellence and school improvement. The Principal has direct accountability for the academic performance of the school and provides leadership and expertise for curriculum and instruction.  The Principal is responsible for developing and implementing both short-term and long-term strategic and operational plans for the school and for supervising the operations of all departments related to areas of student success. The Principal is a steward for learning – student learning, staff learning, and parent learning.

Role and Responsibilities

The duties of the Principal include, but are not limited to the following tasks:

Vision 

• Works collaboratively with the school community to help develop and maintain a shared LFNO vision.
• Brings the LFNO vision to life by using it to guide decision-making about students and the instructional program.
• Maintains faculty focus on developing learning experiences that focuses on students’ success and life-long learning.
• Maintains open communication with the school community and effectively conveys high expectations for student learning to the community.
• Provides opportunities and support for collaboration, the exchange of ideas, experimentation with innovative teaching strategies, and ongoing school improvement.
• Fosters the integration of students into mainstream society while valuing diversity.

Academic Programs

• Assists with the development and implements the mission-aligned academic vision and strategic plan.
• Develops and provides oversight, guidance, resources, and support to the school based academic and student services teams.
• Managing the implementation of the curriculum mapping to align the Louisiana Student Standards with the French National Curriculum.
• Serves as an ex-officio member of Board Committees as needed.
• Ensures compliance with school charter in all areas of curriculum and instruction.
• Negotiates vendor and service contracts for curriculum/teaching materials in accordance with the allotted budget approved by the Board and managing the academic budget.
• Collaborates with all other campuses and with the central office staff for the successful functioning of all aspects of school life. 
• Recognizes, models, and promotes effective teaching strategies that enable students to apply what they learn to real world experiences.
• Encourages and supports the use of both innovative, research-based teaching strategies to engage students actively in solving complex problems and methods of student assessment which will enhance learning for all students.
• Conducts frequent classroom visits and periodic observations, provides constructive feedback to faculty and staff, and suggests models of effective teaching techniques when needed.
• Fosters a caring, growth-oriented environment for faculty and students, one in which high expectations and high standards for student achievement are emphasized.
• Promotes collaboration and team building among faculty.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 

• Communicates a focused vision for both school and individual professional growth.
• Uses research and data from multiple sources to design and implement professional development activities.
• Secures the necessary resources for meaningful professional growth, including the time for planning and the use of emerging technologies.
• Provides opportunities for individual and collaborative professional development.
• Provides incentives for learning and growth and encourages participation in professional development activities at the national, state, and parish levels.
• Assesses the overall impact of professional development activities on the improvement of teaching and student learning.

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

• Provides ongoing opportunities for staff to reflect on their roles and practices in light of student standards and school goals.
• Facilitates school-based research and uses these and other research findings to plan school improvement initiatives, pace the implementation of these changes, and evaluate their impact on teaching and learning.
• Fosters the genuine continuous involvement and commitment of the school community in promoting the progress of all students toward attaining high standards.
• Enhances school effectiveness by appropriately integrating the processes of teacher selection/evaluation and professional development with school improvement.

STUDENT ASSESSMENT

• Supervises the implementation of equity and effectiveness in all grading policies, including classroom grading practices.
• Manages the timely preparation and delivery of benchmark testing and statewide testing. 

PROFESSIONAL ETHICS 

• Models ethical behavior at both the school and community levels.
• Communicates to others expectations of ethical behavior.
• Respects the rights and dignity of others.
• Provides accurate information without distortion and without violating the rights of others.
• Develops a caring school environment in collaboration with faculty and staff.
• Applies laws, policies, regulations, and procedures fairly, consistently, wisely, and compassionately.
• Minimizes bias in self and others and accepts responsibility for his or her own decisions and actions.
• Addresses unethical behavior in self and others.

SCHOOL COMMUNITY RELATIONS 

• Is visible and involved in the community and treats members of the school community equitably.
• Involves the school in the community while keeping the school community informed.
• Uses school-community resources to enhance the quality of school programs, including those resources available through business and industry.
• Recognizes and celebrates school successes publicly.
• Communicates effectively, both interpersonally and through various forms of media

SCHOOL MANAGEMENT 

• Maintains a safe, secure, clean, and aesthetically pleasing physical school plant.
• Maintains a positive school environment where proper student discipline is the norm.
• Manages fiscal resources responsibly, efficiently, and effectively and monitors whether others do so as well.
• Manages human resources responsibly by selecting and inducting new personnel appropriately.
• Assigning and evaluating all staff effectively and taking other appropriate steps to build an effective school staff.
• Provides and coordinates appropriate co-curricular and extra-curricular activities.
• Uses shared decision making effectively in the management of the school.
• Manages time and delegates appropriate administrative tasks to maximize attainment of school goals.

School Culture and Safety

• Creates and ensures a safe, clean, and orderly environment that encourages students to take responsibility for behavior and creates high morale among staff and students. 
• Creates schedules and procedures for the supervision of students.
• In collaboration with the central office staff, develops safety and emergency operations plans and supervising regular safety drills.
• Creates, maintains, and supports a climate that values, accepts, and understanding diversity in culture and point of view. 
• Recognizes and promotes the strengths of a diverse school population and creating an equitable and culturally responsive climate. 
• Engages in courageous conversations about diversity.
• Fosters a school climate that supports both student and staff success and promoting respect and appreciation for all students, staff, and parents, who feel valued and belonging to the school community.

Operations

• Supports services such as transportation, food, health, and extended care responsibly.
• Supports the operations staff with establishing procedures for safe storing and integrity of all public and confidential school records. 
• Uses available technology to manage school operations.
• Monitors and evaluates school operations and uses feedback appropriately to enhance effectiveness.
• Ensures that student records are complete and current.
• Assists and collaborates with the central staff for the smooth running of personnel management, emergency procedures, and facility operations.
• Maintains a visible and accessible presence in the school.
• Protects instructional time when scheduling events and communication efforts.
• Ensures that school facilities are conducive to a positive school environment.
• Assumes responsibility for all physical properties assigned to the school.
• Plans, prepares, and distributes student and handbooks.
• Cooperates with community agencies whose purpose relates to the health, safety, and welfare of students.
• Assumes responsibility for graduation and/or closing of school activities.

Job descriptions are created to provide a framework of responsibilities and are not inclusive of all duties that may be required. LFNO employees embody an “all hands on deck” mentality and do whatever it takes to get the job done regardless of title.

We benchmark annually comparably-sized schools in our area to offer competitive salaries.

Depending on qualifications, internal equity, and the budgeted amount for this role, the salary range for this position is between $82,500 and $103,700.  The range for most candidates is $89,000 - $93,100. 

SELECTION PROCESS

Application Screen and Phone Interview

Screen applicants to make sure they meet basic experience, knowledge, and certification requirements. Some applicants will be asked to apply for other positions that may be a better fit.

Instructional Video & In-Basket Activity 

Candidates will watch an instructional video using the LFNO evaluation instrument. The candidate will also respond to an in-basket activity. Upon successful receipt of these items, the candidate will move on to the performance task. 

Performance Task 

Each part of the Performance Task allows candidates to showcase their ideal vision for student success, success as an instructional leader, and your ability to make difficult school and operational decisions. Candidates are to submit 3 professional references at this stage.

Part 1: Data Analysis & Vision Presentation

Part 2: 90 Day Entry Plan 

Part 3: Submission of Past Performance Evaluations (Artifact)

Part 4: Submission of Student Growth Artifacts (Evidence of Effectiveness)

Part 5: Professional References

In-Person Interview and Community Panel

Top candidates will be invited to an in-person interview day with various LFNO executive leaders, teachers, and community members. The in-person interview will include a presentation of the performance task with Q&A. At this point in the process, HR will also check candidate’s professional references. 

Superintendent Interview 

Top candidates will have a 1-1 interview with the superintendent.

Community Panel Debrief

Members of the community panel will present feedback to the superintendent for alignment and consideration. Superintendent will make the final decision.

Expectations, Skills, and Education Requirements

• Strong commitment to the mission and vision of Lycée Français
• Dedication to academic excellence and achievement
• Proven ability to communicate effectively and work collaboratively with teachers, staff and parents
• Ability to prioritize, organize, and lead by example
• Master’s Degree or other advanced degree(s) in education or related field
• Leadership experience in Middle and High School setting

Preferred Qualifications

• Louisiana Principal Certification (Educational Leadership, Level 1) or comparable certification from another U.S. state. 
• Certification in the French National Curriculum
• Three (3) years of successful school leadership experience in an urban setting
• Proficiency in the French language