Windy Peak Outdoor Lab Principal

Jeffco Public Schools (Jeffco) is located in Jefferson County, Colorado. It is the second largest school district in Colorado serving 69,000 students across 155 schools. With 14,000 employees, the district is the largest employer in Jefferson County and has provided educational excellence for more than 70 years.

Jeffco embraces the spirit of the West and the natural beauty of the Rocky Mountain region with the county spanning more than 770 square miles running the length of the western edge of the Denver metropolitan area. The district is diverse in both population and geography, from urban to rural, including the mountain communities in the foothills west of Denver.

Overall, Jeffco has 31% of students that qualify for free and reduced lunch, an indicator of poverty, and 34% minority (25% Hispanic) student population. The district is implementing a new strategic plan, Jeffco Thrives 2025 that is focused on providing a world-class education that prepares all Jeffco students for bright and successful futures as local and global citizens.  Come join us!

Jeffco Public Schools is a Single-State Employer.  All candidates hired by Jeffco Public Schools must reside within the state of Colorado.

ABOUT THE SCHOOL/DEPARTMENT

Windy Peak Outdoor Lab School is one of two sites in the Outdoor Education Program within Jefferson County Public Schools. The Outdoor Lab Program has become a rite of passage for sixth grade students across the district, building lifelong skills and memories.  Windy Peak provides unique, experiential learning in nature’s classroom where students develop stewardship through problem solving, team building, decision-making and social interaction.

Historic Windy Peak is located nine miles south of Bailey on 205 acres of beautiful mountain terrain.

Google Map: http://tinyurl.com/4bjf3xmy 

Additional Information:

• Jeffco Outdoor Lab Schools: http://tinyurl.com/2vxf7yfj
• Windy Peak Outdoor Lab History: http://tinyurl.com/38udvpxp
• Jeffco Outdoor Lab Foundation: http://tinyurl.com/3acms2h8
• Windy Peak Outdoor Lab Instagram: http://tinyurl.com/yj2ead24

PRE-EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENT

The successful new hire or rehired candidate will be responsible to complete and incur the fingerprinting and processing fee of $54.50 through an appropriate fingerprinting vendor and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, within 48 hours of offer acceptance.

RESPONSIBILITIES

SUMMARY As outlined in the Jefferson County Public Schools’ School Leadership profile, an individual in this position serves as the school leader by providing leadership, community building, instructional leadership, and human and financial resources management. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Following is a general summary of the essential duties and responsibilities for this position as outlined in the School Leadership Profile. 

• LEADERSHIP: Provide a purpose and direction for the school.
• COMMUNITY BUILDING: Guide the development of a caring community that includes stakeholders in the school.
• INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP: Focus on student learning and student success.
• MANAGEMENT: Manage the human and financial resources to ensure an orderly work and learning environment.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EXPERIENCE Minimum of three years’ of licensed experience in a public or nonpublic elementary or secondary school, and a minimum of two years’ educational administrative and/or comparable administrative leadership.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING Bachelor’s degree, plus additional course work required for certification or licensure.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS Colorado Principal License issued or in process.

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, & EQUIPMENT Demonstrated conflict management, problem solving, resource allocation, prioritization, data analysis, collaborative decision making, relationship building, group facilitation, writing, and speaking skills. Demonstrated knowledge and use of District policies, procedures, employee contracts, and legal requirements. Computer and technology skills which include Human Resources; Financial Systems; and communications technology including software, E-mail, and voice mail are needed.

DECISION MAKING Ability to determine staffing levels and budget requirements; develop alternatives and make decisions in crises situations; utilize collaborative decision making skills; and apply good judgment to ensure student safety and carry out student discipline. Errors could lead to legal ramifications and compromise student safety and the learning environment, resulting in substantial embarrassment or cost to the District. Final decisions at the school site are the responsibility of this position.

COMMUNITY RELATIONS Daily contact with parents and students to exchange information and resolve issues. Weekly contact with vendors, media, legislatures, and government entities to exchange information. Regular contact with higher education, partnerships, and businesses to exchange information, develop and maintain programs, maintain relationships, and foster program participation.

SPAN OF CONTROL Directly supervise Assistant Principals, Teachers, classified employees, and special education personnel. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

EDUCATIONAL DELIVERY Support the instructional programs of the District by supervising and evaluating teachers and administrators and by developing and implementing school instructional programs. Understand the philosophy of standards based education, the processes of curriculum development and effective models of instruction, and lead their implementation in the schools. Manage the development of curriculum and instructional programs that recognize the contributions of diverse groups and foster success for all students regardless of gender, race, or disability. Lead the community in the development of challenging performance standards for students and the development of varied supervisory and evaluation processes. Insure the development of a staff development program that recognizes the principles of adult learning and focuses on student success. Use data to analyze the current state of student learning and serve as a catalyst for and manager of needed change. Understand and lead the use of technology in instruction. The majority of the time is spent at the school site.

COMPLEXITY OF WORK Requires analytical skills, independent thinking, considerable judgment, and the ability to assess crises and make sound decisions quickly with little time or input from others. Must manage personnel, curriculum, student success and discipline, and physical plant. Must have a strong understanding of District culture and policies and be able to quickly analyze the impact of decisions on the student, school, District, and community. 

The physical demands, work environment factors, and mental functions 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.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, talk or hear, and taste or smell. The employee frequently is required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is occasionally required to sit; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, or crouch. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

MENTAL FUNCTIONS While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly is required to compare, analyze, communicate, evaluate, use interpersonal skills, compile, and negotiate. The employee frequently is required to copy, instruct, compute, and synthesize.

WORK ENVIRONMENT While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.