HIghlands Elementary Associate Principal / Odyssey Magnet School Principal

Appleton Area School District; Appleton (WI); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Appleton Area School District is seeking a dynamic Elementary Associate Principal for Highlands Elementary and Odyssey Magnet School, starting 08/31/2026. The role collaborates with the building principal to foster instructional excellence and ensure a shared vision in teaching and learning.

The position emphasizes staff development, equity, and community engagement. The incumbent will lead instruction, support district initiatives, and promote positive school climate while recruiting and

Qualifications

• Strong instructional leadership with focus on teaching and learning.
• Commitment to collaborative work with staff, students, families, and community.
• Knowledge of Special Education, EL, TAG, and At‑Risk programming.
• PBIS/Rtl knowledge and ability to apply to school systems.
• Ability to work with diverse cultural backgrounds and communities.

Responsibilities

• Lead instructional program in collaboration with the principal to promote student success.
• Foster school/community relations and support district initiatives.
• Recruit, select, and develop staff using fair, inclusive processes.
• Evaluate professional practice and provide coaching and feedback.
• Lead professional learning aligned to school improvement priorities.
• Use data to inform instruction and monitor progress toward goals.

Skills

Instructional leadership

Collaboration

Diversity & equity

Communication

Advocacy

Education

Principal certification (5051)

Job description

The Appleton Area School District has a position available for a 1.0 FTE Associate Principal at Highlands Elementary and Principal of Odyssey Magnet School beginning on 08/31/2026.

We are seeking a dynamic, student-centered instructional leader for our Associate Elementary School Principal position at Highlands/Odyssey Elementary School. The Associate Principal promotes the success of all staff and students at the school by facilitating the development, articulation, and implementation of a vision of teaching and learning that supports the District's mission and vision.

Certification Required: Principal (5051)

Job description is listed below.

For more information on this position, please contact: Kari Krueger, Principal at [e-mail] or Bill McClone Assistant Superintendent at [e-mail]

--- An Equal Opportunity Employer ---

Job Title: Elementary Associate Principal

Classification: Administrator

FLSA Status: Exempt

Essential Function:

The associate principal works in collaboration with the building principal to promote the success of all staff and students at the school by facilitating the development, articulation, and implementation of a vision of teaching and learning that supports the District’s mission and vision.

Responsibilities, Tasks & Duties:

QUALIFICATIONS

Ability to demonstrate strong instructional orientation, including an emphasis on instructional time, current strategies/best practices and their application to change, if needed

A commitment to work collaboratively with the principal, staff, students, alumni, and the community toward continuous improvement of educational programming for all students

Demonstration of a collaborative style: supportive, approachable, and responsive to the professional educators’ skills and expertise; provide for individual creativity

A commitment to provide internal visibility to students and staff and external school visibility to students, parents and the school community

Ability to work with students, staff, and a community of diverse cultural backgrounds

Ability to advocate for school and community needs

Knowledge of Special Education, EL, TAG, and At-Risk programming

Knowledge of Rtl/PBIS framework desired

Ability to collaborate with the principal for cohesive building leadership

Prior successful experience as a team leader or in a similar leadership role is highly desired

DUTIES

The associate principal is expected to be an instructional leader. This individual, in collaboration with the principal, will exemplify leadership and responsibility in facilitating the staff to create a positive learning environment for the educational community. The associate principal is responsible for school/community relations, staff and student relationships in a collaborative environment, and support for District initiatives, as needed.

Developing Effective Educators

Recruiting and Selecting

1. Use systematic, fair, and consistently-applied hiring process so that staff have the competencies to contribute to the school’s mission and goals;
2. Use multiple methods to collect information that is likely to predict future effectiveness;
3. Take an active role in recruiting a diverse staff;
4. Involve other staff in the recruitment and hiring process; and
5. Anticipate staff vacancies, plan for new staff recruiting

Assignment of Teachers and Instructional Staff

1. Anticipate staff vacancies, plan for new staff recruiting, change assignments of existing staff, and make assignments based on both student needs and staff qualifications and effectiveness;
2. Consider the composition of grade or subject teams to facilitate staff cooperation and build professional community; and 3. Orientate new staff to the school’s goals, policies, and procedures

Performance Evaluation and Feedback

1. Accurately assess professional practice, provide high quality feedback and other supports, such as instructional coaching;
2. Foster a cycle of continuous improvement, and
3. Regularly engage in calibration activities to improve evaluation accuracy

Leading Professional Learning

1. Provide staff with learning opportunities that improve practice and ability to respond positively to student cultural, economic, or linguistic diversity;
2. Diagnostic use of staff practice and student learning data to inform the design and monitor the impact of the opportunities provided;
3. Align learning resources to the school’s improvement priorities; and
4. Work with staff to set learning goals, provide relevant learning opportunities, and monitor learning accomplishments

Distributed Leadership

1. Draw upon staff expertise to address tasks and school priorities;
2. Identify opportunities based on school needs and goals and encourage staff to take on leadership roles that contribute to meeting school goals; and
3. Support emerging leaders with feedback, coaching, and monitoring

Vision and Mission

1. Cultivate collective responsibility for student learning through the collaborative development of the vision and mission that emphasizes the shared belief that each student is an active learner;
2. Align initiatives to the goals identified in the school improvement plan; and
3. Engage stakeholders in goal assessment and practice adjustments to guarantee equitable student access to effective instruction and a rich curriculum

Student Achievement Focus

1. Ensure that each student has the opportunity to graduate college, career, and community ready; 2. Consistently monitor and address achievement gaps in and across student groups;
2. Engage in frequent observation and feedback cycles to ensure equitable access to quality programs and instruction; and 4. Foster community partnerships to enhance access to the rich curriculum and authentic learning experiences

Staff Collaboration

1. Create opportunities for collaboration aligned to school and district goals and that focus on instruction, teaching, and learning and
2. Promote reflective inquiry and collective responsibility through formal and informal collaborative opportunities around student learning and instructional practices

Schoolwide Use of Data

1. Provide the time and space for data-based cycles of inquiry;
2. Model, facilitate, and empower staff in the use of relevant data to make instructional decisions; 3. Foster a culture of inquiry as principals and teachers engage in the continuous review of student academic growth, teacher professional learning, school improvement plans, and School/Student Learning Objective data to address equitable opportunity and achievement gaps in and across groups of students

Student Learning Objectives (Teacher SLOs)

1. Understand SLO criteria and help teachers meet the criteria through access to resources and
2. Encourage SLOs that represent teacher goals and priorities and align with and support school improvement priorities

Leadership Actions

Professionalism

1. Demonstrate a positive demeanor and set an example for professional behavior of others;
2. Consistently address negative actions, fostering an environment where staff share accountability for ethical practice; 3. Lead others in culturally responsive practice; and
3. Contribute to the profession by participating in and occasionally leading activities that promote school leadership and organizational effectiveness

Time Management and Priority Setting

1. Engage in decision-making that prioritizes time for teaching and learning and
2. Set clear and realistic action steps and adhere to them to achieve school goals

Personal Professional Learning

1. Promote professional learning in others and actively pursue their own professional learning;
2. Solicit feedback from others, including their supervisors, teachers, and other stakeholders;
3. Keep current with research on leadership practice, student learning, and organizational development; and 4. Apply research-derived practices to meet personal and school goals

School Climate

1. Shape and support the school climate by fostering a shared understanding of the school’s values, beliefs, goals, and standards for interactions that are inclusive and representative of the different perspectives and
2. Develop trusting relationships that contribute to a climate where educators and students feel ownership and are encouraged to take risks aligned to school goals

Communication

1. Develop a shared organizational purpose representative of high expectations that are specific to the school context and student population;
2. Provide the direction and develop understanding and motivation around school goals and improvement efforts through clear communication;
3. Tailor messages to the audience (i.e., staff, parents, students, community);
4. Evaluate and modify messages to increase effectiveness; and
5. Respond in timely and meaningful ways to the inquiries received

Change Management and Shared Commitment

1. Transform schools by building shared commitment and ownership within the school and in the broader community and 2. Effectively manage change by cultivating collaborative leadership, building consensus by demonstrating the value of change, and integrating district and state initiatives into school improvement goals

Learning Environment Management

1. Create environments conducive to learning;
2. Manage the operations of the school building; and
3. Through proactive planning and shared responsibility for safety, maintain an environment that is supportive of learning and promotes the physical and emotional well‑being of students and staff

Financial Management

1. Collaboratively develop budgets by identifying learning priorities and the financial needs to support them; 2. Manage funds flexibly and responsibly; and
2. Manage budgets aligned with school improvement goals and promote equitable practices

Policy Management

1. Promote understanding, implementation, and compliance with policies, procedures, laws, and regulations to provide safeguards that the school is meeting the needs of all students and staff

Other

1. Performs such other related responsibilities as may be assigned

Qualifications:

Principal License (5051)