Company Description

School Principal - School Leader

Position Overview

The School Leader serves as the chief instructional and organizational leader of the school and is accountable for student achievement, school culture, staff development, and operational excellence. The School Leader sets a clear vision for academic success and ensures its execution through strong instructional leadership, adult development, and disciplined school systems.

Reporting to the Chief Schools Officer, the School Leader leads the school leadership team and ensures regional priorities are implemented with fidelity while building a joyful, rigorous, and equitable learning environment where every student can thrive.

Who we are:

KIPP St. Louis is a part of a national network of free, open-enrollment, public charter schools offering a choice to families and children in St. Louis city. As the largest charter school system in the city, we are driven and committed to our mission and vision.

Mission: Together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world.

Vision: Every child grows up free to create the future they want for themselves and their communities.

KIPP St. Louis currently educates approximately 2,000 students and boasts hundreds of alumni. Today, our St. Louis network consists of three elementary schools, two middle schools, and a high school.

What makes KIPP St. Louis unique?

We believe that our educators are proving what's possible in urban education each and every day, by inspiring students, and helping them discover the joy of learning. KIPP schools support our educators to help students achieve academic excellence, building the skills and confidence they need to succeed.

Together, we are raising the bar for every student, every day.

Job Description

Position type: Full time, exempt, 12 Month

Reporting & Collaboration​

• Direct Manager: Chief Schools Officer (CSO), responsible for principal supervision and overall school performance.

• Direct Reports: Assistant School Leader(s), Manager of Operations, and other designated school-based leadership staff.

• Key Collaborators: VP of Academics & Instruction, VP of Student Services & Experience, Director of Professional Learning, regional operations leaders, and cross-functional regional teams.

Autonomy & Decision Making​

• The School Leader owns school-level strategy and execution for academic outcomes, school culture, staff performance, and operational reliability. The School Leader sets priorities for the school leadership team, manages staff performance, and ensures alignment with regional expectations.

• Regional strategy, curriculum design, and cross-school initiatives are set in partnership with regional leadership.

Inputs: What will I be doing in my day to day work?

• Academic & Instructional Leadership

  • Set and execute the instructional vision aligned to regional priorities.

  • Monitor student performance using internal and external assessments.

  • Ensure strong curriculum implementation across classrooms.

  • Supervise and develop Assistant School Leaders and Instructional Coaches.

  • Ensure teachers receive consistent coaching and feedback.

• Talent & Adult Development

  • Recruit, hire, and retain high-performing teachers and staff.

  • Supervise, evaluate, and develop school staff.

  • Build leadership capacity within the school leadership team.

  • Address underperformance and drive continuous improvement.

• School Culture & Student Experience

  • Establish and maintain strong school culture systems.

  • Monitor attendance, behavior, and student engagement.

  • Partner with families to build trust and strong school-community relationships.

  • Ensure safe and inclusive learning environments.

• Operational Leadership

  • Partner with the Manager of Operations to ensure reliable school systems.

  • Monitor enrollment, attendance, staffing, and school resources.

  • Ensure compliance with state, regional, and organizational policies.

Outcomes: What will I be evaluated on?

• Strong student academic growth and achievement.

• High-quality instructional practice across classrooms.

• Staff retention and development of future school leaders.

• Positive school culture with strong attendance and engagement.

• Reliable operational systems that protect instructional time.

What skills should I already bring, i.e., what should I already have a track record around?

• Strong instructional leadership and coaching skills.

• Ability to lead and develop high-performing teams.

• Ability to analyze student data and drive instructional improvement.

• Strong communication and relationship-building skills.

• Ability to manage complex school systems.

What should I know a lot about already, i.e., what should I have expertise in?

• Instructional leadership and school improvement strategies.

• Adult learning and teacher development.

• MTSS and school culture systems.

• Data-driven instruction and assessment practices.

KIPP uses Indicators of Excellence (IOE) to codify what great looks like in daily work. For this role, the IOEs include:

• Ownership and Stewardship

Takes responsibility for the success of the school community which includes proactively managing people, resources, and outcomes while holding themselves and others accountable for results that advance student achievement and organizational goals.

• Monitoring and Quality

Implements consistent monitoring systems and uses data, observation, and feedback to ensure high-quality instruction and effective implementation of school priorities.

• Coherence

Aligns vision, strategy, and systems so that staff work is focused, consistent, and collectively drives progress toward the school’s academic and cultural goals.

• Data-Driven Decision Making

Consistently uses multiple sources of data to diagnose needs, guide decisions, and adjust strategies to improve student achievement and school performance.

Qualifications

What you bring to the table:

Required

• 2+ years of successful classroom teaching experience

• Demonstrated impact on student outcomes and instructional practice

• Experience supporting or leading adults

• Ability to observe instruction and provide actionable feedback

• Bachelor's Degree in education or related field

• Data-informed decision-making skills

• State teaching or administrative certification

• Prior school leadership experience

Preferred

• Leadership development program or fellowship experience

• Experience leading schoolwide initiatives

• Master's degree in education or related field

Additional Information

What we bring to the table:

KIPP St. Louis is committed to pay equity and to ensuring that we do not unintentionally perpetuate historic wage gaps that persist due to individual negotiations. As a result, salaries are not negotiated. We are transparent about salaries in our job postings so that candidates can make an informed decision before beginning the hiring process. The salary range starts at $110, 226. This role is performance bonus eligible.

We are a fast paced, energetic team and family with passionate people who are leading a movement and to cultivate their best working environment we provide the following:

• $0 deductible healthcare plan option, including medical, vision and dental.

• Employer Paid Short Term Disability.

• $50,000 life insurance policy at no cost to the employee.

• Retirement plan through PSSRSSL with an employer match up to 14% and an optional 403b as a supplement to our pension program

• Employee Recognition: When we succeed together, we celebrate together with our annual gala award ceremony, holiday party, and more!

• Public Service student loan forgiveness program qualified employer.

• Ongoing professional development.

Generous time off:

• Paid leave for illness, personal days, bereavement, jury duty, and military-related leave

• Paid parental leave for new families

• Paid holidays, as well as a one week Thanksgiving break, a two-week winter break, a week-long spring break

• Wellness days provided throughout the year

If you are interested in working at KIPP St. Louis, please visit our website to find out how to apply!

www.kippstl.org/apply

Check out our KIPP St. Louis video to learn more about KIPP St. Louis Public Schools!

KIPP St. Louis is committed to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment for all our students, families, teachers, staff and community members. As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or disability.