Principal

Alberta Ukrainian Academy; Calgary; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Yuzyk Academy, a Ukrainian–English bilingual public charter school in Alberta, seeks an inspirational Principal to lead the launch and growth of a K-4 (K-9 in coming years) program. The role emphasizes CI-driven pedagogy, cultural immersion, and parental engagement within Alberta’s education framework.

The successful candidate will have Alberta teaching credentials, leadership experience, and a commitment to bilingual education and CI methodology to support high-quality student outcomes.

Qualifications

• Permanent Alberta Teaching Certificate with a minimum of five years as a classroom teacher.
• Preference for basic proficiency in Ukrainian.
• 3–5 years in a leadership role (vice-principal or principal).
• Alberta Leadership Quality Standard (LQS) certification or willingness to obtain.
• Experience in all nine LQS competency areas.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and climate for high-quality instruction and outcomes.
• Oversee school program development and bilingual curriculum delivery.
• Collaborate with Ukrainian bilingual schools to tailor resources.
• Manage staffing, timetabling, registrations, and staff professional development.
• Maintain communications with parents and oversee budget considerations.

Skills

Leadership

CI pedagogy

Bilingual ed.

Curriculum design

Education

Alberta Teaching Certificate

Leadership experience

LQS certification

Job description

Yuzyk Academy is a pioneering a Ukrainian–English bilingual public charter school serving Kindergarten to Grade 4 to start (K-9 in the coming years) through a culturally enriched,Comprehensible Input (CI– driven pedagogical model. The Academy is rooted in Alberta's tradition of parental choice and bilingual education and is the first program in the province to be built entirely aroundCulturally Immersive CI language instruction, ensuring highquality acquisition of Ukrainian and English for both heritage speakers and new learners through meaningful, understandable input embedded in real cultural experiences.

• Bilingual Proficiency - students will demonstrate grade-level, or above grade level proficiency, in both Ukrainian and English Language Arts (ELA) as measured by Alberta Education Literacy Early Learning Assessments, ELA Provincial Achievement Test (PAT) results and Ukrainian Language Arts report card marks.
• Cultural Appreciation - Students will exhibit a comprehensive understanding of Ukrainian culture, its role in Canadian history, and its contributions to Alberta's development.
• Heritage Language Advocacy - Students will develop an appreciation for heritage language maintenance and bilingual education programs through participation in at least one Ukrainian heritage-language community event per year.
• Linguistic Collaboration – Students will learn to value and leverage linguistic strengths in both Ukrainian and English, enhancing mutual respect and bilingual development.

Yuzyk Academy's mission is to provide Ukrainian-speaking students with an opportunity to maintain their mother tongue while mastering English and to offer English-speaking students the opportunity to learn Ukrainian as a second language, enriching their cultural understanding and cognitive development.

We are looking for an inspirational, community-connected Principal to lead and support the development of this new Charter school. If you are a talented educator, with a desire to enter leadership or already have leadership experience and motivation to be a part of the future of education in Alberta, Ukrainian – English bilingual speaking would be an extreme asset.

Core Responsibilities:

Leadership and Climate

• Ensure an environment of high-quality instruction and student learning outcomes.
• Overall supervision of the school; observing and supporting culturally immersive Comprehensible Input language instruction and setting of data driven objectives to improve student outcomes.
• Keep informed of current practices pertaining to teaching and administration of school programs by attending meetings, professional development conferences, and reading and sharing material of educational relevance with staff as appropriate.

Programming

• Lead and foster the development of programs and materials to support innovative curriculum delivery within the school.
• Assist the teaching staff in the selection, modification, and implementation of bilingual curriculum materials.
• Collaborate with colleagues at established Ukrainian Bilingual Schools in Edmonton, Alberta in the development of resources tailored to bilingual programming.
• Develop and support positive morale among the student body through ensuring that the delivery of curriculum is both engaging and personalized to individual learning rates.

School Organization and Staffing

• Recruiting and selection of educational, administrative and school support staff;
• Responsible for the preparation of the overall school timetable, class lists and student supervision schedules and be accountable as to the effectiveness of their functioning;
• Oversee and support staff assigned to manage student registration, school transfers and maintenance of up-to-date student cumulative records;
• Take an active role in the selection, planning, and implementation of professional development activities for the staff in cooperation with the Superintendent;
• Complete staff assessments in accordance with Charter goals and Alberta Education requirements.

School Operations

• Maintain communications with parents or guardians regarding the total school program, student achievements, and school activities.
• Assist with preparing budgets to ensure the delivery of the highest quality Ukrainian-English bilingual program is supported through proper staffing, supplies, and equipment.

You are a proven educational leader who easily articulates a clear understanding of what quality education entails and have strong interpersonal skills to guide a values-driven team. You are a highly visible leader, focused on delivering the best student experience for our families.

In addition to having an educational philosophy aligned with our mission, vision and values, the successful candidate will have the following qualifications:

• A permanent Alberta Teaching Certificate with a minimum offive years as a classroom teacher; preference given to those with at least basic proficiency in spoken Ukrainian.
• 3 – 5 years experience working in a leadership role as a vice-principal or principal is preferrable.
• Alberta Leadership Quality Standard (LQS) certification or be willing to obtain one.
• Experience and skills in all nine areas of the LQS competencies.
• Genuine passion towards ensuring the improvement of education standards in Alberta.
• Deep understanding of Comprehensible Input (CI) pedagogy or willingness to acquire CI expertise.
• High level of personal accountability and integrity along with a track record of ethical decision making with careful consideration as to the effect of decisions on others.

A valid and clear criminal record including vulnerable sector check documents are required.

We thank all applicants for their interest. Only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted. Applications from individuals not selected for an interview will not be kept on file.