ORGANIZATION

The mission of Citizens of the World Los Angeles (CWC LA) is to provide a socio-economically, culturally, and racially diverse community of students in Los Angeles with an intellectually challenging, experiential learning environment that develops each student's confidence, potential, and individual sense of responsibility in the world. CWC schools promote academic rigor through a constructivist, project-based learning approach, to support and develop children’s natural intellectual curiosity. The CWC LA network has a strong track record of high academic achievement, is growing at a rapid rate, and currently enrolls nearly 2,000 students in three high-performing schools.

CWC Mar Vista, which opened in 2013 and currently serves nearly 700 students in TK-7th grade, will grow to 8th grade next year, and will ultimately serve more than 1,000 students. The school currently ranks in the top 9% in terms of academic performance out of all 773 K-8th grade LAUSD, charter, and magnet schools.

CWC’s core values are embraced by the entire community:

• Excellence: we demand lasting quality
• Diversity: we are better and stronger because of our differences
• Authenticity: we are our true selves in this work, and we are candid
• Community: we care deeply about people. We share and build partnerships. We celebrate, laugh, and seek joy, even in the tough times
• Change: we welcome the unknown, embracing the unexpected and new. We adapt to meet the ever-changing times. We find new ways.

For more information, please visit Citizens of the World, Los Angeles region on the web.

OPPORTUNITY

The Principal of CWC Mar Vista will report to the Chief Schools Officer. This person will be a visionary instructional leader who will create an engaging, joyful, academically rigorous learning environment built on CWC’s fundamentals of academic excellence, community, and diversity. The Principal will manage two Assistant Principals and a student body split across an elementary school campus and nearby middle school campus, stewarding a strong team and creating and maintaining an exceptional school culture. This culture will challenge and motivate students, teachers, and families to achieve academic excellence, develop as people, embrace the rich diversity of the school community, and positively impact the communities in which they live.  In addition, the Principal will embrace change and growth, collaborating closely with other Principals, Assistant Principals, and regional leaders in the CWC LA network.

This is an exciting opportunity for an instructional leader committed to project-based learning who can cultivate a diverse and welcoming school culture and has the organizational leadership, people management, and community-building skills to develop a school that is highly effective at meeting the needs of students and families.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Principal will be in charge of the management of all aspects of the school, including the following:

• Ensures the development and implementation of an instructional plan that is built on constructivist, project-based practices, features the delivery of effective academic interventions, and maintains consistent attention on addressing equity gaps across all subgroups;
• Leads a focus on social-emotional learning, making sure that teacher practice and staff actions are always centered on a whole child approach;
• Leads diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work at the school level for staff, students, and community members;
• Recruits, hires, supports, and retains a high-quality staff, including one that is diverse in their personal backgrounds and experiences;
• Sets and maintains a tone of self-reflection and authenticity throughout the school campus such that all stakeholders feel cared for, engaged, and are able to bring their true selves to the school every day;
• Keeps students at the center of everything they do and inspires others to do the same, living CWC’s core values in their every interaction and decision;
• Communicates the school’s vision and goals in a way that ensures understanding and commitment from a racially, culturally, and socioeconomically diverse community of parents, students, faculty, staff, and board members;
• Builds and keeps strong relationships with LAUSD, other charter operators, and allied organizations, serving as an active leader in the local education community;
• Supports and facilitates the development of fiscally responsible, efficient, and effective operational systems and procedures within the school building to ensure an academically rich, healthy, and safe campus for adults and students.

PRIORITIES

A successful first year in this role for the Principal will include:

• Building strong relationships with stakeholders, including staff, students, families, LAUSD, and colleagues across the CWC LA region;
• Managing the growth of the school to 8th grade and matriculating the school’s first class of graduates;
• Crafting, articulating, and implementing a clear vision for school success and community culture;
• Having a clear understanding of CWC’s mission and living its core values each and every day;
• Building expertise in the school’s pedagogical model and developing a fluid understanding of CWC’s operational and compliance initiatives;
• Participation in a network-wide professional development program and institute that allows for immersion into the CWC learning model.

QUALIFICATIONS

In order to meet their responsibilities, the ideal Principal candidate will have:

• A clear record of elevating student achievement in an academically high-achieving classroom for at least three (3) years, with a strong understanding of CWC-aligned pedagogy that drives results or of exceptional leadership working with young people in urban communities.
• Experience working with elementary-aged students in socio-economically diverse communities.
• Knowledge about Common Core State Standards, project-based learning, workshop-based instruction, and research-based social-emotional curricula.
• Proficiency in Spanish or other languages desired.
• An entrepreneurial spirit with the capability of managing many complex tasks and competing priorities.
• Experience with multiple intelligence theory and backward design planning.
• Exceptional relationship building skills with the ability to quickly gain the confidence of parents, faculty/staff, and students.
• A track record as a passionate advocate for all students and families, committed to building a strong culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Experience in school operations and decision-making around resource allocation for a student-serving organization (background working with public school budgeting preferred).

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

CWC LA offers a competitive compensation and benefits package to all of its staff. More details can be provided upon request.

TO APPLY

Please submit a resume and thoughtful cover letter addressed to Mark Kleger-Heine, CWC LA Executive Director at https://sforce.co/2EbBS8N. For additional questions about this position or to speak with someone about your interest, please contact Serena Moy at smoy@edgilityconsulting.com or at 510.575.9635.

Citizens of the World Los Angeles is an equal opportunity employer and an organization that values diversity. Recruiting staff to create an inclusive organization is a priority, and we encourage applicants from all backgrounds. Candidates are evaluated solely on their qualifications to perform the work required.