Principal - Elementary: 2026-2027 School Year - Muscatine, Iowa

MUSCATINE COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT · JOB REQUIREMENTS ANALYSIS · POSITION TITLE:       Elementary School Principal · EMPLOYEE UNIT:       Certified Administrator · FUNDING SOURCE:   General Operating · FUNCTIONAL AREA:  Administration · REPORTS TO: Superintendent · SUPERVISES: ...

Job description

MUSCATINE COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
JOB REQUIREMENTS ANALYSIS

POSITION TITLE:       Elementary School Principal
EMPLOYEE UNIT:       Certified Administrator
FUNDING SOURCE:   General Operating
FUNCTIONAL AREA:  Administration
REPORTS TO: Superintendent
SUPERVISES: All Elementary School Employees
STATUS: Contract XX     Non-contract Other
Full-time XX    Part-time Permanent XX Temporary
Hours worked per day 8.0 Contract days per year 261

Normal Work Day: Varies but based upon eight hour day

CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: Administrative endorsement as required by Iowa Department of Education

OBJECTIVE:
To assume on-site responsibility for instructional leadership, personnel administration, school management, community relations for an elementary school building.  In addition the principal will coordinate the hiring of staff and provide supervision and staff development for staff.

MAJOR DUTIES:

A. Instructional Leadership in cooperation with the Directors of Educational Services and Special Programs:

1. Supervises and leads in the development, determination of appropriateness and 

    monitoring of the instructional program.  Provides leadership in the implementation,  expansion or development of adopted curriculum and programs.  

2. Facilitate the administration of the District and state testing programs.

3. Assists in the development and coordination of the building staff development

    programs.

4. Coordinates production of the North Central Association (NCA) Visitation Report or

    similar self-evaluation and all similar matters for the building.

5. Establishes and maintains an effective learning climate in the school.

6. Makes recommendations concerning the school's curriculum and assists in the

    development, revision and evaluation of the curriculum.

7. Conducts meetings of the staff as necessary for the proper functioning of the school

    and serves as not less than an ex officio member of all elementary school councils or

    committees.

8. Supervises and evaluates the school's activity and PTO programs.

9. Cooperates with college and university officials regarding teacher training and

    preparation.

10. Convene staff to facilitate the articulation of curriculum standards within the school.

11. Keep informed and communicate current trends and best practices for elementary schools and implement as appropriate.  

12. Provide quality educational programming.

B. Personnel Administration in cooperation with the Director of Human Resources:

1.  Coordinates and directs a program of teacher evaluation consistent with district wide

     guidelines.

2.  Assumes responsibility for the implementation and observance of all board policies

     and regulations by the school's staff and students.

3.  Supervises the guidance program to enhance individual student education and

    development.

4.  Maintains high standards of student conduct and enforces discipline, as necessary,

     insuring all students their due process rights.

5.  Supervises or delegates the supervision of all professional, paraprofessional and

     non-professional personnel attached to the school.

6.  Assists in the recruiting, screening, hiring, assigning, and evaluating of the school's

     professional staff.

7.  Orients newly assigned staff members and assists in their development, as

     appropriate.

8.  Assists in the inservice orientation and training of teachers, with special

     responsibility

     for staff administration procedures and instructions.

9.  Evaluates or delegates the evaluation of all staff members regarding their individual

     and group performance.

10. Recommends according to established procedures, the removal of a teacher whose

     work is unsatisfactory.

11. In cooperation with District Board Office, develop staffing ratios, projections, and recommendations to adequately staff the school.

C. School Management with the Directors of Educational Services, Finance & Budget, Technology and Facilities & Grounds:

1.  Ultimately responsible for the planning, organizing, leading and oversight of all

     elementary school operations both curricular and extracurricular and shall make

     periodic reports regarding their status to the Superintendent.

2.  Supervises the building of the master schedule of classes and its implementation by

     assigning students, teachers, facilities, staff and financial resources to the schedule

     and shall make periodic reports of same to the Director of Educational Services.

     Ultimately, the principal will recommend, to the Superintendent, the master

     schedule for the elementary school and any changes in personnel that may be

     required.

3.  Performs periodic inspections of the appearance and upkeep of the building and

     make recommendations for needed repair and maintenance to the Director of

     Facilities and Grounds.

4.  Is ultimately responsible for the preparation, administration and operation of the

     elementary school budget, according to established procedures, including all funds

     and accounts regardless of their source and shall make periodic reports of their

     status to the Director of Finance & Budget.

5.  Works with various members of the district-wide administrative staff on school

     issues that reach beyond the elementary school, such as transportation, special

     education and food services.

6.  Within board policies; establishes guides for student conduct, attendance and

     discipline and then monitors each towards improving the educational environment.

7.  Makes arrangements for conferences between parents and teachers.

8.  Asserts leadership in accordance with established board policy in times of civil

     disobedience in school.

9.  Supervises the daily use of the school for academic purposes; maintaining a safe

     and healthy environment for students.

10. Plans and supervises fire drills and an emergency preparedness program as

     required.

11. Provides for adequate inventories of property under their jurisdiction and for the

     security and accountability for that property.

12. Supervises the operation of all activities and programs that are outgrowths of the

      school's curriculum.

13. Supervises the preparation and maintenance of all required building records or

     paperwork appropriate to the school's administration.

14.  Assumes responsibility for all official school correspondence and news releases and

      responds to written and oral requests for information as per prescribed district

      practices.

D. Community Relations:

1. Maintains active relationships with students and parents.

2. Establishes and maintains favorable relationships with local community groups and

    individuals to foster understanding and solicit support for overall school objectives

    and programs. Includes the day to day interpretation of board policies and

    administrative directions as well as discussing and resolving individual student

    problems.

E. Other:

1. Makes periodic reports to the Board of Education on matters relating to the

    elementary school and keeps the superintendent informed of the school's activities,

    events and problems as well as routine matters related to accountability.

2. Assumes responsibility for personal professional growth and development through

    membership and participation in the affairs of professional organizations, through

    attendance at regional, state, and national meetings, seminars, advanced

    coursework, and the like.

3. Keeps abreast of changes and developments in the profession by reading professional

    journals and other publications, and discussing issues of mutual interest with others

    in the field.

4. Participates in principals' meetings and attends other district meetings as directed to     by the superintendent.  Serve on various district-wide, and other appropriate administrative, community, state, and national committees.

5. Delegates authority to appropriate personnel to assume responsibility for the school

    in the absence of the principal.

6. Responsible as assigned for specific subject &/or program oversight.

7. Other duties / responsibilities as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Communication skills:

     Ability to be heard in a variety of settings.

     Ability to read, analyze, and interpret professional journals, technical procedures, government regulations, etc.

     Ability to write reports, correspondence, procedure manuals, etc.

     Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from staff, parents, students, community members, supervisors, and school board members in large and small groups.

Finance skills:     

     Ability to develop and maintain sound building budget processes.

     Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as percentages, formulas, etc.

Reasoning skills:     

     Ability to implement problem solving techniques.

     Ability to interpret technical instructions.

     Ability to facilitate through use of conflict resolution management.

Other skills and abilities:

     Ability to delegate responsibility and maintain accountability.

     Ability to use technology to communicate and manage.

Excellent oral/written communication skills and listening skills
In-depth understanding of the educational administrative process and curriculum cycle and methodology
Supervisory and management skills
Human relations skills are essential
Good decision making skills; shared decision making models
Responsible for building budget
Evaluate all employee groups
Operation of personal computer that is linked to network so that administrator can access student data and/or building data as required or desired

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Must hold an Iowa administrative certification for elementary school principal. MA or higher is preferred. Ideally has previous experience in a large elementary school as an administrator. Bilingual preferred or highly desirable.

Exemplary teaching and/or administrative experience.  

Such alternatives to the above qualifications as the Superintendent may find appropriate and acceptable.

LOCATION: Elementary School

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT STATEMENT:

The information contained in this job description is in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and is not an exhaustive list of the duties performed for this position.
Additional duties are performed by the individual holding this position and additional duties may be assigned.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The following list of critical demands is representative but not all-inclusive of the job: while performing the duties of the job, the employee is frequently required to stand, walk, use hands and fingers to handle and/or feel objects, tools or controls, talk and hear. The employee must be physically capable of moving an individual, weighing up to 110 pounds, by lifting them from a chair or wheelchair to a table and back again, multiple times. The employee must be capable of doing this with assistance. The employee must be capable of transporting students via wheelchair. The employee must be able to kneel and squat for minutes at a time, crouch and bend forward multiple times, as well as reach above the head and forward up to 24 inches and on occasion up to 36 inches. The employee continuously uses hand strength to grasp items. The employee will frequently bend or twist at the neck and trunk more than the average person while performing the duties of this job. The employee must occasionally lift/carry up to 55 lbs. The employee will sometimes push/pull items such as tables and carts. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision and the ability to adjust focus while supervising students and working with computers, written materials, reports, assessment data, etc.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet. The position requires the commitment of professional working hours that may require the employee to extend beyond a typical 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. workday. The employee will frequently work in different areas of the classroom including in/at desks, on or near the floor, standing, in movement while supervising indoor and outdoor activities, etc. The employee will usually work in indoor temperatures but will work outdoors when supervising students outside of the classroom.

It is the policy of the Muscatine Community School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, creed, age (for employment), marital status (for programs), sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status (for programs) in its educational programs and its employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination.