Middle School Principal

The Park School of Baltimore; Baltimore (MD); On-site; USD 110,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

403(b) retirement plan with employer

Health, dental, and vision insurance

HSA and FSA

Disability and parental leave

Paid time off

Employee assistance program

Job summary

The Park School of Baltimore seeks a Middle School Principal to provide overall leadership for curriculum, guidance, faculty support, and student programs for grades six through eight. The Principal participates in a senior administrative team and plays a key role in hiring, while collaborating with department chairs and counselors.

The position is based in Baltimore, MD, within a non-sectarian, independent day school that values inquiry, diversity, and student growth, with a competitive salary

Qualifications

• Leadership style rooted in passionate commitment to the school’s purposes and energizing others.
• Ability to coordinate talents while encouraging collective purposes.
• Exceptional interpersonal, verbal, presentational, and written communication skills.
• Disciplined self-starter who can plan, prioritize, and organize in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to sustain an intellectually lively, creative environment.
• Ability to handle conflicts and make difficult decisions.
• Personal qualities of integrity, empathy, and humor.
• Commitment to principles of progressive philosophy in curricular programs and student life.
• Ability to develop initiatives implied by these principles and interpret them to families.
• Knowledge of experiential learning and inquiry-based habits of mind.
• Understanding adolescent development—social, emotional, ethical dimensions.
• Clear approach to building an inclusive community of faculty and families.
• Willingness to collaborate with administrators on school-wide efforts.
• Commitment to cultural competency work.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Decision making

Collaboration

Integrity & empathy

Job description

Middle School Principal

The Middle School Principal has overall responsibility for curriculum and guidance, faculty support and supervision, and student and parent programs for the division, which comprises grades six through eight (196 students). The Principal is afforded a high degree of autonomy while functioning as a member of the core administrative team with the Head and Associate Head of School, and principals of the Lower and Upper Schools. The Middle School Principal serves on the Admission Committee, the Senior Administration Team, and plays a key role in hiring. In addition, the Principal works directly with department chairs, the dean of students, a learning resource specialist, three school counselors, and a scheduler. Support personnel include two administrative assistants for the division.

Devoted to intellectual inquiry, a collaborative spirit of learning, and an appreciation for the diversity of human experience, The Park School of Baltimore is a community founded on positive expectations of our students and respect for individual differences. We cultivate children’s innate curiosity by nurturing their interests and engaging them as active participants in their own education. We suppor t young people in becoming confident questioners and responsible citizens of the world.

The Park School is a non‑sectarian, independent, gender inclusive day school of 788 students from Pre‑Kindergarten through Grade 12. Founded in 1912 as one of the early progressive schools, The Park School continues to practice a distinct educational philosophy. The core values today, as in 1912, are a belief in children’s capacity to love learning, to grow academically and emotionally when inspired by highly qualified, caring teachers, and to develop self‑discipline, confidence, and creative problem‑solving skills through deep exploration and constant challenge. At every grade level, from Pre‑Kindergarten through Upper School, Park actively encourages questioning and conversation as essential elements of the learning process. The school philosophy emphasizes a belief in positive expectations and expects that students, as they mature, will take increasing responsibility for their own learning.

Qualifications

LEADERSHIP

• A leadership style that derives its authority from a passionate and energetic commitment to the school’s purposes and an ability to tap this energy in others.
• Ability to provide latitude and scope for individual talents while coordinating individual strengths and encouraging collective purposes.
• Exceptional interpersonal, verbal, presentational, and written communication skills.
• A disciplined self-starter with the ability to plan, prioritize, and organize, while managing multiple tasks in a fast‑paced environment.
• Ability to sustain and participate in an intellectually lively, creative environment.
• Ability to handle conflicts and to make difficult decisions when necessary.
• Personal qualities of integrity, empathy, and humor.

EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY

• Demonstrated knowledge of and commitment to principles of progressive philosophy as reflected in curricular programs and student life for Middle School students.
• Ability to develop initiatives implied by these principles, to promote their understanding by faculty and students, and to interpret them to families.
• Knowledge of curricular approaches, including experiential learning, emphasis on investigation and inquiry, and habits of mind, which are central to Park’s Middle School curriculum.
• Knowledge of adolescent development, including an understanding of social, emotional, and ethical dimensions of children’s growth.

DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE VISION

• Clearly articulated approach to building and sustaining an inclusive community of faculty and families, and to further developing a curriculum that reflects diverse cultures and perspectives.
• Enthusiastic willingness to collaborate with other administrators on school‑wide efforts, as well as primary responsibility for divisional initiatives involving faculty, students, and families.
• Demonstrated commitment to cultural competency work.

Salary

Park’s job requirements differ, with some positions requiring no experience, while others require years of expertise. Our salary range is from $110,000 to $145,000 and is based on factors such as years of experience, qualifications, full-or part-time status, and schedule. If selected for the role, your salary will be determined by your experience and qualifications. Our compensation package also includes a number of benefits.

Benefits

Park offers eligible employees a range of benefits, including a 403(b) retirement plan with employer matching contributions; medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their eligible dependents; Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts; disability and parental leave; and paid time off. An Employee Assistance Program and other wellness resources are available to all employees.

Additionally, The School Offers The Following Distinctive Programs

• Faculty and Curricular Advancement (FACA) Program: A $5.6 million endowed program, established in 1989, supports summer professional development work by faculty. This program provides full salary and benefits for work on group or individual projects. Approximately 40% of Park faculty participate in FACA projects each summer. Projects are selected through a formal, competitive review process.
• Tuition Remission: Under current policy, employees who have been employed at Park full-time for two years are eligible to receive full tuition remission for their children who attend Park. (Employee children must meet the same standards for admission as all other applicants.) During the first two years of employment, employees may apply for financial assistance through Park’s need-based tuition assistance program.

The Park School of Baltimore does not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, ancestry, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or any physical or mental disability unrelated to a reasonable performance of an employee’s duties.