[2025-2026] Founding High School Principal

POSITION OVERVIEW

About the Founding High School Principal Role:

The Founding Principal will serve as the driving force behind academic excellence and character development for students, with a primary focus on instructional leadership and empowering educators to elevate their practice and improve student outcomes. This role is pivotal in shaping a sustainable and thriving school by developing future leaders and implementing systems to attract, retain, and develop high-performing staff.

As a founding leader, this position requires an entrepreneurial spirit and a commitment to building from the ground up—leveraging best practices regionally and nationally to establish a model of excellence. The Founding Principal will play a key role in visible leadership, fostering a collaborative and inclusive culture that engages students, families, and the broader Capital Region community.

Reporting to the MD of Schools, the Founding Principal will have a strong network at the KIPP Capital Region and national level to support their work and efforts in building out the high school.

This is an exciting opportunity to redefine education in the region, delivering exceptional results and ensuring seamless transitions for students from middle school to post-secondary pathways. The Founding Principal will shape and sustain a high school environment that embodies KIPP Capital Region’s Core Values.

DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Instructional Leadership

• Develop and implement a comprehensive plan to address the academic, emotional, cultural, and overall well-being of students, staff, and families, ensuring holistic support.
• Responsible for college-readiness academic outcomes of all students, with a demonstrated track record of obtaining or improving academic outcomes, including graduation rates, GPA averages, and SAT/ACT results.
• Build and enhance instructional expertise by leading professional development, coaching instructional leaders and teachers, and fostering collaboration to improve teaching practices and student outcomes.
• Support School Instructional team and utilize data-driven strategies to analyze student performance, guide instructional adjustments, diagnose issue and implement interventions to ensure progress toward mastery and high-quality learning outcomes
• Oversee the development and alignment of a rigorous, college-preparatory curriculum that integrates academic and character goals to support student success including increasing
• Lead the development, implementation, and monitoring of operational and instructional systems, ensuring they are efficient, effective, and adaptable to support student success and school goals. 

Vision and Culture Leadership

• Develop and communicate a compelling school-wide vision aligned with the KIPP region, setting ambitious goals that lead students on a path to and through college.
• Foster a positive and inclusive school culture by modeling high expectations for leaders, teachers, and students, emphasizing professional growth, constructive feedback, and equity-driven practices.
• Build and sustain systems, structures, and relationships that create equitable and inclusive environments for students, families, and staff, celebrating diverse backgrounds and facilitating courageous conversations.
• Establish and maintain traditions, rituals, and a joyful, rigorous culture that embody the KIPP Capital Region mission, vision, and values, ensuring consistency and growth year over year.

Leadership Development and Team Management

• Develop and manage a strong school leadership team, including Assistant Principals, Deans, and instructional leaders, to support teachers and drive student success.
• Build a sustainable pipeline of future school leaders by creating systems for ongoing professional growth, development, and leadership cultivation.
• Partner with Talent and HR to recruit, hire, and retain a diverse, high-performing team while fostering an inclusive and equitable work environment.
• Coach and mentor staff to achieve performance excellence by setting clear expectations, providing accountability, and supporting professional growth.
• Foster a collaborative, goal-oriented team culture focused on achieving school-wide excellence and timely addressing performance expectations.

Community and Stakeholder Engagement

• Cultivate and maintain collaborative relationships with internal and external business partners and stakeholders.
• Build and foster relationships with community leaders and organizations, including maintaining a robust database of community organizations.
• Represent the district, region, or school in workgroups or projects as assigned.
• Communicate regularly with families about their children’s performance, school policies, trips, and events.

Operations and Risk Management

• Oversee the management of the school’s budget and financial resources, ensuring daily fiscal responsibility by strategically allocating funds to support academic programs, staffing, and facility operations while maintaining accurate and transparent financial records.
• Monitor performance metrics, qualitative feedback, and data to inform strategy, decision-making, and accountability for achieving school objectives.
• Lead solution-focused problem-solving for school-wide issues while managing and mitigating risks effectively.
• Assure health and safety risks are identified, controlled, or resolved in partnership with appropriate resources.
• Collaborate with the Director of Operations to ensure consistency in academic and behavioral expectations across the school and to effectively lead the instructional and operational goals of the school

KIPP Capital Region

• Perform other duties as outlined by the Managing Director of Schools.
• Committed to furthering anti-racism, equity, and racial justice in all our efforts, and expect all our stakeholders to participate in this work so that we can create a future without limits for our students together.
• Complies with all charter, federal, state, and local laws, and regulations, including the NYS Department of Education, Department of Health, and NYS Office of Children and Family Services
• Adheres to organization policies and procedures; promotes and supports mission, vision, and values, including developing and participating in internal surveys and data collection for continuous improvement initiatives.